Our Team

Hanaa A. Hamdi, Ph.D., is a systems scientist working at the intersection of health and community development finance to build resilient healthy communities. With more than two decades of research, practice, and policy making, Dr. Hamdi has dedicated her career to transforming systems and advancing equity in BIPOC communities.

Dr. Hamdi is co-founder/principal of Healthy Resilient People and Places, where she consults with public agencies and nonprofit startups on systems approach strategies in community development and health.

Currently, Hanaa is a Visiting Scholar with the Federal Reserve Bank, New York. Her fellowship explores opportunities and solutions for sustainable food systems in BIPOC communities. Most recently, Dr. Hamdi directed NJ Community Capital’s Health Impact Investment & Partnership Strategies Initiative, where she developed NJCC’s emerging community health investment and development strategies and supported the organization’s holistic approach to neighborhood revitalization.

Prior to her tenure with NJCC, Dr. Hamdi held leadership positions in various health and non-health sectors including higher medical education and a public appointment to direct a municipal agency.

Hanaa holds a joint-PhD in Public Health and Environmental Design from Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute of Technology and lives in New York City and Oakland, California.

Pronouns : She/her

Phil Ginsburg is the general manager of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department where he is the second longest serving Parks Director in City history. With over 4,100 acres and more than 220 parks under its jurisdiction, the Recreation and Park Department stewards some of the most spectacular public spaces in the world, including Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower and the Palace of Fine Arts. Under Phil’s leadership, San Francisco became the first city in the United States where 100 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Phil has led his organization through transformational improvements to the public realm and he has made equity and increasing access to public recreation and to nature, the department’s primary objective.

Among his many accomplishments, Phil instituted the first state-certified horticultural apprenticeship program in California and is leading the transformation of a 1.7 mile stretch of the City’s southern waterfront using an equitable development planning process. Phil has built a financially sustainable model for San Francisco’s park system through ballot advocacy, the strategic use of public-private partnerships and philanthropy, creative revenue strategies, technology and administrative efficiencies. During his tenure, San Francisco has been consistently ranked one of the nation’s top ten park systems.

Phil is also the Chair of the California State Parks and Recreation Commission after being appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and confirmed by the State Senate in 2019 and 2022. He was named to the National Recreation and Park Association Board of Directors in 2022. Phil is a founding co-chair of San Francisco Children and Nature, a collective-impact based convener of over 40 different organizations focused on increasing nature access for San Francisco’s youth.

Hannah Quimby serves as Executive Director of the Quimby Family Foundation, an organization with the mission to grow human wholeness by fostering the relationship between people and nature. Prior to her current role, Hannah worked to grow her family’s business, Burt’s Bees, as a territory manager and corporate trainer. Hannah holds a graduate degree in Integrative Health, is a certified fitness instructor and nutritionist, and graduated from the 2015 Exponent Philanthropy Next Gen Fellows program. Hannah was raised in an off the grid cabin, surrounded by forest to explore, and hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine as a young adult. These experiences imbued her with a deep love for wilderness and an appreciation of how outdoor time and human health go hand in hand. She’s committed to supporting access to value forming outdoor experiences for all.

Hannah is a trustee of three family foundations, serves on the Advisory Board of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, and is an Outreach Ambassador with the Outdoors Empowered Network.

As an entrepreneur, investor and advisor, Hussein’s diverse background in financial technology, real estate and nonprofit industries lends a deep understanding of how various enterprises can modernize their business practices and achieve their goals and objectives. Hussein is the CEO of Black Swan Bitcoin & Baytech Payments, and the Founder and Board President of the Yemen Relief Project.

Born and raised in the city of Oakland, California, Hussein is a civil servant of Alameda County and the Yemeni community. He is committed to delivering bold solutions by taking innovative and collaborative approaches to address various forms of inequality with the hopes of improving people’s lives both locally and globally.

Hussein is skilled in financial risk management, cross-functional team leadership, sales processes, business relationship management and marketing strategy. In his spare time, he enjoys working in his backyard where he grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, a hobby he picked up at a young age doing farm work with his parents.

