Michaela Palmer is the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for the Global Forest Watch and Land and Carbon Lab programs at WRI. In this role, she oversees monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) activities, developing frameworks and data systems that track progress, measure impact, and help the teams apply evidence to improve programs and adapt strategies in real time.

Prior to joining WRI, Michaela worked at Deloitte, supporting federal clients on program management, monitoring and evaluation, environmental compliance and climate change adaptation, and market-based water and sanitation programs with projects spanning Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, the South Caucasus, and Latin America. Previously, Michaela served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, where she worked on environmental conservation initiatives. She subsequently supported the World Wildlife Fund in Paraguay on a GIZ-funded agroforestry program.

Michaela holds a Master of Public Affairs and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from Indiana University's O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, with a focus on Water Science and International Environmental Development.

In her free time, Michaela enjoys tending her garden, cooking and eating her harvest, practicing and teaching yoga, extended backpacking trips, and exploring nature areas around DC with her adventure-loving dog, Zucchini.