ELP is delighted to announce the Eastern Regional Network Fellows Class of 2007!

Soledad Alfaro-Allah, Education Coordinator, Awbury Arboretum

Anika Andrews, Environmental Specialist, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Kara Coats, Senior Assistant City Solicitor, City of Wilmington, Delaware

Tatiana Garcia-Granados, Co-Founder and Executive Director, East Park Revitalization Alliance

Danny Gerber, Director, Urban Nutrition Initiative

Marcus Johnson, Design Services Coordinator, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

David Kanthor, Project Coordinator, Center City District in Philadelphia

Brad Killian, Executive Director, Delaware Greenways

Leanne Krueger-Braneky, Executive Director, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia

Jessica Leifeste, Art Teacher and Environmental Coordinator, Environmental Community Opportunity Charter School

Khiet Luong, Watershed/EAC Program Associate, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Heather McCall, Assistant State Coordinator for the Main Street New Jersey and Main Street Meadowlands Program with the NJ Office of Smart Growth, Department of Community Affairs.

Joe McNulty, Delaware Riverfront Outreach Specialist, New Kensington Community Development Corporation

Beth Mohan Resta, Marketing Specialist/Community Liaison, Whole Foods Market Philadelphia

Teresa Niedda, Director, Farmworker Health and Safety Institute

Johanna Rosen, Co-Director, Mill Creek Farm

David Schogel, Retired Social Worker, Center in the Park/Senior Environment Corps

Ravi Srinivasan, Assistant Director of Development, T.C. Chan Center for Building Simulation & Energy Studies

Kristen Sykes, Mid-Atlantic Project Manager, Appalachian Mountain Club

Renate Woessner, Interfaith Organizer, Shalom Center

Ted Wong, Founder and President, The Map Farm LLC

Susan Yi, Environmental Engineer, Philadelphia Water Department

Patricia Zaradic, Co-Founder, Red Rock Institute, Inc.

Soledad Alfaro-Allah is the education coordinator at Awbury Arboretum in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Her work includes coordinating field studies for local schools, writing lessons that support science standards while engaging young people, and teaching professional development to teachers. Specifically, Soledad is interested in redefining environmental education and stewardship for urban students, making it accessible, relevant and engaging. She is a first year graduate student at Temple University where she is integrating her science background and environmental focus with education reform in the interdisciplinary Urban Education program. Her graduate program is centered on environmental education in the context of environmental justice, especially as it impacts people of color.

Anika Andrews is an environmental specialist with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. For the past five and a half years, Anika has worked in the Land Use Regulation Program where she reviews projects located in Northern New Jersey's freshwater wetlands, flood hazard areas and highlands areas for their impacts on state and federally listed endangered and threatened species. Anika's experiences include numerous field studies concentrating on the ecology of Coastal New Jersey and the state's Pinelands, as well as work with other environmental organizations such as 4-H, the National Audubon Society (Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary), the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Kara S. Coats is the senior assistant city solicitor of the City of Wilmington, Delaware where she is the legal counsel for the City of Wilmington's administration on environmental matters. Kara focuses on the promotion and coordination of brownfields redevelopment within the City and works to improve protection of the City's source water. In addition, she provides advice on regulatory compliance, minimizing City's exposure to environmental liability, and on managing environmental litigation cases. She is a board member of the Brandywine Valley Association, a watershed organization with a mission to protect the water quality of the Brandywine River.

Tatiana Garcia-Granados is the co-founder and executive director of the East Park Revitalization Alliance (EPRA), a community-based nonprofit that empowers residents to revitalize the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia through the arts, environment and education. Over the past four years, the organization has planted over 300 trees, built community gardens, facilitated numerous murals throughout the neighborhood, and created and maintained over 13 acres of community-friendly open green space on the site of formerly abandoned vacant lots. EPRA operates an after-school and summer program that focuses on teaching neighborhood youth about the importance of environmental stewardship, physical activity and nutrition. Tatiana was born in Guatemala and worked in the banking industry prior to becoming EPRA's full-time executive director.

Danny Gerber is the director and one of the founders of the Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) at the University of Pennsylvania. UNI is a university community partnership that engages K-12 learners in an active, problem-solving curriculum that strives to improve community nutrition and wellness. Danny became involved in nutrition education in Philadelphia public schools in 1994, and upon graduating from college in 1996, Danny worked as a public school teacher in Philadelphia for several years. In 2000 Danny joined the Center for Community Partnerships at Penn as a full time Co-Director of the Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI). Danny's hobbies include bird-watching, playing basketball and gardening. He also loves rock, paper, scissors and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Marcus Johnson is a design services coordinator at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He does landscape design work for vacant land stabilization (through Philadelphia's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative), Philadelphia Green's parks revitalization program, and community gardens. Through his work he coordinates improvement efforts with local citizens, community leaders, contractors, and other design and planning professionals. Marcus also sits on the advisory board of the Morris Park Restoration Association (MPRA), which is a growing, volunteer-based, park improvement organization in Philadelphia's Overbrook neighborhood.