Dr. Daniele Lyman-Torres is the President and CEO of Bivona Child Advocacy Center where she leads a multidisciplinary team focused on supporting children impacted by abuse and trauma. A proven health care and human services leader, Dr. Lyman-Torres previously served as Commissioner of Recreation and Human Services for the City of Rochester, New York where she was charged with oversight for crisis intervention services, workforce development, the stewardship of the City’s parks, playgrounds, aquatics, athletics, recreation centers, community nutrition, youth services, animal services, the Rochester Public Market, and the International Plaza. Prior to joining the City of Rochester, Dr. Lyman-Torres was a health and human services leader for more than 20 years. She served as President and CEO of the Arc of Yates, as Chief Operating Officer for Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, Chief Operating Officer for Trillium Health and held key positions for United Way of Greater Rochester and Heritage Christian Services. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Monroe Community College and the Center for Governmental Research.

Dr. Lyman-Torres holds a doctorate of education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher University, a Healthcare Executive Certificate from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA, master of science and bachelor of science degrees from Roberts Wesleyan University, and an associate degree in liberal arts and sciences from MCC, where she was inducted into the MCC Alumni Hall of Fame. In addition, she instructs doctoral candidates as a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher University.

Dr. Lyman-Torres and her husband Eric reside in Rochester, NY with their six children.

Jesús Aguirre is Chief Executive Officer of Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, a non-profit organization creating an innovative linear park system around a restored Waller Creek in downtown Austin, in partnership with the City of Austin. Waterloo Greenway serves as the vibrant core behind a blossoming district that is undergoing remarkable economic growth and a rejuvenation of its cultural treasures. The district encompasses significant landmarks such as Austin’s Innovation District, the Austin Convention Center, the Red River Cultural District, Palm School, and the Mexican-American Cultural Center. Under the guidance of Jesús’s leadership, Waterloo Greenway, as a community-centric organization, is fully committed to ensuring that all communities can actively participate in and benefit from every facet of the parks. This includes offering workforce opportunities, engaging in diverse programs, and fostering community collaborations.

Jesús brings his leadership from the City of Seattle, where he has served as Superintendent of the Department of Parks and Recreation for almost six years. Aguirre also brings more than 20 years of public service leadership experience in several major metropolitan jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Seattle.

After graduating from UT, Aguirre received a Master’s in Business Administration from Arizona State University. Prior to his work in Seattle, he served as director of the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation, where he oversaw more than $115 million in facility design, construction, and redevelopment efforts in the nation’s capital. In addition, Aguirre has also worked in the education sector, starting off as a middle school science teacher, and ultimately serving as the State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia. Aguirre and his wife co-founded and ran a nonprofit K-8 dual-language charter school in Phoenix for 10 years. He serves as Chair of the Board of National Recreation and Park Association and Children and Nature Network, and is a member of the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

Hayden Brooks retired in 2021 after 30 years as Managing Partner of American Realty Corporation’s Asset Management Group. Since 1992 he has been an active advocate at the national, state, and local levels for public parks and connecting children and nature. He Co-founded the “Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin” and helped establish C&NN’s “Cities Connecting Children and Nature” program in Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department. Hayden has served as an Austin Parks and Recreation Department Commissioner, National Recreation & Parks Association Board Member, Austin Parks Foundation President, Texas Children in Nature Chair, Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center Chair, Downtown Austin Alliance Vice Chair and is the recipient of Leadership Austin’s Outstanding Alumni Award. He currently is a Waterloo Greenway Board Member. Hayden is an alumnus of the University of Virginia, B.Arch. Urban Planning and the University of Texas, MBA Real Estate Finance.

Mickey Fearn has been a public servant and parks, recreation, and conservation professional for over 50 years, working with local, state, and national governments. Mickey is currently a Professor of Practice at North Carolina State University’s School of Natural Resources, teaching a class on diversity and equity in the field of parks and recreation.

Previously, Mickey served as the National Park Service’s Deputy Director (2008-2013), and was a long-time employee of the City of Seattle where he held a variety of positions, including: Director of Innovation, Executive Director of the Neighborhood Leadership Program, Manager of Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, and Director of Communication and Citizen Engagement in the Department of Parks and Recreation.

In addition, Mickey led the creation of the architecture to end youth violence in the City of Seattle, and developed programs connecting young people with nature. Mickey was a Washington State Parks and Recreation Commissioner for 12 years, a Community Outreach Specialist for the Governor of California and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Coordinator of Special Projects, Community Outreach and Community Organization for the Mayor of Oakland (CA).

To learn more about Mickey’s background and experience, visit his website at:
https://www.mickeyfearn.com/bio.

