People

Hi! I’m Jimena, raised in Southern California with a love for nature and shaped by my family. I now call Alaska home, where I’m a part of a community seeking to build momentum for climate action. 

Previously, I’ve worked in fieldwork helping on avian research projects with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before working with the National Parks Service as a park ranger. At present, I’m a Digital Community Coordinator at NAAEE. When I’m not supporting our amazing eePRO community, you can find me reading, writing, doodling, or bicycling to the nearest coffee and tea place.

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 and has built enduring, professional working relationships across the Chesapeake Bay watershed and 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 level.

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. There 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 that 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!

Betty has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of New Hampshire and is currently Senior Advisor for the Natural Start Alliance, NAAEE's early childhood program. In addition to being a classroom teacher for more than 15 years (in the US, Taiwan, China, and South Africa), Betty also worked in the field of environmental education for 25 years. She worked with Judy Braus at World Wildlife Fund, and prior to that, Betty worked at other environmental NGOs, including National Wildlife Federation and as Director of Project Wild. She currently lives in Kittery, Maine, and in her spare time, Betty’s hobbies include traveling, photography, sailing, swimming, and walking.

Stacie joined the NAAEE team in April 2020 as the Communications, Marketing, and Membership Specialist. Stacie has worked in the education field for almost two decades. Prior to joining NAAEE in April 2020, she managed communications for Annenberg Learner, a leading national nonprofit that connects K–12 educators with classroom content and professional development to support and strengthen their practice. She also taught Spanish at a high school in Washington, D.C. for six years. She holds an M.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from American University, and a B.A. in Modern Languages and Linguistics, and Certificate in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She recently completed a Certificate in Social Impact Storytelling at Georgetown University. Throughout her career, she has been committed to bringing exceptional educational opportunities to underserved areas and educating to promote civic engagement.

Colleen supports the NAAEE Coalition for Climate Education Policy communication and coordination efforts and climate change education policy research. She joins us from the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office, where she worked closely with the Environmental Literacy and Diversity working groups. She gathered and analyzed data on environmental literacy and educational policies in the Chesapeake Bay region to support the infusion of environmental education and green career awareness into more school content areas. She also supported NOAA’s B-WET grants which aid in the systemic implementation of Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) into K-12 curriculums. Her interests lie at the intersection of environment, social justice, education, and policy. She will be pursuing a master’s degree in Environment and Sustainability Management at Georgetown University during the 22-23 academic year.

Daniella earned her B.S. in Conservation Biology and Ecology from Arizona State University.  She holds a certificate in Sustainability and Behavior Change from the University of California-San Diego and is pursuing her master’s degree in Environmental Studies from Prescott College. She has been in the Environmental Education field for over a decade. This includes working as a gallery interpreter for the Arizona Science Center, as a Recreation Coordinator for the City of Chandler Nature Center, and then as a Water Conservation Specialist for the City of Chandler. Daniella recently transitioned to the East Coast and has helped the Shaw Institute, a nonprofit marine and environmental research center in Blue Hill, Maine, with outreach and special projects. She’s excited to join the NAAEE team and help support the ee360+ program.

Carrie earned her B.A. in both Environmental Studies and Spanish, a dual major she explored hands-on while studying in the cloud forests of Ecuador. After attending Indiana University to complete her Masters in Public Affairs, with concentrations in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management, she took on the role of Environmental Educator with the City of Bloomington. Here she connected with community members of all ages, teaching about habitats, sustainability practices, and conservation efforts. 

As an established marketing professional and award-winning public speaker, Carrie brings a variety of skills to NAAEE. Hailing most recently from the private sector, she is versed in planning complex marketing strategies for such names as REI, Icelandair, NPR, and The Weather Channel. A thought-leader in her industry, Carrie has developed and delivered training and audits to hundreds of participants, and prides herself on empowering those around her to excellence. She enthusiastically joins the NAAEE team to combine her creative innovation with her passion for environmental justice and education. 

Carrie has spent her life in the Midwest and currently resides in the rolling hills of southern Indiana. Outside work, Carrie serves on the Bloomington Environmental Commission and takes every opportunity to go hiking with her wife and two rescue pups.

Andrew (Andy) David joined the NAAEE team in 2022 and is currently an international programs coordinator. Andy has a passion for environmental education, sustainable development, and working across cultures. He has a B.A from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master's in Development Practices from Emory University. Andy has worked in the U.S states of Wisconsin, Montana, and Georgia and has worked internationally in Ghana and Kenya. He is from a small town on the shores of the Gichigami (Lake Superior). 

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.

I am the Director of America Adapts Media and host of America Adapts – The Climate Change Podcast. I previously worked on climate adaptation issues with the National Park Service, FL Fish and Wildlife Commission and in Queensland Australia. I'm dedicated to highlighting the issue of adaptation.

Hello, 

My name is Amber R Good and I am entering my 19th year of teaching. Pior to moving into the STEM Faciitator postition, I had taught prek, kindergarten and 1st grade. My ability to teach math and reading through science and social studies was a big factor in aquiring the postion. I now work with prek-6th grade and learn something new and exciting every year. The units that we are encouraged to buid and explore with the students enriches what the stuents are learning by giving them real world applications with content knowledge practices embedded. 

As the Director of Technology, Mary serves as the project lead for NAAEE online technology, including the NAAEE website and eePRO, the hub for professional development. She collaborates with developers, designers, staff, leaders, and end-users in building out features and improving user experience; coordinates with NAAEE project managers to support the technology used to deliver their programs, including the in-person and virtual conferences; and leads and collaborates with the communications team on association newsletters, web content, and community outreach. Mary has been on NAAEE staff since 1999 and her extensive background in technology, website development, outreach, multi-stakeholder collaboration, security, systems support, and project management experience consistently provides the highest level of support to NAAEE’s team, leadership, and members. 

 

I love learning about our Earth and sharing that knowledge with everyone I meet. If you're between three and 103, you're my favorite audience! My two favorite areas of environmental education - both to learn about and teach - are foraging for wild edible plants and entomophagy (the practice of eating bugs!). That's right ... I eat bugs!