David Kanthor serves as a project coordinator at the Center City District in Philadelphia where he works on improving public space accessibility for visitors and residents in Center City. Previously, David served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and worked on sustainable urban development. Upon his return, he studied urban planning at the University of Maryland and participated in the Shriver Peaceworker Fellowship, which combines graduate studies with neighborhood development projects in Baltimore. After returning to Philadelphia, David worked as a consultant with the Philadelphia Health Management Corporation and the Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds. David serves as a volunteer squash coach for high school students from West Philadelphia involved in the Squashsmarts after-school program.

Brad Killian is the executive director of Delaware Greenways, a non-profit operating throughout Delaware to advocate a variety of 'quality of life' issues including community livability and interconnectivity, non-motorized transportation alternatives, passive open space, and close-to-home recreational opportunities. The organization regularly works with civic and government partners on projects and has actively lead or facilitated several recent initiatives such as the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Recreational Study, the Route 9 Scenic Byway nomination, and the New Castle County Greenways and Pathways Plan. Before coming to Delaware Greenways, Brad taught science classes in Virginia and Philadelphia, and worked as an environmental field instructor in Maine. He serves on several committees, including the Governor's Advisory Council on Pedestrian Awareness and Walkability, and volunteers as a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Leanne Krueger-Braneky is executive director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit network that helps local, independent businesses thrive while they build an economy that values people, the planet and prosperity for all. Before joining SBN in 2004, Leanne spent a year in South Africa directing service-learning programs for the South Africa Community Fund, an organization that supports local social transformation organizations and conducts training in peace building. She has also worked with community development and social change organizations in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and New York City. Her current obsession is proving that it is possible to rehab an old city rowhouse on a tight budget using environmentally responsible, locally sourced products.

Jessica Leifeste is an art teacher and the environmental coordinator at the Environmental Community Opportunity (ECO) Charter School, an environmentally focused elementary school in Camden, New Jersey. As an art teacher to grades K-3, she started and maintains a school garden with the students while integrating the environment into her lessons. Jessica is on the Board of Trustees for her school and is in charge of planning the school's annual Earth Day celebration, a large community outreach event involving environmental education. Prior to this, Jessica was the assistant manager for an organic farm in Hopewell, New Jersey, and served in the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa where she was an environmental volunteer concentrating on sustainable agriculture, agro-forestry and environmental education.

Khiet Luong is the watershed/Environmental Advisory Council (EAC) programs associate at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council Southeast PA office. His responsibilities include working closely with the Watershed Team and EAC Network Director to support and guide ongoing projects, including watershed partnerships, watershed plan implementation, stormwater management, and other water resource issues. Before joining PEC, Khiet consulted with the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, was the fellowship assistant manager at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and coordinated an English Language/Civics Program at the Vietnamese American Civic Association in Boston. In 2007 he was one of 1,000 people worldwide trained to deliver presentations on global warming by Al Gore's The Climate Project. Khiet deeply desires to live more fully his Vietnamese American eco-theology ontology. He enjoys writing poetry, making music, and hearing people laugh joyfully.

Heather McCall is the Assistant State Coordinator for the Main Street New Jersey and Main Street Meadowlands Program with the NJ Office of Smart Growth, Department of Community Affairs. Using the National Trust for Historic Preservation's four point approach to downtown revitalization, Heather works with New Jerseys 23 with local Main Street communities providing training, mentoring, and technical resources to strengthen central business districts through the organization of local citizens and resources. Prior to her promotion to the state level, Heather was the executive director of Main Street Mount Holly, a volunteer driven non-profit whose mission is to promote, protect, and enhance historic Mount Holly's downtown. Heather worked in real estate finance before catching the Main Street fever, and is currently a member of the Congress for New Urbanism, the American Planning Association, and a board member with Downtown New Jersey

Joe McNulty is the Delaware Riverfront outreach specialist with New Kensington Community Development Corporation. He is coordinating a community-driven plan for the riverfront from Fishtown to Port Richmond in conjunction with the civic groups of these neighborhoods, city and state level environmental organizations and the design firm of Wallace, Roberts & Todd. He is also participating in the larger planning process initiated by Penn Praxis that will envision a new future for the entire Central Delaware Riverfront from Oregon Ave. in the south to Allegheny Ave in the north. Before working at New Kensington, Joe has participated in community planning in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania as well as helped plan a LEED certified housing development for Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia.

Beth Mohan Resta is the marketing specialist/community liaison for Whole Foods Market Philadelphia. Her work has furthered the company's environmental mission, helping to implement a comprehensive composting and recycling program for the store which has diverted over 600 tons of waste annually. Beth also coordinates Whole Foods Market's participation in numerous environmental events and manages partnerships with non-profits throughout Philadelphia. Previously, Beth was the Special Events Campaign Coordinator for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Currently, she serves on the Advisory Board for the Bicycle Coalition's Bike Philly. She is an advocate for improved recycling in Philadelphia, sustainable food and green building. Beth is an avid bike commuter and thanks to Philly Car Share and public transit, has been car-free for three years. She resides in South Philadelphia where she is organizing with neighbors to create a civic association.

