About

[He/Him/His]

Jono joins TCI as Executive Director. Previously, Jono served as the Head of Disaster and Crisis, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the Americas and Caribbean region, based in Panama, Panama. In this role, Jono led the team overseeing Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Shelter, Migration, Livelihoods, Disaster Response and Recovery, and International Disaster Law.

Previously, Jono was the Vice President of International Services at the American Red Cross based out of Washington, DC. In this role, Jono oversaw disaster preparedness, response, and recovery programming in more than 34 countries, including the Measles and Rubella Initiative which since 2001 has helped vaccinate more than 2 billion children and reduce global measles by 84%…greater than 20.4 million lives. Jono also served as the Global Disaster Response and Relief Partnerships lead for Airbnb for a 16-month engagement to support scaling their social impact programming.

Jono has also served as a Regional Voluntary Agency Liaison at FEMA Region VII with responsibilities for coordinating with voluntary organizations active in disaster and FEMA Mass Care and Emergency programs in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. Jono has been affiliated with the American Red Cross since 1994. Jono graduated from Creighton University with a BA in Political Science, the University of Nebraska with an MS in Economics, a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of Nebraska, and the Harvard School of Public Health and Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, and has earned the International Association of Emergency Management Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) credential. Jono served as the chair of the Advocacy Committee for the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (National VOAD) from 2012-2015.

Jono’s background and expertise in global disaster and crisis response strengthens and drives his passion towards proactive mitigation and problem solving of the climate crisis. He is committed to overseeing TCI’s organizational growth trajectory of empowering 10 million youth to climate action by 2025.

Jono and his husband Andy, Gender Equality & Social Inclusion Associate Director at Save the Children, live in Portland, ME and enjoy all things outdoors and their love of family and friends.

[She/Her/Hers]

Leia Lowery is the Deputy Director and Head of Programs and Partnerships with The Climate Initiative. She brings over 20 years of experience in education, curriculum development, and community engagement, specializing in facilitating dynamic educational experiences that create critical thinkers, life-long learners, and productive citizens. As a co-founder of the Kennebunkport Climate Initiative, the programs she helped create continue to inspire The Climate Initiative’s programmatic approach and youth impact.

Leia advocates building stronger communities by connecting people through their local landscape and shared history. To her, it’s key to inspiring action and building hope for solutions to the climate crisis.

Leia is a speaker and trainer at national conferences and her passion has led to innovations in local programs. Her work as an educator and community building resulted in her winning the Gulf of Maine Council Visionary Award in 2019, as well as her programs being featured in the National Land Trust Alliance magazine.

Leia earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Virginia Tech with concentrations in International Development, Women’s Studies and Communications, and a Master’s of Science from Virginia Tech. Leia and her husband Jamie, along with their three children (Marshall, Caroline, and Henry), share a deep love of nature. From working in her garden to hiking to the top of a mountain, Leia enjoys all that the outdoors has to offer.

[She/Her/Hers]

Meagan joins the TCI team with over 15 years of marketing communications experience working for global consumer brands, travel and tourism organizations and outdoor recreation companies. Her primary responsibilities for TCI include managing the organization’s brand identity and content strategy, online communities, website, email communications, and PR/media relations.

Meagan received her Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Marketing Communications and Public Relations from Emerson College. She’s a Maine native and when she is out of the office, you can find her, along with husband Matt, son Liam and Australian Shepherd Freya, mountain biking or hiking the conservation land in Kennebunkport and beyond.

Nyla McFadden serves as the Assistant Director of Programs and Education Lead for TCI.  Nyla served as an educator for thirteen years. Her professional career exemplified a commitment to student growth. Her belief firmly rests in the importance of education to produce informed and responsible citizens, which was supported with an emphasis on the educational philosophy, Critical Literacy. All instruction designed and facilitated epitomized four essential skills: critical thinking, reading, and writing with a purpose, and to speak up. All these objectives strengthened students’ abilities to actively improve themselves and the society in which they live. This is the heart of Critical Literacy, and the philosophy that Nyla will use to support TCI’s education programs and instruction. 

Nyla’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in English from Johnson C. Smith University, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Wake Forest University, and a Graduate Teaching Certificate, ELA 9-12, from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Additionally, I have earned my National Boards Teaching Certification in Adolescent and Young Adult Literature. 

Kate is originally from Wisconsin, but has lived in New Zealand, and more recently in Portland, Maine.  Kate’s background is in public school teaching, specifically English & Language Arts, with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning.  Kate has nearly twenty years of experience in teaching, business, leadership, and entrepreneurship, and is excited to bring these unique skills to the team at TCI.