Kim Larson has dedicated her career to promoting healthy lifestyles through a variety of organizations from safer farm practices (Board Director, Rodale Institute) to school lunchrooms (Founding Board Member of the Coalition for Better School Food) to promoting more access for urban children to outdoor places (Special Advisor to Children & Nature Network). She also serves as Vice President of the Thanks to Scandinavia Foundation dedicated to educating visiting international journalists about conflict resolution across racial and ethnic divides as well as serving on the boards for Montana-based Climate Ride, and in advisory capacities for the Yale (University) Institute for Bio-Spheric Studies (YIBS) and the Swiss-based sustainability-focused travel entity encouraging supply change shifts and other climate-aware practices, It Must Be Now.

A graduate of UC Berkeley with Honors in Urban Studies focusing on Urban Agriculture, she holds a master’s degree from the Elliot School of Public and International Affairs at George Washington University in Science, Technology and Public Policy. She was also awarded a competitive 6-month field grant from the InterAmerican Foundation to further research on food systems and health impacts on two select local Caribbean communities.

An outdoor enthusiast, Kim has cycled across America, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, hiked across England and led numerous cycling and hiking trips to Europe and Latin America. She lives in New York with her husband Gary Knell and together they have 4 grown children.

Rachna Mohanty is a dynamic and results-oriented product management leader with extensive experience across the technology and financial risk sectors. Over the past seven years, she has been instrumental in driving high-impact projects, leading cross-functional teams, and spearheading product innovation. Her career is marked by a strategic approach to product management, combining deep technical knowledge with a passion for solving complex business challenges.

Rachna’s experience extends beyond product development to include strategic planning, market analysis, and cost optimization. She has a proven track record of successfully managing multi-million-dollar product portfolios, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and maintaining strong client relationships. Her ability to communicate effectively with both technical and business teams ensures seamless project delivery, while her focus on key performance metrics enables data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement.

Rachna’s earlier career includes her work as a Financial Risk Analyst at KPMG, where she led cross-functional teams in identifying and mitigating financial risks for clients in the banking and finance industries. Her ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and deliver strategic insights helped her clients optimize their business processes and implement risk control measures.

Her dedication to innovation and community impact, combined with her strategic and technical expertise, makes Rachna a valuable addition to the board, where she will help guide the organization’s efforts toward achieving its goals and enhancing its services.

Doug Moore is Chief Commercial Officer of Haberman & Associates, a marketing communications agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Haberman’s mission is to tell the stories of pioneers making a difference in the world. Clients include Campbell’s Pacific Foods, Mars Wrigley, Daiya dairy free foods, Minnesota Department of Health, the 2026 Special Olympics and many others. Doug’s primary responsibility is to help Haberman grow by modernizing and differentiating the agency’s capabilities, attracting new clients and helping build a high-performing team.

Doug is also a Commissioner on the city of Minneapolis Arts Commission, and an advisor to the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator in New York City. Doug has helped deepen connections between adults and kids to nature in prior leadership roles: as member and Board Chair of what is now called Mississippi Park Connection; as board member of Wilderness Inquiry; and as a member of the land preservation committee in his former home town in Westchester County, New York.

Common to all these roles is Doug’s passion for tapping into his multi-decade marketing experiences to help brands, organizations, teams and startups understand and then tackle their biggest challenges and opportunities to grow.

Doug graduated with a B.A. from Hamilton College. His career has taken him from large ad agencies BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, to General Mills as their VP, Advertising & Media, to a partnership with the founder of digital marketing consultancy FRWD. They sold FRWD to Bain & Company, where Doug was a partner until joining his friends Fred and Sarah Haberman to more fully connect his passion to a deeper mission.

Kim Moore Bailey serves as Chief Executive Officer of Justice Outside. With over 25 years of experience in strategic planning and community engagement, she provides the leadership and vision that drives Justice Outside’s work shifting resources to, building power with, and centering the voices and leadership of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to advance racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental movement.

As Chief Executive Officer, Kim guides the overall strategic direction for the organization and supports the leadership team as they manage the organization’s grantmaking portfolio, training and capacity-building programs, and ongoing advocacy work.

Kim is a frequent speaker and thought leader on topics related to racial equity and inclusion in the outdoor and environmental fields. As a facilitator and trainer, she has supported many individuals and organizations in prioritizing equitable access to nature and designing outdoor spaces and programming that supports this goal.

