National Environmental Education Advisory Council Membership
This page contains information about the current and most recent former members of the National Environmental Education Advisory Council (NEEAC).
Current NEEAC Members
Federal advisory committee members can serve terms with a maximum of six years. As members retire, leave their place of employment, or as their terms expire, new members are appointed. Under special circumstances, the membership can be extended for an additional year.
*Indicates member served previously
|
Name
|
Stakeholder Perspective
|
State and EPA Region
|
|---|---|---|
| Rachael Arens | Primary and Secondary Education | Nebraska - Region 7 |
| Arline Bronzaft | Senior American | New York - Region 2 |
| Andrea Falken* | U.S. Department of Education | Ex – Officio |
| Rashida Ferdinand | Non -Profit | Louisiana - Region 6 |
| L Julian Keniry | Business and Industry | District of Columbia (DC) - Region 3 |
| Joshua Leonard* | Primary and Secondary Education | Minnesota – Region 5 |
| Tanya Poole* | State Department of Education and Natural Resources | North Carolina – Region 4 |
| Marc Rogoff | State Department of Education and Natural Resources | New Jersey -Region 2 |
| Said Sewell | Colleges and Universities | Georgia - Region 4 |
| Laura Shifter | Non -Profit | Virginia - Region 3 |
| Position Open | Colleges and Universities | |
| Position Open | Business and Industry |
Current Member Biographies
Rachael Arens (Primary and Secondary Education)
Omaha Public Schools
Dr. Arens is a nationally distinguished high school teacher and researcher with nearly a decade of experience in environmental science education. She is an innovative curriculum writer who cultivates hands-on learning experiences, particularly through service learning and research projects centered around student action. Her recent projects include engineering rain gardens, implementing a school-wide composting program, launching a tree-planting campaign, and constructing solar panels and aquaponics systems for schools. The impacts of her projects go beyond the local community, even enacting change at the state level. Dr. Arens and her students, for example, researched the negative environmental impacts of plastics and cowrote a bill with a state senator to reduce plastic bag use throughout Nebraska. Additionally, she participates in regional, national, and international conferences on environmental education and environmental justice in classroom curricula. Because of this local and global work, Dr. Arens is the recipient of awards such as the Airforce/Rolls Royce National STEM Teacher of the Year, the Alice Buffet Outstanding Teacher of the Year, NASA’s Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, and the United States Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha with a bachelor’s degree in biology and earned her Doctor of Education in educational studies and her Master of Science in biology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
Arline Bronzaft (Senior American)
Quiet Communities Inc.
Dr. Bronzaft is an environmental psychologist and esteemed expert in noise pollution. She has built a successful career as a researcher and educator, having examined the impacts of noise on human behavior and physical and mental health. Dr. Bronzaft is also the author of over 20 publications, including books, exploring the relationship between noise, environmental hazards, health, and education. Because of her work, Dr. Bronzaft was appointed by five New York City mayors to chair the Noise Committee at GrowNYC.org, an organization that addresses noise concerns and educates the public on noise pollution. Her advocacy helped establish International Noise Awareness Day in 1996, and her work contributed to the 2007 update of the New York City Noise Code. Currently, she is a program director at Quiet Communities Inc., a non-profit organization that combats the negative health effects and environmental harm from noise and pollution. Dr. Bronzaft also participates on the board of Right to Quiet, an organization that raises awareness of the detrimental effects of noise. She is the recipient of several awards, including the 2018 American Psychological Association Citizen Psychologist Presidential Citation, EPA’s Regional Certificate of Appreciation, and the 2015 Hunter College Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement. Dr. Bronzaft graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Hunter College and received her master’s degree and doctorate from Columbia University.
