People

Bora Simmons serves as the founding director of the National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. The North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) initiated the Project in 1993 to help educators develop and deliver effective environmental education programs. The Project has drawn on the insights of literally thousands of educators across the United States and around the world to craft guidelines for top-quality environmental education.

Megan Fink serves as the Partnerships & Policy Manager for the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Working in the field of Environmental Education for over a decade, Megan brings a robust, place-based, outdoor education background to the NAAEE team. She has built enduring working relationships across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the Mid-Atlantic region. As a graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Science and Biology, Megan began her career as an Environmental Educator at the North Carolina Aquariums before joining the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in 2011. Through several program management positions with CBF she led students, teachers, school administrators, and environmental professionals on ecological, cultural, and historical investigations of the Bay. She also managed a statewide leadership program for high school students, teaching them how to become environmental advocates at the local, regional, and national levels.

Megan earned an Executive Master of Natural Resources from Virginia Tech’s Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability in 2020. In 2022-23, she served as Education Director for the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park, supervising 15 Environmental Education Programs and expanding their reach to 14,000 participants annually. She also initiated and managed a project to launch a brand-new, nature-based preschool and served on the Maryland State Department of Education’s Workgroup to develop statewide Outdoor Preschool licensing standards. 

Throughout her career, Megan has designed programs that inspire participants to act on behalf of their local natural resources and enhance people’s understanding of and connection to the natural world through compelling environmental education experiences. In her spare time, she can often be found hiking, gardening, paddling, and spending time with her loved ones, including her dog, Ruby, splashing around the Bay watershed!

I’m a rising senior at UC Berkeley with a strong commitment to climate communication and youth environmental education. I use journalism, podcasting, and digital storytelling to amplify climate solutions and instill hope for a more just and sustainable future.

Hi everyone! I am a certified North Carolina Environmental Educator, and currently the Director of Programs at New England Science & Sailing. I work to bring ocean adventure and marine science education to students of all ages and backgrounds.

Lori Mann has more than 40 years of experience in environmental education at the local, state, and national levels. Lori joined the NAAEE staff in 2012 as Program and Conference Manager and now serves as Director of Conferences and Programs. In this capacity, she manages all aspects of the NAAEE annual conference and coordinates several national projects related to building capacity to deliver high-quality environmental education. 

Debra L. Lawrence has over 45 years of experience in early care and education.  She is a tenured faculty member at Delaware County Community College, where she teaches in the birth to 4^th grade teacher education preparation program.

She has presented workshops and seminars at the international, national, state, and local level.   Debra’s leadership positions include Colorado AEYC President, A Governor-appointed Early Childhood School Readiness Legislative Committee member, and a NAEYC Governing Board Member.  She is currently the President of the American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, the International Play Association, USA affiliate.

She is the author of How Public Investment Contributes to High-Quality Early Childhood Programs, Lessons from Pennsylvania, and contributed to Learning from Head Start. In addition, she has a chapter on Bronfenbrenner and Play in the publication Scholarly Snapshots.  She is the recipient of numerous awards. She recently received the National Association for the Education of Young Children Ed Klugman Lifetime Achievement Award as an Advocate for Play, and the Delaware County Community College, President’s Award for Excellence.

Debra holds a bachelor’s degree in social research, social structure, and social change, a master’s degree in early childhood education, and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education.

Her research interests include curriculum and environments that strengthen learning dispositions, play as the foundation of all curricula, and positive and supportive environments that foster children’s ability to reach their potential.

Katie has been active in the field of environmental education for 20 years. As the executive director of the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, she leads environmental literacy planning and implementation efforts and is active both locally and nationally.

Cody Finney, or “Finn”, hails from Elkin, North Carolina, in the heart of the Yadkin Valley. Finn’s love and passion for nature were ingrained in him from a young age. His upbringing in this scenic region helped shape his deep connection to the natural world.

Certified public educator working within a local county government's Information & Outreach team to educate residents on the water utility. 

PUDDLESTOMPERS' mission is to connect the youngest naturalists, ages 2 to 8 (and their parents and caregivers) to the open spaces in their communities. PUDDLESTOMPERS seeks to help build the foundation for a lifelong enjoyment, love of the outdoors, and a lasting stewardship of nature.

NAAEE’s Senior Director of Capacity Building, Sarah Bodor comes from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, where she held a number of program management and leadership positions throughout the organization. She worked closely with state education agencies in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to develop and pilot standards-based curricula and provide teacher professional development. Her background also includes communications and fundraising. In 2008, she served as the writer of Maryland’s Children in Nature Plan, which resulted in passage of Maryland’s environmental high school graduation requirement.

Krysta works to advance environmental literacy in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed through online and in-person training for educators and network building with government and nonprofit partners.