Before joining Justice Outside, Kim was a Vice President with Outward Bound where she supported their city-based programs. Prior to that, she was the Mayoral appointee as the Manager for Denver Parks and Recreation.

In addition to the Children & Nature Network, Kim serves on the board of directors for the Environmental Grantmakers Association, The Redford Center, The National Recreation Foundation and the Blue Sky Funders Forum.

Joel Pannell is currently the Vice President of Urban Forests Policy at American Forests where he oversees efforts to advance federal policies that deliver the health, economic, and climate resilience benefits of trees to people living in and around cities. Over the last 15 years, he has successfully worked with Congress and multiple Administrations to secure more than $2 billion in competitive grant funding from agencies such as the USDA Forest Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Department of Transportation and others. Joel has worked to connect people to nature and enhance community access to natural climate solutions in previous roles with the Sierra Club, the Trust for Public Land, and the National Recreation and Park Association. Prior to focusing on public policy, Joel worked directly with youth as a high school teacher, a program director for the Boys and Girls Club, and as a coach and sports camp director. Joel is a graduate of the University of Maryland and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Center for Leadership. Outside of the office, he enjoys getting outdoors with family and friends and officiating high school basketball. Joel lives in Reston, VA with his two daughters, Alivia and Carmen.

Mike Passo is the Executive Director of American Trails. Mike has also served as the Executive Director of the Professional Trailbuilders Association and the owner and operator of a sea kayak outfitter called Elakah Expeditions. Mike has led groups of all backgrounds, ages and abilities on sea kayak expeditions in the San Juan Islands of Washington, Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Mike has conducted an extensive study of outdoor developed areas nationwide to determine the cost implications of construction according to proposed Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and a Congressional study on improving access to outdoor recreational activities on federal land. He has a B.S. in Recreation Resource Management from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, including three years’ coursework in Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering. He has presented on Universal Design and Programming at several national conferences and served on the Board of Directors of American Trails since 2000. His love of the outdoors and his own paraplegia has given him a great interest in the creation of an accessible outdoor environment that does not ruin the characteristics and value of that environment.

Richard Louv is a journalist and author of ten books, including Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder; The Nature Principle; and Vitamin N. Translated into 22 languages, his books have helped launch an international movement to connect children, their families and communities to nature. His most recent book is Our Wild Calling: How Connecting with Animals Can Transform Our Lives — and Save Theirs.

He is co-founder and chair emeritus of the nonprofit Children & Nature Network, which supports a new nature movement.

In 2008, he was awarded the Audubon Medal, presented by the National Audubon Society. Prior recipients have included Rachel Carson, E. O. Wilson, Sir David Attenborough and President Jimmy Carter. Among other awards, Louv is also the recipient of the Cox Award for 2007, Clemson University’s highest honor, for “sustained achievement in public service.”

He speaks frequently around the world, including keynote addresses presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference, the first White House Summit on Environmental Education, the Congress of the New Urbanism, the International Healthy Parks Conference in Melbourne, Australia, and the national Friends of Nature Conference in Beijing, China.

Louv has written for the New York Times, the Times of London, Parents Magazine and many other publications. and has appeared on CBS This Morning, NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and other programs. Married to Kathy Frederick Louv, he is the father of two young men, Jason and Matthew. He would rather hike than write.

Cheryl Charles, Ph.D., is an innovator, author, organizational executive and educator. Throughout her career, Cheryl has focused on the well-being of children, families, communities and the environment that supports us all. Cheryl is the co-founder, President and CEO Emerita of the Children & Nature Network. She currently is Research Scholar and Executive Director of the Nature-based Leadership Institute at Antioch University New England, an elected local school board member, a member of the Steering Committee for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Education and Communication and Co-Chair of IUCN’s #NatureForAll, www.natureforall.global. She served as founding National Director of the pioneering K-12, interdisciplinary environment education programs, Project Learning Tree and Project WILD. Cheryl is author, editor and designer of a wide variety of publications. She lives in Vermont, USA, a short walk through the woods from her son, daughter-in-law and two nature-loving grandchildren.

