About Alison
SHANNON L. MARTIN FOUNDATION
MEET THE TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kristin Cox
Kristin Syverson Cox works as a consultant for non-profits working in the fields of global health and international development. She recently earned an MA in International Development from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She previously worked as an environmental planner and biologist after earning a BA in Environmental Studies from Villanova University and an MA in Geography from San Diego State University. Kristin lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.
She met Shannon through the University of Kansas Tropical Studies Program in Golfito, Costa Rica in 2000. Since then she has traveled back to Golfito and to other parts of Costa Rica many times over the years, including to assist Jeanette during the investigation and trial after Shannon's murder. Kristin is passionate about contributing to the Golfito community in Shannon's memory after having such an impactful experience there.
Jeannette Staufer-Schorr
Jeanette Stauffer-Schorr is a retired lawyer and teacher. She received her J.D. from the University of Washburn School of Law. She was the statewide coordinator and represented crime victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in court while working for the Office of the Kansas Attorney General. She was the director of communications for the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State, but resigned after her daughter was murdered. Previously, she taught a legal professional program at Washburn University School of Technology.
As a volunteer, Jeanette is currently assisting individuals with physical and mental disabilities to prepare for the job market. She is a CASA, NextGen Climate Change, and political campaign volunteer. She has always been an advocate for women and children. When in law school, she drafted legislation to benefit children, and the bill was passed into law.
Jeanette is the mother of Shannon Lucile Martin. She became a party to the judicial process in Golfito, Costa Rica. She and her team lead an investigation and provided evidence at two hearings, two trials, and three appeals to make sure the three who murdered Shannon were held accountable.
Daniel Hernández is an Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Kansas and a Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Minnesota. His research focuses on the ecology, management, and restoration of grassland ecosystems.
Daniel was a classmate of Shannon's at the University of Kansas and on the Tropcial Studies Program in Golfito, Costa Rica in 2000.
Daniel Hernández
Dr. Karrigan Börk
Dr. Karrigan Börk is a scientist and lawyer whose research focuses on the interplay between science and the fields of environmental, natural resource, and administrative law. He is a Visiting Assistant Professor with a joint appointment at McGeorge School of Law and the University of the Pacific’s Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences. He is codirector of the Environmental Studies program at the University of the Pacific, and he loves taking his students out in the field to learn how their studies relate to the real world. He previously taught at the University of Kansas, after earning a JD from Stanford Law School in 2009 and a PhD in Ecology at UC Davis in 2011. Karrigan is married with two children, and he enjoys spending time with his family in the great outdoors.
Karrigan was a friend and classmate of Shannon's at the University of Kansas and in the Tropical Studies Program in Golfito, Costa Rica in 2000.
The Shannon L. Martin Foundation is proud to have Abraham Vallecillo Diaz as the Professor of English at the Shannon L. Martin English Center in Golfito. He is an experienced, dedicated and passionate teacher.
GOLFITO STAFF
Abraham Vallecillo Diaz