Kate’s first introduction to environmental and climate action was as a youth in a traveling children’s theater troupe called “To Save the Planet”, where she was lucky enough to perform at the White House for Vice President Al Gore during the United Nations Global Youth Forum.  Ever since then, Kate has been passionate about the power of youth voices in tackling the world’s biggest challenges.

In her free time, Kate enjoys spending time with her husband Ollie and their two daughters Zoey and Natalie.  She enjoys reading, sewing, fishing, cooking, and enjoying the beautiful Maine outdoors.

[She/Her/Hers]

Amanda grew up in Saco, Maine where she spent as much of her childhood by the ocean as possible. She knew she wanted to be in the climate space when her high school, Thornton Academy, did an assembly presentation on the impacts of climate change and was inspired by efforts to mitigate sea level rise.

She joins the team with several years of nonprofit management and fundraising experience, with a focus on organizations that work in the climate and education access space. She holds an MPA from Cornell University, as well as Bachelors in Political Science and Business Administration from Hartwick College.

In her spare time she can often be found exploring bookstores, going on nature walks, hanging out with her fluffy orange cat, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy for the upteenth time or designing candles for her sustainable candle studio, Isle & Wild.

Melissa Luetje is a science teacher at Kennebunk High School in RSU 21, which serves the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, and Arundel in southern Maine. She is certified in both physical and life science and is committed to getting her students out and into the field as much as possible. She is passionate about place-based education and experiential learning. Melissa is a tireless advocate for amplifying youth voices and providing opportunities that give youth agency so that they can make positive impacts in their communities in the fight against climate change.

Ariel joined the TCI team as the Volunteer Coordinator. Since 2018 she has dedicated herself to teaching and youth about climate change through her online Instagram platform @gogreensavegreen. She is an advocate for learning about both climate sciences and the social implications of climate change and its solutions.

Ariel has a background in Fine Arts and utilizes her creativity to the fullest when approaching how to creatively educate, excite and activate youth to engage with the climate crisis.

Based in Los Angeles CA, Ariel has seen firsthand the disproportionate impact climate change has on communities and works to educate others on the not-so-obvious impacts of climate change. In her free-time, she is found in Downtown Los Angeles at her studio. Ariel is formally trained as a ceramicist (both pottery and sculpture) but currently is focused on working as a sculptural artist utilizing upcycled materials. She is currently working on figuring out how to weave sustainability into her art practice and how sustainability translates to the materials used in her work.

Caitlin Neal-Jones hails from the mountains of East Tennessee, but she fell in love with Louisiana during her AmeriCorps service year at Lafayette Habitat for Humanity. She’s been fortunate to call Louisiana her permanent home since 2016. Prior to joining TCI, Caitlin spent almost a decade working in clinical mental health, career counseling, and most recently school counseling. She has served in primary, secondary, and postsecondary institutions providing student and educator support.

During her time as a school counselor, Caitlin volunteered with the Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling to promote equity and college access for students. She is excited to continue building relationships with Louisiana students and teachers through her work with TCI. Caitlin holds a BA in International Affairs from The George Washington University, an MA in Counseling from East Tennessee State University, and she is currently pursuing an MPA at Louisiana State University.

In her free time, Caitlin loves volunteering in her community. She can often be seen biking around downtown Lafayette; shopping in her favorite independent bookstore, Beausoleil Books; and kayaking in the local lakes and bayous.

Toni joins TCI as the organization’s virtual assistant from the Philippines. She is an accomplished bachelor’s degree graduate at the University of Asia and the Pacific in the field of Entrepreneurial Management, where she graduated with Latin Honors, Cum Laude. Toni achieved the ‘studentpreneur’ award as she has owned and managed businesses since a very young age.

Toni’s skillset involve researching, multi-tasking, task management, and organization. She is excited to use these skills as she supports the day-to-day needs of TCI, remotely.

When she is not working for TCI, Toni enjoys traveling and planning trips to experience new cultures and see different parts of the world. She also loves business planning and ideating around finding solutions to problems. Toni looks to inspire and create an impact for the common good, just like The Climate Initiative.