Dr. Gail C. Christopher is an award-winning social change agent and author with expertise in the social determinants of health and well-being and related public policies. She is known for her pioneering work to infuse holistic health and diversity concepts into public sector programs and policy discourse. Dr. Christopher recently retired from her role as Senior Advisor and Vice President at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), where she was the driving force behind the America Healing initiative and the visionary for and architect of the WKKF-led Truth Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) effort for America. TRHT is an adaptation of the globally recognized Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) model. TRHT evolved from the decade-long WKKF America Healing, racial equity and racial healing initiative. She also served as Kellogg’s Vice President for Program Strategy. From 2007-2017, she led several other areas of foundation programming. These include, Food, Health and Well-Being, Leadership, Public Policy, Community Engagement and place-based funding in New Orleans and New Mexico. In 2015, she received the Terrance Keenan Award from Grantmakers in Health. She chaired the Board of the Trust for America’s Health from 2012-2022. In 2019, she became a Senior Scholar with George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Dr. Christopher also became the Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity (NCHE) in November 2019. NCHE is a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC. Since 2020, she has served as Director of the Transforming Public Health Data Commission, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Her distinguished career and contributions to public service were honored in 1996 when she was elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. In 2007, she received the Leadership Award from the Health Brain Trust of the Congressional Black Caucus for her work in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities; in 2009, she was named a Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) Honorary Fellow – the highest recognition given to a non-SOPHE member, who has made significant contributions to health education and public health; in 2011, she was awarded the “Change Agent Award” by the Schott Foundation for Public Education; in 2012, she was the recipient of the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) John C. MacQueen Lecture Award for her innovation and leadership in the field of maternal and child health; in 2022, she was a recipient of Casey Family Programs’ Casey Excellence for Children Awards (CECA) for Leadership; in 2023, the American Journal of Health Promotion honored Dr. Christopher as one of the 10 Most Influential Women Scholars in Health Promotion.

She holds a doctor of naprapathy degree from the Chicago National College of Naprapathy in Illinois and completed advanced study in the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in holistic health and clinical nutrition at the Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities at Union Graduate School of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dr. Marti Erickson had a long career at the University of Minnesota, linking research, practice, and policy in the areas of parent-child attachment, child abuse prevention and children’s mental health. Building on her research on attachment-based interventions for families in high-risk circumstances, Marti continues to speak, consult, and provide training in the U.S. and abroad. Throughout the 1990s, Marti worked closely with Vice President Al Gore on his nonpartisan family policy initiative, Family Re-Union. More recently, Marti co-led a multi-year child rights training initiative for health and education professionals in Tanzania. Marti’s many academic publications include textbooks, journal articles and chapters for edited volumes. But she has a special commitment to making research-based information useful for general audiences. To that end, since 1995, Marti has appeared regularly doing child and family features on KARE-TV News (NBC). And, since 2006, Marti has hosted the weekly radio show and podcast, Mom Enough ® , with her daughter, Dr. Erin Erickson. (The Mom Enough podcast and other free parenting resources are available at momenough.com.) In her personal life, Marti loves sharing outdoor adventures with her family, especially her five teenage grandkids. Wanting all, children to reap the many benefits of nature experience, Marti was one of the founders of the Children and Nature Network and served as Chair of the Board in the early years of the organization’s development.

Howard Frumkin, a physician and epidemiologist, wears two hats. At the Trust for Public Land (TPL), he is Senior Vice President, leading TPL’s land and People Lab in assembling evidence, and driving evidence into policy and practice, on TPL’s strategic commitments: health, equity, climate action, and community. At the University of Washington, where he was Dean of Public Health from 2010-2016, he is Professor Emeritus. Previously he was head of the Our Planet, Our Health initiative at the Wellcome Trust in London, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Professor and Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health at Emory University. His career has focused on health aspects of nature contact, the built environment, energy policy, and planetary changes including climate change. He is author or co-author of over 300 scientific journal articles and chapters, and his ten books include Environmental Health: From Global to Local (3rd Edition, 2016), Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves (2020), Planetary Health: Safeguarding Human Health and the Environment in the Anthropocene (2021), and Making Healthy Places: Designing and Building for Health, Well-Being, and Sustainability (2nd Edition, 2022). He was educated at Brown (A.B.), the University of Pennsylvania (M.D.), and Harvard (M.P.H. and Dr.P.H.). He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a Hagler Fellow at Texas A&M University.

