PAEE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
President
Julie Travaglini
Julie is the Senior Director of Education and Curriculum for Allegheny Land Trust. With more than 15 years in the field, she has been honored with multiple awards, spoken at national and international conferences and been a guest on many podcast promoting environmental education. Aside from her leadership roles with ALT and PAEE, she also serves on the board of directors for the Western PA Mushroom Club, Beverly’s Birthdays and Wild Ones. She recently self-published a children’s book called Super Skills of Backyard Bugs, which is available on Amazon.
President Elect
OPEN
Past President
Matt Marsden
Matt Marsden works at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center at Penn State University with Outdoor School and Summer Camp programs. He has a B.S. from PSU in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management with a focus in Environmental Interpretation, and also an M.S. in Park and Resource Management through Slippery Rock University. He is excited to continue to help advance the mission of PAEE!
Treasurer
Craig Lukatch
Craig is a Hazleton native, currently residing in Lake Ariel PA who has extensive experience with more than 20 plus years in nonprofit administration and fundraising most recently working as the CEO of the Greater Pittston YMCA and the Director of Development at Wyoming Valley Children’s Association, Forty Fort. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Theology. Lukatch currently serves on the Boards of Directors of the Rainbow Alliance and the Newfoundland Rotary and has served on various boards of nonprofits from the NEPA chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, to the Hazleton YMCA, Indraloka Animal Sanctuary. Over his tenure he has raised over $9 million from foundations and for capital projects for local nonprofits. Lukatch has been employed with Lacawac Sanctuary for over 10 years.
Secretary
Sara Klingensmith
Sara is an Environmental Educator for Allegheny Land Trust. She has over 6 years of experience volunteering and working for non-profit environmental education organizations. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She considers herself a life-long learner and is always happy to help others understand and appreciate the natural world. Sara also serves as the Photography Chair for the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club and helps teach ecology courses for the PA Master Naturalists.
Membership Director
OPEN
Development Director
Mike Zewe
Mike is a lifelong naturalist. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with two decades of nonprofit development experience. He holds an Environmental Studies M.S. from Point Park University and an Organizational Leadership M.A. focusing on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DEI). Mike initiated and managed a campaign to build a sea turtle rehabilitation facility in Boca Raton, Florida. He is a backyard beekeeper and grows a large perennial pollinator garden. He volunteers through guest lecturing in universities, coordinating fundraising events for the local county park, and leading nature hikes for friends, neighbors, and community members along the Rachel Carson Trail.
Public Relations Director
Emily Cantor
Born and raised in Southeastern Pennsylvania, Emily has always been inspired by the outdoors and curious about the world around her. With an associate’s in Early Childhood Education, a bachelor’s in Geography (GIS-focused), and a master’s in Environmental Education, her work has spanned teaching young learners and leading meaningful environmental experiences. She’s passionate about storytelling, connecting people, and exploring cultures—values she brings into both her teaching and personal life. Whether hiking, camping, or gardening with her partner, she’s excited to pass these passions on to their soon-to-arrive daughter.
Member At Large
Jen Schnakenberg
Jen Schnakenberg is Assistant Director of Education at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. She connects the Parks Conservancy’s education department, local schools, and other environmental education organizations while also managing projects and teaching in the field. Jen holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and biology from the University of Pittsburgh. In all her work, she focuses on producing developmentally appropriate programs that increase understanding of our reliance on natural systems and help students acquire skills to continue learning about the world and sharing in its care.
Professional Development
OPEN
Student Liaison
Ben Dietrich
Ben Dietrich is an undergraduate student at the University of Vermont studying Environmental Science with a minor in Agroecology. Outside of classes, he is the Vice President of his school’s Horticulture club, and has presented at national and international conferences such as the World Environmental Education Congress and the International Society for Technology in Education. He has been actively involved in environmental organizations, having worked as a Student Leader with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and EarthEcho. In his free time he enjoys searching for bugs and spending time with his friends and family.
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Northwest
Lyndsay Denny
Lyndsay is an environmental educator at the Creative Learning Christian School, where she integrates experiential learning, environmental stewardship, and community connection into her teaching. Her journey into environmental education began as a homeschool mom. In 2021, she founded the Wild + Free Mercer County hiking group (now known as the Wild Trailblazers) to connect homeschool families through outdoor exploration and shared nature experiences.
Her passion for environmental learning led her to volunteering on the education team for the Tamarack Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. In 2024, she received the Pioneers in Conservation Award from the Mercer County Conservation District, recognizing her grassroots impact. In March 2025, she was honored with the PAEE Daisy S. Klinedinst Memorial Award for her dedication to expanding her role in environmental education.
Northcentral
Jake Smith
Jake Smith is an Environmental Education Specialist with the PA Game Commission, where he leads conservation education efforts across ten counties in the Northcentral Region. He earned an M.Ed. in Environmental Education and an M.Sc. in Park and Resource Management from Slippery Rock University (SRU). His previous roles include serving as an Environmental Education Specialist with DCNR at Hickory Run State Park Complex, a Project Leader with the PA Outdoor Corps, and a Wilderness Fellow with the Society for Wilderness Stewardship in Alaska and Wisconsin. He has also contributed to environmental education through positions at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Jennings Environmental Education Center. In his free time, he enjoys trail running, homesteading, as well as acrylic painting and portrait drawing.
Northeast
Stephanie Sherman
Steph Sherman has been working in Northeast PA and Northwest New Jersey most of her life. Currently an Experiential Education Instructor at Princeton Blairstown Center and a Substitute Teacher with Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, Steph has as passion for connecting youth of all ages to nature. An adjunct professor in Outdoor Environmental Education and former Director of Education at PEEC, Steph loves to share the beauty of the Pocono and Lehigh Valley regions through hiking, site-seeing and learning about local history. She got her start at Wildlands Conservancy as a seasonal Naturalist and completed her graduate work at the New Jersey School of Conservation in Stokes State Forest. She looks forward to blending her non-formal field experience with formal k-12 teaching.
Southwest
Susie Moffett
Susie Moffett is the Southwest Program Coordinator for Pa Master Naturalist and has spent nearly 15 years in the environmental education field. She earned a BA in Biology from West Virginia University and a PhD in Human Genetics from the University of Pittsburgh. While life has led her away from active research, Susie has a passion for science education and communication and works to inspire people to conserve the natural world. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, gardening, board games and turkey vultures.
Southcentral
Jennifer Peglow
Jennifer Peglow is the Pennsylvania Professional Learning Coordinator with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Prior to working at CBF, Jennifer was an environmental science and English teacher for over 20 years. She earned a B.S. in English Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Science Education at Lesley University. She is currently completing a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management at Idaho University. Jennifer serves on a variety of committees and initiatives, but her main goal is to build relationships with educators as they develop meaningful environmental education experiences for their students. She lives in the Gettysburg area and enjoys reading, yoga, hiking, gardening, kayaking, and spending time with friends and family.
Southeast
Heather Drzal
Heather Drzal is the Director of School and Youth Programs at Longwood Gardens. She earned a B.S in Biology from Delaware Valley University and an M.Ed in Agricultural and Extension Education from Penn State. Prior to Longwood, she was a high school agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor. Using her experiences from the classroom, she hopes to continue building opportunities at Longwood for PreK-12 students, teachers and families. Heather is an active committee member in other organizations. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, reading, playing board games or doing puzzles and scrapbooking.
