Rocco develops strategies and builds partnerships that advance appreciation for nature and enhance connections among thriving communities, environmental conservation, and healthy economies. His experience spans fifteen years in the conservation and environmental education sector and features a wide breadth of programmatic experiences from governmental, private, and NGO organizations. 

He collaborates closely with NAAEE as SFI’s project lead on the ee360+ partnership and provides support for SFI’s Education Grant Program, which disburses funding for state-based EE leaders to implement ee360+ within their regions.

Before joining SFI in 2013, he conducted fire ecology field studies as a US Forest Service technician, and stream geomorphology and habitat assessments with an environmental consulting firm. He holds a M.S., Natural Resource Sustainability from Virginia Tech and a B.S., in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University.