Nancy Herron joins the Board of Directors of the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) in 2015 after serving as a C&NN Senior Associate and on the grassroots leadership team since the early days of C&NN. Nancy is a retired Outreach and Education Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, with over 21 years of experience in nature and outdoor recreation education. She is the recipient of multiple awards in leadership and education innovation. She has been a director of several non-profits, a teacher, a reporter and columnist. Some of the highlights of her career include co-founding a five-county hospice in rural Kansas, director of a respite care center for children with disabilities in Virginia, a teacher of children with learning disabilities and a VISTA volunteer for adult literacy. Nancy is co-founder of Texas Children in Nature (TCiN), a consortium of regional collaboratives with over 400 organizations who share the vision of reconnecting Texans with nature. Each region reflects its own character and needs while guided by TCiN’s strategic plan, the development of which Nancy led and coordinated. Shortly after its release, Nancy was asked to direct a similar effort to create Texas’ Environmental Literacy Plan, a plan that former First Lady Laura Bush then launched.

Martin LeBlanc (he/him/his) a co-founder of the Children and Nature Network is currently the Principal of LBC Action, a strategic advisory firm at the nexus of philanthropy and public policy with core partners in the Indigenous, Outdoor Industry and Youth Development sectors. Martin has two decades of experience helping organizations expand their impact through collaborative partnerships. Most recently, LeBlanc served as the Managing Director of Innovation at Sixkiller Consulting, a Washington, DC based strategic advisory firm. Previously Martin was Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Islandwood an Outdoor Education Center in Washington State and was the National Outings Director for the Sierra Club. Martin serves on the Boards of the National Recreation Foundation and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition. Martin lives in Seattle on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish and Duwamish with his wife Mandy, daughter Amelie and Wonder Dog Hope.

Fran Mainella is a Visiting Scholar at Clemson University Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. She is also President of Fran Mainella Consulting,LLC.  Director Mainella served nearly six years as the 16th Director and the first woman to lead the U. S. National Park Service and served 12 years as Director of Florida’s State Parks.  She has also served as executive director of the Florida Recreation and Park Association and as president of both the National Recreation and Park Association and the National Association of State Park Directors. Recipient of numerous awards, Fran is the Outgoing Chair of the Children and Nature Network, having served as a member of C&NN’s Board of Directors since 2010. She is also Founding Co-Chair of the US Play Coalition, Chair of the Pugsley Award committee and Fellow of the American Academy of Park and Recreation Administrators, Chair of the Public Lands Advisory Council to the National Environmental Education Foundation, a member of Newsweek Magazine’s Environmental Advisory Board, a member of the Board of Directors for the National Park Trust, member of the Foundation for Sustainable Parks and Recreation, member of the South Florida National Park Trust, and a highly-sought public speaker.

Lisa Moore is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategic Services for PlayCore, a leading play and recreation company. In this role she is responsible for the company’s strategic services which includes market analysis and strategic planning, corporate communications & marketing, e-business, and human resources. She also leads the Company’s Center for Professional Development overseeing a variety of independent research initiatives, national partnerships, curricula and programming development, advocacy initiatives and resources, and accredited professional development services that promote the value of play and recreation across the U.S. and Canada. Prior to PlayCore, Lisa served people of all abilities in a variety of educational and medical settings and is passionate about dynamic service delivery models that meet the unique needs of individuals, families, and communities. Lisa is active in her professional and local communities, she believes in the power of outdoor play and recreation, and is committed to building communities through nature-rich play for children and families of all abilities. She joined the Board of the Children & Nature Network in 2015.

Stephan Nygren’s early career was in the hospitality industry, founding the Peasant Restaurant Group. Steve and his wife, Marie, retired to a farm just outside Atlanta with their three daughters in 1994 and six years later, he became concerned about urban sprawl invading their adopted country paradise. In 2000, Steve led the effort to create the Chattahoochee Hills Country Alliance to bring together landowners, developers and conservationists to find a mutually-agreed upon solution for balanced growth. Through two years of work and public meetings, a land use plan was adopted to preserve 70% of the 40,000 acres on the edge of Atlanta while providing 20% more housing than the traditional suburban sprawl yield. In 2004, the Nygrens began Serenbe to demonstrate an environmental concept for community development interlaced with agriculture activity and a range of housing choices mixed with shops, galleries, restaurants and an Inn located in the historic farm compound. The result is reminiscent of century-old communities. For more information on Serenbe, you may visit serenbe.com. Steve is an enthusiastic supporter of the work of the Children & Nature Network, attended his first C&NN conference in 2010, and joined the Board of Directors in 2014.