Originally from New Jersey, Alexa received her BA in Peace & Justice Studies and Political Science from Pace University. Her studies exemplified the intersectionality of social, economic, and political issues, and how each of these are intertwined with our environment. After gaining research and policy experience working with NGOs within the UN, Alexa was excited to expand upon her work as she combined her passion for social activism with environmental justice. She now joins the TCI team from Tampa, Florida where she is studying for her MA in Global Sustainability. Her primary focus is transitioning the tourism industry into one that sustainably supports communities, without damaging their environments, cultures, or economies. Alexa has been inspired by the work of TCI, particularly with their efforts to engage youth in climate action. She is proud to work with a team of passionate activists who live out TCI’s mission every day. Working with the Program’s team, Alexa is excited to continue expanding TCI’s educational and advocacy outreach!

In her free time, Alexa enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, taking a trip to the beach, and baking.

[He/Him/His]

Javan Santos is a young policymaker who champions using policy as a tool to fight climate change. Born and raised in the island of Guam, Javan is an indigenous CHamoru and a proud Pacific Islander. Obtaining a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Guam, Javan understands the important relationship between politics and environmental protection, especially from the perspective of learning in a Pacific Island and a U.S. territory. 

The Pacific Islands are highly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, so Javan has worked to craft his skills in policy, having about seven years of policy experience. Javan was the Speaker of the Guam Youth Congress, a youth elected legislative body that writes and passes bills and submits them to the Guam Legislature for review. Serving in the Guam Youth Congress for six years, his notable policy accomplishment was successfully passing into law a plastic bag ban for the island of Guam. Javan has also worked as a policy analyst for the Guam Legislature, and has even interned in Congress with the Asian Pacific American Institute of Congressional Studies (APAICS). In both capacities, Javan drafted legislation on a variety of topics including renewable energy, agricultural protections, and indigenous fishing rights. 

In his off time, Javan volunteers as an editor for a youth-led Asian American and Pacific Islander newsletter called the Yappie. He also enjoys learning how to make Pacific Islander desserts and playing Pokémon with friends.

Originally from central Wisconsin amongst the corn and cows, Hajna (she/her/hers) grew up and went to school all over central Maine, north of TCI’s headquarters. Growing up, she always loved being outside and knew she wanted her career to involve two things at least: working with youth and something to do with the outdoors. It wasn’t until college, however – where she got her BA from Bowdoin College in Environmental Studies and Government/Policy, with a minor in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies – that she was able to start exploring her home state and pursuing this path. Since this discovery, Hajna has dedicated her professional life to environmental education, policy, and advocacy – including work at the Nature Conservancy, JustME for JustUS, Defenders of Wildlife, the Maine People’s Alliance, and as Head of Outdoor Education at a local Maine summer camp. Hajna’s biggest passion and goal is to increase access to and encourage participation in the outdoors and environmental world for all youth, especially those who have historically been underrepresented in this space. She fully believes in the power exposure to nature and proper support can have in sparking a desire to get involved in climate action – as it did for her. Lucky for her, this is TCI’s specialty! Hajna looks forward to getting more diverse youth involved in climate action and spreading opportunities and education to all – as we need voices now more than ever to enact change. When she’s not working (and sometimes even while she is), Hajna can be found enjoying Maine’s beautiful outdoors in any capacity: hammocking, hiking, swimming, skiing, kayaking, reading, or generally adventuring with friends and as many dogs as possible.

Bruce, dubbed the “Father of Cause Marketing,” is renowned for crafting the most successful cross-sector promotional and fundraising campaign in March of Dimes’ history.

He elevated public affairs for Marriott Corporation and revolutionized public relations for the family entertainment business during his tenure with the United States Olympic Committee. Additionally, Bruce made significant contributions to the American Red Cross Bay Area, leading groundbreaking campaigns like Prepare Bay Area.

He remains passionate about empowering youth through initiatives like the Youth Poster Contest, providing a platform for students to voice their concerns. Recognized for his exemplary work, Bruce has received accolades from the United States Congress, the California State Legislature, and other esteemed institutions.

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Anne Giblin is the Senior Scientist and Interim Director of Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory, at Woods Hole. Her research focuses on the effects of climate change and sea-level rise on salt marshes. She is committed to bringing science to youth and youth to science.

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Katharine Hayhoe is an accomplished atmospheric scientist who studies climate change and why it matters to us here and now. She is also a remarkable communicator who has received the American Geophysical Union’s climate communication prize, the Stephen Schneider Climate Communication award, the United Nations Champion of the Earth award, and been named to a number of lists including Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Thinkers, and FORTUNE magazine’s World’s Greatest Leaders.

