People

Currently, Brian serves as Finance Manager at The Management Center, where he oversees financial strategies and operations to support organizational growth and impact. He is also a board member for both the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) and SustainUS, contributing his expertise to advance sustainability and leadership development initiatives. Previously, Brian served on the board of the Sierra Club and held leadership roles at the Sierra Student Coalition and Sunrise Movement, managing operations and finance to drive youth-led climate advocacy as well as working on educational efforts including translation and trainings. He also co-founded the Chicago Youth Alliance for Climate Action, an organization focused on education, advocacy, and leadership development for high school students. In his spare time he serves as an advisor, mentor, and writer for various organizations and individuals.
Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Social and Economic Development Policy with a Minor in Applied Economics from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has been an NAAEE EE 30 Under 30 honoree, YP4 Fellow, and Obama Foundation Chicago Leader

I am the President & Co-Founder of SEE Turtles, a non-profit dedicated to protecting sea turtles through education, trips, and fundraising. I have worked in environmental education and conservation since 1998 in both the US and Costa Rica.

An Alternative Education teacher at the secondary level. A varied academic background in both Biology and English. Grew up around farms and wild spaces and have traveled around the world in the process.

My name is Jordan Sanford and I am a Wildlife Outreach Coordinator within the Bureau of Marketing and Strategic Communications, for the Pennsylvania Game Commission – our state’s wildlife agency. I was recently hired into this role (March 2022), but have been working for the agency for about 2 yrs.

Melissa Parks, PhD, is an associate professor of education in the Stetson University Department of Education. Dr. Parks believes there is no substitute for being outside and supporting students as they learn about the natural world and develop their environmental identity and stewardship.

I'm an international educator with a deep background in Asia and Africa. I'm the founder of 10 Billion Strong, which focuses on environmental leadership & the belief that everyone should be a leader in addressing environmental challenges. A life-long coastal resident, I recently moved to St. Louis.