David W. Orr is the Paul Sears Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Politics and Special Assistant to the President of Oberlin College. The Oberlin Project was formed out of David Orr’s vision of full-spectrum sustainability: an all encompassing joint venture by the town and College to create a thriving, sustainable and environmentally friendly community in Oberlin. He is the recipient of six honorary degrees and other awards including The Millennium Leadership Award from Global Green, the Bioneers Award, the National Wildlife Federation Leadership Award, a Lyndhurst Prize acknowledging “persons of exceptional moral character, vision, and energy.” His career as a scholar, teacher, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur spans fields as diverse as environment and politics, environmental education, campus greening, green building, ecological design, and climate change. He is the author of seven books and co-editor of three others. In addition to serving on the Board of the Children & Nature Network, he has served as a Trustee for many organizations including the Rocky Mountain Institute, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and the Bioneers. He has been a Trustee and/or advisor to ten foundations.

Amy Pertschuk is a co-founder of the Children & Nature Network and served as C&NN’s Managing Director (2006 – 2011) and Director of Network Communications (2012 – 2016). With a focus on organizational development, grassroots movement building, and online community engagement, Pertschuk helped establish C&NN as a leader in the movement to reconnect children to the natural world. Prior to C&NN, Pertschuk co-founded eNature.com, an online nature-discovery resource and Communication Wave, an award winning multi-media design studio specializing in interactive exhibits for museums and aquariums.

Dr. Stephen Pont joined the Texas Department of State Health Services in November 2017 to lead the newly formed Office on Science and Population Health. Before that, he co-founded and served as the founding medical director for the Dell Children’s Texas Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity. Dr. Pont also served as the medical director for Austin Independent School District’s Student Health Services with more than 85,000 students and 120 campuses. Additionally, he worked with a team including the UT-School of Public Health and the USDA/Baylor College of Medicine on a CDC Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Project. He is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with UT Austin Dell Medical School and an adjunct Professor in the UT-Austin Departments of Advertising and Nutrition. Dr. Pont works with many organizations to promote health and to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic, including Marathon Kids, Children’s Optimal Health, Latino Healthcare Forum, Texas Department of Agriculture, Fitnessgram and the Texas Medical Association. He is the Founding Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Section on Obesity. Dr. Pont and his team work with patients and communities to improve health, locally, nationally and internationally, through multidisciplinary individual and group programs, leading advocacy efforts and spreading healthy messages in English and Spanish through TV, radio, internet, and print. Dr. Pont became a member of the Children & Nature Network Board of Directors in 2015.

Laura Turner Seydel is an international environmental advocate and eco-living expert dedicated to creating a healthy and sustainable future for our children.

Laura is a director of and works with the Environmental Working Group to limit the toxic chemicals in food, air, water and consumer products. In 2004, she co-founded Mothers and Others for Clean Air and is currently the chair of the board; in 1994, she and her husband co-founded Chattahoochee Riverkeeper.

Laura serves on the boards of her family’s foundations: The Turner Foundation, Jane Smith Turner Foundation, the Turner Endangered Species Fund, and Ted’s Montana Grill. She is vice chair of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and sits on the national boards of the League of Conservation Voters, Defenders of Wildlife, Waterkeeper Alliance and the Carter Center Board of Councilors; she also serves on the advisory board for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Atlanta.

Laura is the recipient of numerous humanitarian and environmental awards, including the League of Conservation Voters Environmental Hero Award, the SCLC Drum Major for Justice Award, the Healthy Child Healthy World’s Mom on a Mission for Service Award, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta’s Legacy Award, the YWCA Academy of Women Achievement Award, the National Garden Clubs Award of Excellence, the Andrew Young Foundation Pass on Blessings Award, and is a Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta Legacy of Leadership Honoree.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Oglethorpe University and is a contributing eco-editor and environmental speaker living with her husband, Rutherford, and their three children in their home, EcoManor, the first LEED-certified Gold residence in the Southeast.

Jesse Sixkiller is a former member of Children & Nature Network’s Board of Directors for which he served as Vice Chair (2021) and Secretary (2020). Jesse is a lawyer by trade and currently General Counsel at Lolo Health, Inc., based in Minnesota. He was previously Senior Counsel at 8×8, Inc., and prior to that he was in private practice for several years at the national law firm Lathrop GPM and the global law firm Dorsey & Whitney.