Katharine is currently the Political Science Endowed Professor in Public Policy and Public Law and co-directs the Climate Center at Texas Tech University. She has a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Toronto and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Colgate University and Victoria University at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Somya Joshi is an Associate Professor in Governance and Sustainability at Stockholm University, whilst currently holding the position of Head of Division at Stockholm Environment Institute. At the latter she leads a dynamic team of experts on intersecting thematic areas such as SDGs, Climate Adaptation & Mitigation, Data complexity in global supply chains as well as Energy & Industry Transitions. Somya’s academic career has traversed the fields of technology innovation and disruption, with regard to societal and ecosystem transitions. She is particularly interested in how local grassroots engagement can be designed into decision making processes within the context of earth system governance.

Mike Judge is a high school AP Environmental Science teacher. He is passionate about helping students to understand the beauty of the world around them and approaching climate change from a local perspective before connecting to global issues. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Harvard University, in his home state of Massachusetts.

Houston Kraft is a professional speaker, leadership consultant, and kindness advocate who speaks at schools, conferences, and events internationally. Houston is also the co-founder of CharacterStrong.

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James Manyika is a senior partner at McKinsey & Company, chairman of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), and a member of McKinsey’s board of directors. Manyika leads research on global economic and technology trends and serves many of the world’s leading high tech companies on growth, innovation, and strategy.

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Veerabhadran Ramanathan is the Edward A. Frieman Endowed Presidential Chair in Climate Sustainability and editor of “Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions” at the University of California at San Diego.

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Ambassador Francis Rooney represents Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. He is the Republican co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus and a member of the bi-partisan Everglades and Estuary caucuses, which focus on restoring Florida’s ecosystems.

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John D. Sterman is the Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and a Professor in the MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society. He is also the Director of the MIT System Dynamics Group and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative.

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Kathryn has over twenty years of experience leading sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, and entrepreneurship projects around the world. She recently moved to Boulder, CO where she serves on the TCI Advisory Council.

Prior to living in Boulder, Kathryn was the Director of Program Delivery at Stanford University’s Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (Stanford Seed), where she was responsible for managing core operations that support the organization’s innovation centers in Africa and India. Kathryn was previously a Global Social Performance Advisor at Chevron Corporation, where she managed corporate social responsibility and community engagement initiatives around the world.

Earlier in her career, Kathryn was a Sustainable Development Specialist at the World Bank, Program Manager at the Emerging Markets Private Equity Association (EMPEA), Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador, and Microloan Officer at Accion. Kathryn holds an MBA from UC Berkeley, an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Yale, and a BA with honors from Dartmouth College.

Tom Bradbury has served as the President, and now Executive Director, for the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, since 1978. In Tom’s time at the trust, the organization has protected nearly 2,400 acres of land on which over 20 miles of trails have been built. Tom’s conservation efforts were recognized when he became the first recipient of the American Land Conservation Award, becoming the leading citizen conservationist in the United States. Tom was also recognized in 2004 with the U.S. EPA New England Region “Lifetime Achievement” award.

Harold Brooks served over 40 years as an executive of the American Red Cross – including as Senior Vice President, International Operations and Chief Executive Officer American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter, Headquartered in San Francisco Chapter, and many other positions – domestic and global – beginning in 1975.

He currently serves as Chief Resilience Officer at the Global Community Resilience Institute where he strives to help community leaders save, restore, and grow the lives of their residents in the face of disruptions, changing conditions, and pressing global and local community issues. Harold also works as a Consultant to the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent.

He is a Senior Distinguished Fellow at Northeastern University – Global Resilience Institute and volunteers with Resilient Fruitvale Program in the Latin-X community of Oakland, California. Harold is an alumni of Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.

Alejandra Carrasco is a Dartmouth Student from Lima, Peru. She is a Sociology and education major. Alejandra is involved with Magnuson Student Leadership Board, DartUP (Social Entrepreneurship club), Chess Club, Global Issues Scholars, and Senator at the Student Assembly at Dartmouth. She is also part of the FYSEP community and King Scholars. Before joining Dartmouth, she was former CEO–now Ambassador and CO-Founder of Wawa Laptop, the first eco-friendly laptop made in Peru. Also, she Co-found the ngo AEPEX (Peruvian student’s abroad association) to democratize the information for low-income students about the application process to colleges’ in the US.

