Dear eePRO Global Group members,

I’m writing to update you on the 2019 eePRO Global group, and to introduce our moderation team. This year, the eePRO Global group will be exploring the role of environmental education in helping to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs have been widely adopted by countries around the world, and there are 17 in total, all aiming to address a variety of environmental, social, and economic issues by the year 2030.

This year, and with your help, we will be facilitating discussions, and sharing resources and ideas on the role of environmental education in achieving the SDGs. We have so much to learn from each other! If there is anything you are particularly interested in discussing, or if you have a resource or opportunity to share, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of us, or go ahead and post through the eePRO Global Group discussion tab. 
I also wanted to introduce you to our team of moderators this year. We are all here to help facilitate resources and discussion, and we have a fantastic group!  

Jackie Lowry: I'm Jackie Lowry, and I am very excited to be a part of the Global eePro team! I have worked and volunteered with EE organizations inside and outside government for more than 25 years, including Peace Corps EE efforts in Uruguay, environmental use policy development in the US Forest Service, and nonprofit development. I'm looking forward to hearing stories from and learning about our partners in the eePro Global Group!

Ian Signer (who is pictured here at the Tanah Lot Temple in Bali): My name is Ian Signer and I'm excited to be one of this year's Global EE Pro moderators. I have degrees in entomology, anthropology and geography and spent most of of my 30-year career applying this knowledge in tropical places as an environmental educator. I joined the EE Pro team to help share amazing stories about people making a positive contribution to our life on this planet. Looking forward to hearing yours.

Anne Umali: Hello! My name is Anne Umali. I've been on the NAAEE staff for about two years now, and in EE since 2000. My interest in EE started when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador 19 years ago. Since then I've been curious to learn about how EE can be used all over the world to improve people's lives, and I'm especially interested in inter-cultural learning and communication. I'm excited to learn more from all of you! 

Nina Hamilton: My name is Nina Hamilton, and I work with NAAEE supporting the Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP). My background is in community-based conservation and civic engagement, and after living and working in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, I particularly enjoy helping to share approaches and lessons learned across cultures. I am very excited to engage with you all through this platform, and look forward to sharing and learning from everyone!

And finally, I’m Melissa Taggart. I work on NAAEE’s international programs. I have been working in EE in various capacities for 20 years, and became interested in international EE while studying in Botswana many years ago. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you and thinking about how we can learn from each other, share approaches and perspectives, and support each other’s work. So, if you haven’t already, we encourage each of you to take two minutes to introduce yourselves through the eePRO Global discussion called Introductions. 
Thanks, and look forward to a great year!

eePRO Global Moderation Team
Melissa, Anne, Nina, Jackie, and Ian