Teresa Niedda is the director of the Farmworker Health and Safety Institute which is a unique consortium of three community-based farmworker organizations - the Farmworker Support Committee (CATA), the Farmworker Association of Florida and the Border Agricultural Workers' Project. Teresa has overseen the development and implementation of participatory environmental trainings and documentation tools that develop the leadership capacity of the Institute's member groups. She has served on various state and national pesticide committees voicing the environmental health concerns of farmworkers and was recently appointed by Governor Corzine to serve on the New Jersey Pesticide Control Council. Previously, she has lived and studied in Mexico to better understand and facilitate her work with the farmworker labor force in the United States. Teresa currently resides in Southern New Jersey where she enjoys organic farming, sailing and winemaking.

Johanna Rosen is co-director of the Mill Creek Farm in West Philadelphia. The Mill Creek Farm is a collectively run urban education farm that utilizes vacant land to improve local access to nutritious foods; it also promotes the use of sustainable resources by growing and distributing produce and by demonstrating ecological methods of living. Johanna currently serves on the Philadelphia Green Advisory board and is helping to form a network of urban farmers. Prior to co-founding the farm in 2005, Johanna worked with the Urban Nutrition Initiative, running a market-garden program and teaching nutrition and food systems at University City High School. Previously, Johanna farmed and led urban youth garden programs in Massachusetts.

David Schogel is a retired social worker who in an active member of the Center in the Park/Senior Environment Corps (SEC). Through the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement, David has become a certified chemical trainer for water quality testing; with this certification, he recruits other senior citizens to help teach water monitoring and stream assessment to school children. David is also a SEC tour guide for Saylor Grove Wetland and has helped his SEC group to write a proposal to do stream restoration at the historic Rittenhouse Town. Through Philadelphia Green's Garden Tenders and Tree Tenders Programs, David is a founding member of the Hansberry Garden & Nature Center (HGNC) in Germantown where he is currently working to create a sustainable 4H club.

Ravi Srinivasan is the assistant director of development at the T.C. Chan Center for Building Simulation & Energy Studies, a premier research center at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), and the Project Coordinator for the UPenn campus sustainability program. He is a board member of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council (DVGBC), founding member and chair of the Emerging Green Builders Committee of DVGBC, and a LEED accredited professional. Ravi is currently pursuing his PhD in Architecture at UPenn and expecting to graduate in Fall 2007. His area of expertise is in building simulation and energy studies, sustainability and high performance strategies and virtual/augmented reality visualization.

Kristen Sykes is the Mid-Atlantic project manager at the Appalachian Mountain Club, America's oldest conservation and recreation organization located in Bethlehem, PA. Her focus is on land preservation in the Pennsylvania Highlands, a million acre greenbelt for the Philadelphia metro region. Previously, she worked for Friends of the Earth in Washington, D.C. Her work there, investigating ethics violations by top Bush Administration environmental officials, was profiled on the PBS program, "Now with Bill Moyers." Kristen is vice chair and legislative committee chair of the Highlands Coalition Regional Board. She lives with her fiance on an organic farm in New Jersey where her hobbies include knitting, swimming and brewing beer.

Renate Woessner is the interfaith organizer for the Shalom Center where she organized the event "Sacred Seasons - Sacred Earth - An Interfaith Call to Action" that addressed global warming and earth stewardship from different spiritual perspectives. Previously, she was a consultant for the Women's Program of American Friends Service Committee, a coordinator for International Classroom, and the director of US Program of Action Reconciliation and Service for Peace. Renate dedicates her time volunteering on the leadership team for Interfaith Walk for Peace and Reconciliation that organizes annual Peace Walks, work- days in different neighborhoods, outreach to various communities and hosts dialogues on difficult issues. Her passions include peace, social justice and earth stewardship.

Ted Wong is the founder and president of The Map Farm LLC, an ecological GIS company, and creator of Mapsprout, a free web-based mapping tool for individuals and grassroots activists. The Map Farm's mission is to improve the technical decision-making capacity of small-budget environmental organizations, and to promote a sense of place among people, communities, and institutions everywhere. Ted spent several years teaching and conducting research in botany and scientific computation at Bryn Mawr College, and he currently lives and works in Philadelphia.

Susan Yi is an environmental engineer for the Philadelphia Water Department in the planning and engineering division conducting a pilot scale research project to optimize water treatment control operations. She is currently conducting a study that explores the application of Magnetized Ion Exchange (MIEX) pretreatment on Philadelphia's source water and how MIEX can reduce chemical demand and reduce disinfection by-products, organics, and metals in the water better than conventional treatment practices. Susan also has experience with the Office of Watersheds in the modeling group, simulating sewer response to various storm events and evaluating flow monitoring data.

Patricia Zaradic is a co-founder of Red Rock Institute, Inc.. Dr. Patricia Zaradic is a conservation ecologist whose work combines social science and ecological approaches to address pressing conservation issues. Dr. Zaradic is a recent Environmental Leadership Program Fellow and has received research support from an EPA STAR grant, the National Science Foundation and a Smith Conservation Research Fellowship. Prior to founding Red Rock Institute, Inc., Patricia taught at Bryn Mawr College. Her current work combines economic, social science and ecological approaches to address pressing conservation issues.