Originally from the east coast, Monica has recently relocated to California after nearly a decade in Europe and Asia. After earning her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, Monica practiced law in Philadelphia for several years prior to moving abroad. Currently a stay-at-home mom in the Bay Area, Monica has graciously volunteered her time and energy into management of TCI initiatives such as The Tidal Shift Art Award, in partnership with The Portland Museum of Art and now resides on our Board of Directors.

General Russel Honoré is a decorated 37-year army veteran and a global authority on leadership, disaster management, and climate preparedness. At the request of the Speaker of the House, the General led Task Force 1-6 Capitol Security Review to improve Capitol security following the attacks on January 6, 2021. As the commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, he became known as the “Category 5 General” for his leadership in coordinating military relief efforts in post-hurricane New Orleans.

General Honoré knows that the future of our national security depends on protecting our environment, and he’s fighting for a brighter future for us all. A Louisiana native, he founded the GreenARMY, a coalition of environmental experts and advocates, to protect against pollution while fighting climate change and the natural disasters it causes.

During his military career, General Honoré held numerous commands, including Vice Director for Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Commander of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security.

Fiona is the Engagement and Delivery Manager for the Bezos Earth Fund. In this role, she works closely with the President & CEO to advance the Fund’s strategic priorities and initiatives. Before joining the Earth Fund, she spent four years at the World Resources Institute curating the research and engagements of the President & CEO.

‍Fiona has previously held roles with the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration, the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and Action for the Climate Emergency. Fiona holds a B.A. in International Development and Environment from McGill University.

Dr. Pamela Morgan is a Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. She teaches courses in conservation, ecological monitoring, wetlands, women and the environment, introductory environmental issues and more. She is dedicated to engaging students in field-based learning whenever possible. Her research focuses on coastal and freshwater wetlands, where she investigates how wetlands are affected by climate change and how they can help mitigate climate change. She also develops and assesses programs designed to connect young people with the natural world.

Andreata Muforo is a Partner at TLcom Capital based in Kenya. She is passionate about entrepreneurship and economic development and leads VC investments in early to growth stage tech-enabled businesses in Sub Saharan Africa. She is actively engaged in local partnerships with entrepreneurs, accelerators, and the Endeavor network for mentoring and deal flow generation.

Prior to joining TLcom, Andreata worked on capital raising and mergers and acquisitions mandates for projects and Funds across Africa and has a strong network among entrepreneurs and financiers. Andreata holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in Economics from Grinnell College in Iowa, USA.

Amelie Panaccione is from Boulder, CO. She brings the youth voice to TCI and has experience in fundraising over $50,000 through lemonade stands for World Bicycle Relief. Amelie has been involved with TCI since 2020, advocating for wildfire prevention strategies, inclusivity, and equitable solutions, and creating numerous ways for youth to get involved with TCI. She enjoys creating projects and events for donors and youth to connect in her role as a Board member.

Amelie is a member of her school newspaper has won a couple of writing accolades and also directs the donor-advised fund she founded for youth. She is a ski bum and tries to go up and shred the slopes at least once a week during the winter. In the summer, you will find Amelie going on an outdoor adventure either hiking up to an alpine lake to fish or deciding to summit all of her town’s surrounding mountains in one day.

Billy Shore is the founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, the parent organization for the No Kid Hungry campaign. Since co-founding Share Our Strength in 1984, Billy has led the organization in raising more than $700 million to fight hunger and poverty and has won the support of national leaders in business, government, health, and education, sports and entertainment. Shore is the author of four books focused on social change and was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report.

Amy Tchao is Drummond Woodsum’s Practice Group Leader for Municipal Law. For the past two decades, Amy has focused her practice on general municipal law, land use law, and education law.

Based on her experience as a town attorney for several towns along Maine’s coast, and in its lakes regions, Amy has specialized in resolving complex problems arising from shorefront development, access, and permitting issues.

Amy is listed in Best Lawyers in America, a guide to leading lawyers in the country, in the categories of Municipal Law, Litigation-Municipal Law and Education Law and was selected by Best Lawyers as Maine’s 2014 “Lawyer of the Year” in the category of Municipal Litigation. Best Lawyers also named her Maine’s 2012 Education “Lawyer of the Year.”

Angela Zhong is a first-generation Asian-American Harvard sophomore. She is studying economics with a secondary in environmental science public policy and a citation in Mandarin. Hailing from Houston, Angela has felt the impacts of natural disasters and climate change first-hand. Though she is currently on a gap year, she previously served as her school’s first-ever Minister for Climate and Sustainability on the Undergraduate Council Executive Cabinet. Learn more about her at: angelazhong.com.