Rashida Ferdinand (Non- Profit) Vice-Chair
Sankofa Community Development Corporation
Ms. Ferdinand is a leader and visual artist with over a dozen years of experience in non-profit leadership and community advocacy. She is the executive director and founder of Sankofa Community Development Corporation, an organization that strives to create sustainable, health-centered development through multifaceted initiatives focused on equity and justice. Her work has led to the creation of economic and community-focused programs that address systemic social and health disparities ranging from food security to flood protection and workforce training. These efforts involve collaboration with local leaders and partners to promote positive health outcomes and support community resilience. She led the development of a 40-acre wetland park in the Lower Ninth Ward area of New Orleans, transforming the area into a space for environmental education and stormwater management. Equally concerned with mental wellbeing, Ms. Ferdinand founded ClayGarden, an organization that installs ceramic sculptures and offers pottery classes using a service-oriented approach to support healing and relaxation. She is also a member of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Climate Action, the HBCU-CBO Gulf Coast Equity Consortium, the advisory committee for the National Minority Quality Health Forum, and the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. She graduated with her bachelor’s in fine arts from Howard University and her master’s from Syracuse University in the same field.
Julian Keniry (Business and Industry)
Green Teach for Opportunity Project
Ms. Keniry has led sustainability education initiatives for over two decades. As principal and founder of the Education for Sustainable Development International Group, she leads the Green Teach for Opportunity Project to help students develop the professional skills required to enter climate and sustainability professions. Ms. Keniry is also the senior director of higher education at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), an organization focused on protecting fish and wildlife populations. At NWF, she spearheaded the development of environmental and sustainability education programs, organized over two hundred state and national conferences on sustainable development, and helped raise four million dollars for environmental education initiatives. Additionally, Ms. Keniry serves on the board of directors for the Institute for Conservation Leadership, a non-profit organization that offers consulting and facilitation services for leaders addressing environmental and conservation issues across North America. Previously, Ms. Keniry served in advisory roles with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), and Sustainability: The Journal of Record. She also authored Ecodemia, a book about environmental stewardship on university campuses. Her educational background includes dual degrees in international relations and German from Agnes Scott College as well as a master’s degree in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University.
Joshua Leonard (Primary and Secondary Education)
Belwin Outdoor Science
Mr. Leonard is the educational director for Belwin Outdoor Science in Afton, Minnesota, where he has spent over a decade implementing environmental education programs for more than 10,000 students every year. Using the center’s 225 acres of trails, prairies, forests, and ponds, Mr. Leonard provides hands-on science lessons for students while promoting the academic benefits of nature on children. He also provides the district with best practices for environmental education while reporting on the science center’s impact on students, maintaining safety protocols, and evaluating the professional development of the center’s staff. Mr. Leonard has received several awards, including his alma mater’s Alumni Service Award for increasing access to nature, particularly for communities of color, and environmental educator of the year award in the state of Minnesota. He participates on several educational committees, including the National Environmental Education Advisory Council. Mr. Leonard is a seasoned educator and has 19 years of classroom teaching experience. Before his time at Belwin, Mr. Leonard taught high school science courses at Como Park Senior High School, where he created an environmental science learning program and launched the school’s first AP Environmental Science course. He received a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s degree in ecology evolution and behavior from the University of Minnesota.
Tanya Poole (State Departments of Education and Natural Resources) Chair
NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Ms. Poole has more than 25 years of experience in wildlife and environmental education with an extensive knowledge of field instruction, training, and instructional techniques. Currently, she holds two education positions: she is both an adjunct instructor at Western Carolina University and a wildlife conservation educator for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. As a professor, she is skilled at curriculum development, having created and facilitated new courses on environmental education and interpretive sites and facilities. For the wildlife commission, Ms. Poole is praised for her leadership of the Project WILD workshop, which is designed to support educators interested in teaching students about wildlife and responsible actions for the environment. She also designs other workshops regarding wildlife topics and outdoor skills—such as Aquatic WILD, Growing Up WILD, and Flying WILD—and she collaborates with resource agencies, education agencies, and non-profit organizations to enhance their impact for participants. For her work as an educator, Ms. Poole has received several awards, including the Fisheries Division Educator of the Year, and she further contributes her skills on committees such as the National Environmental Education Advisory Council. She has a master’s in environmental education from Montreat College and a bachelor’s in elementary education for biology from Western Carolina University.
