People

Jimena Cuenca supports NAAEE's digital presence, helping maintain and improve our websites like eePRO so that it serves as a welcoming and useful space for environmental educators. Jimena brings a deep curiosity about how online communities grow, connect, and collaborate. She enjoys learning new digital tools and is always looking to make our web spaces more engaging. When not at work, she's walking her huskies and birding.

I am a 6th grade science teacher for Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS). We explore chemistry, our extreme planet, the human body, and ecosystems.

Abbey Matre is a Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy Educator with University of Illinois Extension serving Cook County. Her work focuses on environmental education, conservation outreach, and connecting communities with local natural resources through programs related to habitat restoration, water conservation, and climate resilience. She is passionate about helping people build meaningful connections with the natural world and turn education into action in their communities.

Dr. Teka Bekuma is an Assistant Professor at Wollega University, Ethiopia, currently serving as the Head of the Department of Environmental Science and the University Climate Action Focal Person. He is also the President of the Ethiopian Environmental Science and Education Professionals Association (EESEPA).

Dr. Teka holds a PhD in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, an MSc in Geography and Environmental Education, and a BSc in Geography and Environmental Studies. His academic and professional work focuses on climate change, environmental sustainability, environmental education, and community resilience.

At Wollega University, he is actively engaged in leadership, teaching, research, and community service, contributing to environmental science education, climate action initiatives, and professional development in Ethiopia.

I am a new teacher in Pennsylvania and have a passion for anything education! I love to learn new things as well as bring new resources and knowledge to my students!

I am a preschool teacher at a half-outdoor, half indoor preschool in Washington state called Nature Vision Preschool. I've worked at NV preschool for 2 years and will continue on my third year starting in August. Before working at Nature Vision, I was an English teacher at a preschool in South Korea for 3 years. I graduated from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Language and Culture and a minor focus on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. 

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!