Board of Directors
Heather Heckel
Heather began her career in education working with families in public housing communities and as a middle school teacher. Today, she is an Assistant Professor at American University where she teaches courses on sustainable development, conservation and advocacy. Heather has had the opportunity to visit and study sustainable development in Ghana, Niger, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, China, and Ecuador. Kara Vanderkamp
Kara is the founder and Executive Director of Remember Niger, a non-profit organization that supports community led, education efforts in Niger. She started Remember Niger after working for the Presbyterian Church in Niger and Kenya for several years. Kara began her career as a primary school teacher in Chicago. |
Kaila Ferrufino
Kaila is Senior Operations Manager at the National Wildlife Federation. Previously she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, where she worked on community development, sustainable agriculture, and helped establish a school garden program. Kaila has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. Kaila is a part-time professional photographer and provides photography training to Engage Globally and our community partners. Lauren Kruglinski
Lauren is the Director of Operations with City Blossoms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering healthy communities by developing creative, kid-driven, green spaces. Lauren graduated from American University with a B.A. in International Studies. She studied and volunteered in Ghana in 2011. Lauren has worked on many farms and enjoys bike touring and camping with her dog Lupo and husband, Alex.
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Aleah Myers
Aleah is a high school science teacher in Washington, DC. Her background includes environmental and health education, community outreach, and communications. Aleah has spent time in Ghana, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic learning about education and sustainable development. Aleah has a Master's Degree in Education at Johns Hopkins University. Gilbert Ruiz
Gil Ruiz works for Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator for New York. He grew up in California and Las Vegas, and graduated from Baylor University with a degree in Medical Humanities. Gil founded an annual health fair in Waco, Texas, and has led trips to Costa Rica to work with rural schools. He loves (and blogs about) Arsenal Football Club and anything soccer-related. |
Emily Bissenger |
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Emily began her career in non profit fundraising and is currently the Program Manager for Digital Fundraising at Consumer Reports. She studied European Politics at DIS in Denmark and participated in American University's Washington Semester Program in sustainable development. She has a B.A. in International Studies from Manhattan College and has travelled to Ecuador and the Dominican Republic to learn more about sustainable development programs. Emily enjoys ceramics, spending time with her daughter, husband and two dogs, and working at her local farmers market.
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