Tag: 2023

Elise Bernardoni

ELISE BERNARDONI

Director of Engagement, Canopy Strategic Partners

Elise Bernardoni is the Director of Engagement at Canopy Strategic Partners, helping mission-driven organizations improve the planet. Previously, she was the Assistant Director for Education Programs at Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ), where she worked for 14 years, overseeing various education programs and managing special projects. She is an active advocate for zoo-based conservation organizations, an instructor for AZA professional development courses, and the national education co-advisor for the Felid Taxonomic Advisory Group.

Elise holds a BFA in Drama from Carnegie Mellon University and an MA in Teaching; Museum Education from The George Washington University. Passionate about youth conservation, she is a Connecticut native who enjoys traveling, kayaking, and wildlife spotting.

Ashley Larson

ASHLEY LARSON

Advance Team Member

Ashley attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference as a correspondent in 2018, returned as an intern in 2019, and has worked in various roles on the Advance Team for the last three summers! Ashley earned her B.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology from Grand Canyon University in 2024 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University. In her free time, Ashley enjoys watching the Denver Broncos, listening to Taylor Swift, and reading.

Dr. Alan Byrd

DR. ALAN BYRD

Dean of Admissions, George Mason University

Alan Byrd began his tenure as Dean of Admissions at George Mason University in November 2020. With over 20 years of experience in enrollment management and community engagement, Dr. Byrd has a long, successful track record of leading, planning, and coordinating student recruitment and retention initiatives. He brings a team-oriented, data-driven recruitment approach to Mason that prioritizes exceptional service and commitment to student success.

Prior to Mason, Dr. Byrd was the chief enrollment officer at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He led UMSL to several new milestones for enrollment growth, diversity of the student body, the academic profile of incoming students, and graduation rates. Removing financial barriers for students was central to his work in St. Louis, where he developed innovative financial aid programs such as the “UMSL Grant” and “Finish Your Degree Scholarship” that reduced the average student loan debt at graduation by 12% and earned UMSL national recognition as a top 100 institution for social mobility according to U.S. News & World Report.

Dr. Byrd received his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at UMSL. He earned a B.A. in Communication and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.

Renee Grebe

RENEE GREBE

Northern Virginia Conservation Advocate, Nature Forward

Renee Grebe is Nature Forward’s Northern Virginia Conservation Advocate. With a background in user-experience design, she brings her ability to see issues from many sides in order to determine the best path forward to the field of environmental advocacy and education. She serves on Fairfax County’s Environmental Quality Advisory Council, leads invasive plant removals through Fairfax County’s IMA program, installed a rain garden on her homeowner association’s common property, and has been certified as a Virginia Master Naturalist since 2014.

Stephen Taglieri

STEPHEN TAGLIERI

Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2017

Stephen is the Marketing Director at the National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC). Working in the carbon and climate space for more than half a decade, Stephen focusses on telling stories of conservation success and creating impact through the empowerment of underrepresented voices. Outside of NICC, Stephen is the CEO and Creative Director of Kingdom Multimedia, a creative marketing agency that specializes in the development of communications strategy. Through end-to-end content development, collaborating from design to marketing implementation, Stephen has crafted unique climate messaging for a variety of clients. He has produced documentaries, written articles, and photographed projects for organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the American Forest Foundation.

Laura Swessel

LAURA SWESSEL

Faculty Advisor

Laura attended MIT where she earned a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. She worked for 7 years at Lockheed Martin as a Mechanical Test Engineer, building, testing and launching commercial satellites. During that time, she earned an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 1999, Laura started a Lean Sigma consulting business with clients in the appliances, automotive, advertising and healthcare industries. During that time, Laura also started teaching Physics at the local Purdue University campus. She found a love teaching high school and obtained her teaching license. She loves teaching Aviation, Engineering, Physics and Environmental Science and will be at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, KY this fall.

Keni Rienks

KENI RIENKS

Faculty Advisor

Keni Rienks teaches AP Environmental Science, Coastal Engineering, and AP Seminar at an independent school in Wilmington, NC. She also leads the Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation and is on the board for the Duke University Superfund Research Center’s Community Engagement Core. When Keni is not working, she enjoys time on the boat and at the beach with her husband and two children. Keni holds a Masters of Environmental Management degree from Duke University and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington.

Craig Saffoe

CRAIG SAFFOE

Large Carnivore Curator, Smithsonian National Zoo

As the Curator of Large Carnivores (and Kids’ Farm) at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Craig Saffoe is responsible for the overall care and management of 18 species and more than 50 individual animals. He works with a team of animal keepers to not only care for, but facilitate breeding with most of the Zoo’s large carnivores – which includes one of the most critically endangered species (Sumatran tigers) managed at the National Zoological Park. Craig started his career as an intern in 1994 and worked his way up to Animal Keeper, Biologist and now Curator. In that time, he has been a part of many successful teams including the team that managed, bred and successfully produced the first two cheetah litters ever born at the Smithsonian. Craig now leads a team that has been incredibly successful at breeding large carnivores – boasting multiple successful litters of lions and tigers and yes bears….Oh my!

Michael Latimer

MICHAEL LATIMER

Senior Associate, Pew Charitable Trust

Michael Latimer attended WYSE in 2012 and later studied Environmental Science with a concentration in Conservation at George Mason University, graduating in 2017. During his time at GMU, he interned with the Washington Scholars Program and studied abroad in Belize to learn about ecosystems. He also attended the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation, working with endangered birds.

Currently, Michael is a senior associate at the Pew Charitable Trusts, focusing on preventing ocean plastics, reducing harmful fishing subsidies, protecting Antarctica’s Southern Ocean, and seabed mining. He also assists with new project scoping and engages with international bodies like the United Nations. Michael is excited to share his experience with the program that ignited his passion for marine conservation.

Gary Swick

GARY SWICK

Faculty Advisor

Gary Swick used his BS in Natural Resource Mgt. from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and a MSEd in Outdoor Teacher Education as the foundation for developing a field-based High School Environmental Science suite of eight courses. The related projects have earned numerous state & national acclaim for their innovative approaches and impressive results. Individually, Gary has received several recognitions on the national level as an outstanding Environmental Educator. With the motto, “Environmental Action through Education”, his students have been active agents of change in their communities. His primary focus has been getting students into their local streams as “Watershed Watchdogs”, collecting data and becoming stewards. He previously taught at Northern Illinois University and is now retired. In addition to teaching, Gary spent 18 summers as a whitewater raft guide in Wyoming. Gary serves as the President of the Friends of the Fox River, the Board President of the Elgin Math & Science Academy, and is a board member on several other non-profit conservation groups. He is an avid outdoor recreationist.

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