Marc Rogoff (State Departments of Education and Natural Resources)
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Mr. Rogoff is the lead educator at the Office of Communications, Environmental Education & Outreach for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Here, he directs all aspects of environmental education and outreach while collaborating with other offices for programs on equity and environmental justice. His work in environmental education includes the design and implementation of initiatives, collaborations with public and private schools to infuse environmental education into existing curricula, and promotion of environmental education efforts through state agencies. Throughout his multifaceted career, Mr. Rogoff has become a graphic artist, author, webmaster, producer, engineer, and education partner, and his publications cover topics from dinosaurs to weather stations and earth science. Besides his work in education, which includes 14 years of experience in elementary and middle schools, Mr. Rogoff is an advisor to organizations such as the U.S. Green Building Council, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, and the Liberty Science Center. He also serves on the executive board of the New Jersey Earth Science Teachers Association, having received their Presidents’ Award, and he also received the New Jersey Audubon Society’s Environmental Educator of the Year Award. Mr. Rogoff graduated with a bachelor’s in education and received postgraduate credits for education courses from both the State University of New York and the State University of New Jersey.
Laura Schifter (Non-Profit)
The Aspen Institute
Having been an educator for over two decades, Dr. Schifter currently lectures at the Harvard Graduate School of Education as an expert on education policy, where she holds a focus on its role in climate action. Because of her extensive work, she is also a senior fellow for the Aspen Institute’s K12 Climate Action Program, which addresses climate change by fostering solutions from the education sector. Here, Dr. Schifter founded and launched a bipartisan commission of educators, civil rights activists, and climate action leaders, and she created a set of recommendations for education policy at the local, state, and federal level. Previously, she was the policy director at Education 2020, where she built a coalition of more than two dozen organizations to create an education agenda that spans a student’s lifetime. She also worked as a consultant at Hehir and Associates, where she researched special education policies. Over the course of her career, Dr. Schifter has published and presented her work, covering topics such as special education, environmental action, and the vital intersection of climate change and education. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Amherst College and earned both a masters and doctorate in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Said Sewell (Colleges and Universities)
Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc
As an author with over two decades of experience, Dr. Sewell is praised for his dedication to academia and is considered a leader in higher education. He has presented at more than 50 conferences on student success, diversity, and visionary leadership, and he has held notable positions at Lincoln University, Kent State University, and the University of West Georgia. Currently, Dr. Sewell serves as the chief academic, research, and student affairs officer for the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc.—the nation's oldest and largest consortium of private, historically Black colleges and universities. Through his position, Dr. Sewell strengthened the consortium’s research enterprise by implementing an online system that connects faculty to research opportunities. He also supported the development of a service-learning design course, developed the first consortium-wide summer bridge program for incoming first-year pre-engineering students, and raised more than $1.3 million for a dual-degree engineering program. Outside the lecture halls, Dr. Sewell is a community activist, serving as a member of organizations such as the Association for Collaborative Leadership, the College Board’s College Scholarship Service Assembly Council, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He received his doctorate in political science from Clark Atlanta University, his master’s in public administration and public policy from Texas Southern University, and his bachelor’s in political science from Morehouse College.
Most Recent Former NEEAC Members
|
Name
|
Stakeholder Perspective
|
State and EPA Region
|
|---|---|---|
| Angie Chen | Not for Profit Organizations | California – Region 9 |
| Vidette (Kiki) Corry | State Departments of Education and Natural Resources | Texas – Region 6 |
| Andrea Falken | U.S. Department of Education | Ex-Officio |
| Scott Frazier | Business and Industry | Montana – Region 8 |
| Kenneth John Gembel | Senior | Michigan – Region 5 |
| Cara D. Gizzi | Business and Industry | Massachusetts – Region 1 |
| Richard Gonzales, Vice-Chair | Not for Profit Organizations | Texas – Region 6 |
| Dr. Kelly Keena, Chair | Primary and Secondary Education | Colorado – Region 8 |
| Dr. Mark L. Kraus | Colleges and Universities | Florida – Region 4 |
| Caroline Lewis | Primary and Secondary Education | Florida – Region 4 |
| Dr. Edna L. Negron-Martinez | Colleges and Universities | Puerto Rico – Region 2 |
| Victoria Rydberg | State Departments of Education and Natural Resources | Wisconsin – Region 5 |