arizona association for Environmental Education

LoriAnne (she/her) lives in Tucson, AZ on O’odham and Pascua Yaqui land. She is the Program Manager for the Urban and Community Forestry Program at Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, educating our communities about the value of urban trees and how to care for them. She previously served for 10 years as the Director of the USA National Phenology Network‘s education program, focused on engaging a variety of formal and non-formal audiences in phenology and the Nature’s Notebook Citizen Science program and has worked in a number of educational settings over the last two and a half decades, teaching both youth and adults the importance of place and connections to the natural world. LoriAnne holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and an M.A. in Environmental Science and Environmental Education from Prescott College in Arizona.  She is the Executive Director of the Arizona Master Naturalist Association, a volunteer leadership training program for natural and cultural history volunteers. Her areas of expertise include program development and evaluation, strategic planning, and volunteer management. Board member since 2014.

Julia (she/her) is the Program Manager for Project Cities, a program through the Sustainable Cities Network in the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State University. Project Cities is a university-community partnership that pairs faculty and students with city partners to co-create sustainability solutions. The program provides unique opportunities for students to gain hands-on skills and experiences, developing career pathways and fostering connections with local sustainability leaders. Julia holds a Master of Arts in Sustainability, Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability, Bachelor of Arts in Geography, and Certificate in Environmental Education from Arizona State University. While in graduate school her research was focused on exploring sustainability literacy through nature journaling in school gardens and she worked with the National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy to train educators in sustainability science and how to implement sustainability projects in their schools and communities. Julia is passionate about providing educators with professional development opportunities to support high-quality environmental and sustainability education programming in schools and communities. She enjoys hiking with her dog and exploring the beautiful and biodiverse landscapes of Arizona. Board member since 2021.

Staci (she/her) teaches Environmental Science and STEM at a public high school in Avondale. She educates teens from 10-12th grade about how Environmental Science impacts them and their daily lives with the goal of creating deeper connections between them, their communities, and their environment. Learning to teach is a constant developmental practice so her next steps to further her teaching will be to attend local professional development events to learn more about my community and the environment we interact with on a deeper level. She would like to further her relationships with local organizations that offer enriching experiences to educators and their students while continuing to deepen my knowledge of Sonoran desert ecology and cultural history. Board member since 2020.

John (he/him), John Bello, Assistant Director at Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve and Arizona PLT Coordinator, infuses his role with a fervent dedication to environmental and informal education. Previously, as Director of Education and Interpretation at Boyce Thompson Arboretum, he concurrently pursued his EdD at Arizona State University. Dr. Bello seamlessly integrates environmental education into the preserve, fostering community engagement and reverence for nature and archaeological sites. His commitment to lifelong learning extends through active participation in the Arizona Association for Environmental Education, enriching his practice with diverse perspectives and modalities.Board member since 2023.