Ali Sharif
Ali is a senior student of Bill Mollison who founded PAL as the organizational instrument to expand Permaculture into Latin America. He was born in Iran in 1953 and educated in England and Italy. He has established over 26 projects on three continents and has been involved at every level of their development. He makes things happen. His special expertise lies in tropical agroforestry systems and in the design and construction of aquaculture systems. He has been awarded an International Comunity Service Award and presented at the Bioneers Conference and Sustainable Resource Conferences on several occasions.

Vint Lawrence
Mr Lawrence in his philanthropic capacity has served on the boards of Threshold Foundation, Collective Heritage Institute and the Permaculture Institute. He is also one of the founders of the Permaculture Credit Union and served as Chairman of its Board of Directors in 2001-2002. His background in alternative energy systems and sustainable design is extensive and he has worked with the Princeton Energy Group between 1978 - 83 and Energy Design Curricula for professionals of Architecture and Engineering.

Between 1983 - 89 Vint owned and operated Sunstone Design and founded Panpedco, a company licencing alternative energy products for the Pacific Rim. Since 1991, he has operated Apache Creek Ranch as a permaculture demonstration, research, and education site located on 400 acres in the Sangre de Cristo mountains outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also owns and operates a 600 acre organic farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where he is working with Chesapeake Fields Institute to create a regional model for sustainable, food-based agriculture.

Amy Brown
Amy Brown studied in the United States and Canada earning bachelor and masters degrees in Studio Art, Museology, and Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. She lived and worked in Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia from 1976 to 1993. Since 1994, after studying permaculture with Bill Mollison, Amy has concentrated on implementing permaculture principles and demonstrating sustainable systems in the high desert environment of Northern New Mexico. She is one of the original founders of the Permaculture Credit Union and currently serves on the Supervisory Committee. She continues to study and expand her practice of agricultural technologies, especially dryland food systems, food preservation, market and greenhouse gardening, and value-added product development. Amy is committed to increasing abundance and diversity in natural systems as well as preservation of heritage seed, plants and livestock