People

As a Principal and science educator, I believe that technology and AI achieve their highest purpose when serving human agency, cultural identity, and environmental sustainability. My vision is to transform traditional classrooms into living laboratories where students—especially young women—learn to use innovation not just for personal gain, but to protect our shared heritage and planet. Education is about empowering the next generation to become empathetic, resilient digital stewards who lead with both scientific precision and deep moral responsibility.

My name is Zane Hoover. I teach high school science in Fayette County, Ga., and I have 16 years experience teaching AP Environmental Science. I have hunted and fished most of my life. After high school, I joined the US Navy and trained to become a nuclear reactor officer. I served in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea during the first Gulf War. I went to college at Ga. State after the Navy and worked at Delta Airlines whille in college. 

Administrator, Educator, Transformational Leader, Sustainability & Environmental Advocate and Champion for Community Engagement and Empowerment

I am a documentary filmmaker and home gardener who has been volunteering at the North Carolina Botanical Garden for more than ten years.

Irma Vazquez

36 year dual immersion bilingual education teacher. I'm currently teaching 3rd grade in Inglewood Unified School District and working towards earning my EE certificate so that I can integrate language learning best practices with EE. I'm most interested in helping newcomers enjoy outdoor learning while acquiring a target language. 

Michele Archie leads Harbinger Consulting’s public deliberation, economic analysis, and Geotourism work. Michele holds a Master’s Degree in environmental studies from the University of Montana.

Michele has been involved with NAAEE’s Environmental Issues Forums program from its inception, contributed to the Environmental Education Community Engagement Guidelines, and has developed curricula and conducted trainings related to community engagement in public deliberation.

Since 2003, Michele has led Harbinger’s work engaging communities and public lands managers in understanding and expanding economic relationships between national parks and other public lands and their gateway communities. Harbinger has conducted more than 25 of these economic studies, where effective engagement has frequently spurred collaborative sustainable tourism and economic development efforts.

Etibar Mikayilov is a PhD researcher, EU project manager, and youth climate advocate whose work has secured over €7.5M in international funding for climate and STEAM education. As author of Solar4Future+ (€250,000) and CLIMACT (€400,000), he leads consortia spanning the Technical University of Munich and partners across Europe, reaching 10,000+ students in solar energy and climate literacy. A BRICS Youth Energy Expert, WSA Youth Ambassador, and Mercedes-Benz beVisioneers Fellow, Etibar mentors young changemakers while building Farmlign, his own climate-tech venture. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Politecnico di Bari & Imperial College London) and an MBA.