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.
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!
PRESIDENT ELECT
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.
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.
TREASURER
OPEN
Every great board begins with people who care.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could make a bigger impact through PAEE, this is your opportunity. We welcome a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives because they make our organization stronger.
Interested but have questions? We’d love to connect.
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Katie Cassidy
Katie is the Deputy Director for the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper’s Association, where she works to protect and promote the Susquehanna River, its tributaries and the aquatic ecosystem it supports across an 11,000-square-mile watershed represented as the Middle Susquehanna river basin. She is a Penn State graduate, receiving her M.S. in Agricultural Extension Education, and her B.S. in Forest Biology, with a minor in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management. Katie is also a 4-H leader, avid seamstress, and spends much of her days hiking, camping, and chasing after her two kiddos in their various pursuits.
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
Amber Stacey
Amber Stacey is an environmental educator with the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy where she has spent the last 10+ years coordinating both school and summer camp programs for children ages 6-10. She specializes in introducing the youngest learners to nature through first-hand exploration and play-based learning. She is playful in her program delivery, focusing on students’ curiosity and sense of wonder to set the foundations for caring for the world around them. She has a bachelor’s degree in both Psychology and English Literature, as well as a certificate in children’s literature. She spends her free time with her cat, plays D&D, and buys plants and gives them silly names.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Amanda Jean Strode
Amanda Jeane Strode is the Director of Learning at CodeJoy, a Pittsburgh-based STEM education organization, where she designs and facilitates professional development for K-12 educators across Pennsylvania and beyond. With eight years of classroom experience — including a dedicated focus on environmental and sustainable education as a Lower School Science Teacher at Westtown School — she brings both teaching roots and deep PD expertise to her work. She holds a Master’s in Learning Technologies and Media Systems from Harrisburg University and has trained 1,000+ educators, managed $600K+ in grants, and facilitated MWEE programming and Project WILD. Amanda Jeane lives in the Steel Valley area of Pittsburgh and is happiest when she’s outside — or surrounded by reptiles.
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 Educational Therapeutic Specialist through Wesley Family Services out of Hillview Elementary in Grove City. She also does free outreach programs by integrating 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
Aubrey Tallon
Aubrey is a lifelong resident of Centre County and currently serves as Volunteer Program Manager at The Arboretum at Penn State. A Penn State graduate, they received a Dual-title M.S. in 2022 (Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management & Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment) following a B.S. in 2018 (Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Management). Since graduation, Aubrey has worked at both local and far-flung EE organizations, focusing heavily on development of accessible programs for queer youth and other marginalized groups. A textile artist and environmental educator, Aubrey searches for opportunities to weave stories with handicraft and use them as a lens through which to examine our relationships with each other and the world around us. When Aubrey isn’t wrangling volunteers or crafting, you can find them out naturalizing with their partner, playing dungeons & dragons, or snuggling up with their cats to enjoy a video game.
NORTHEAST
Stephanie Sherman
A life-long lover of adventure, Steph Sherman connected with PAEE over 15 years ago to support her personal mission of “nature education for all” and continuing her career path post-college. As DCNR Environmental Education Specialist for Tobyhanna, Gouldsboro and Big Pocono State Parks, she has used her Pocono passion to support collaborative efforts in the Northeast Region for the past five years. Formerly the Director of Education at Pocono Environmental Education Center, Steph is a dedicated camp veteran, earning her Masters in EE at the New Jersey School of Conservation in Stoke State Forest and spent a decade living at field education centers, designing and developing immersive experiences in STEAM and outdoor recreation. In 2023, she spent a semester as the Outdoor Education professor for East Stroudsburg University before joining PA State Parks. In her off time, she dabbles creatively with visiting Renaissance Faires and having outdoor adventures to the natural and historic places of Northeast PA.
SOUTHWEST
Ben Kusserow
Ben Kusserow is the Education Coordinator at Allegheny CleanWays where he empowers communities to clean up litter & illegal dumping through education. From teaching about landfills to leading litter walks, Ben is passionate about teaching systems thinking to students of all ages! He received his M. Ed. in Environmental Education from Western Washington University where he taught students in the North Cascades National Park. In his free time he loves to connect to his Appalachian roots by baking bread & playing the mountain dulcimer.
SOUTHCENTRAL
OPEN
Bring people together. Share ideas. Strengthen environmental education in your region. Your community is waiting!
SOUTHEAST
Heather Drzal
Heather Drzal is the Founder of Rooted Learning, LLC, bringing a rich background in education, agriculture, and environmental science to everything she does. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Delaware Valley University, an M.Ed. in Agricultural and Extension Education from Penn State, and a Therapeutic Horticulture Certificate from Delaware Valley University. Before launching Rooted Learning, Heather served as Director of School & Youth Programs at Longwood Gardens and spent time as a high school agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor. Drawing on those experiences, she is passionate about creating high-quality, engaging learning opportunities that weave together agricultural, environmental, and STEM education — while supporting educators through meaningful professional development and connecting students to the real world. Heather is also an active contributor to several professional organizations. When she’s not working, you’ll find her gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with her family.