Elenor Hodges
Executive Director
elenor@ecoactionarlington.org
Elenor has been EcoAction Arlington’s executive director since 2000. Her previous experience includes environmental consulting with DynCorp, developing the Animal Tracks environmental education program for Wal-Mart and program management in the education department at National Wildlife Federation. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Education from George Mason University. She lives in Arlington with her husband and two daughters.
Michele Bianchi
Communications Coordinator
michele@ecoactionarlington.org
Michele began as a volunteer with EcoAction Arlington after moving to Arlington in 2016. She joined EcoAction Arlington in April 2019 as the program and outreach assistant and is now the Communications Coordinator. She is excited to be a part of promoting sustainability in Arlington and passionate about caring for our environment.
William Earl “Bill” Campbell
Energy Masters Coordinator
bill@ecoactionarlington.org
Bill joined EcoActionArlington and the Virginia Cooperative Extension in May 2023 as the part-time Energy Masters Coordinator. He was a civilian employee for thirty-three years with the Department of Defense as a Design and Project engineer and also a Project and Program Manager. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from West Virginia University and a Masters Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Georgetown University. Bill also served on the Alexandria City Public School Board. A father of three adult children, he lives in Alexandria with his wife of thirty-nine years, Ruby and their two grand dogs, Noah, and Michael Jackson!
Mackenzie Faust
Tree Canopy Administrative Assistant
mackenzie@ecoactionarlington.org
Mackenzie joined EcoAction Arlington in October 2024 as the Administrative Assistant for our Tree Canopy Program. Prior to joining EcoAction Arlington, Mackenzie wore many hats working as Executive Assistants for CEO’s of various tech startups. Mackenzie earned her degree in Nonprofit Management from Webster University in Saint Louis, MO. She currently resides in Knoxville TN, with her husband and two daughters. On the weekends you can find her enjoying Knoxville’s diverse mountain biking trails.
Adrienne Gaither
Communications Manager
adrienne@ecoactionarlington.org
Adrienne joined EcoAction Arlington in January 2024 as Communications Manager.
Heather Jeff
Fundraising and Development Manager
heather@ecoactionarlington.org
Heather joined EcoAction Arlington in 2022 as the Fundraising and Development Manager. Her experience includes teaching in Fairfax County Schools and managing running events for Pacers Running. Heather is a Hokie, earning a Degree in Fine and Studio Arts from Virginia Tech and a Masters Degree in Special Education from Loyola University in Baltimore. You might see her out enjoying the robust trail network in Arlington County with her husband, two children, and dog.
Kara Simon
Program Manager
kara@ecoactionarlington.org
Kara joined EcoAction Arlington in October 2023 as the Outreach Assistant. As of June 2024, she is serving as the Program Manager. Before joining EcoAction, Kara owned and operated Loving Heart Holistic Wellness, a small LLC for seven years. In the nonprofit sector, she has served on several board of directors and steering committees over the last ten years, in which she assisted with event planning, community outreach, and engagement. She is passionate about the environment, plants, and cultivating community. In her spare time, she loves photography, painting, hiking, and taking care of her many houseplants. Kara moved to Arlington in 2020, and lives with her husband and adopted dog, Mando.
Kisha Sogunro
Tree Canopy Equity Program
treeequity@ecoactionarlington.org
Kisha joined EcoAction Arlington in November 2022 to work with the Tree Canopy Equity Program. Kisha is a dynamic and innovative public-sector leader that has garnered 12 national, state and local awards for her successful projects. Her body of work includes introducing Family Search, the largest genealogical database in the world, to local NAACP chapters to connect families across generations. Additionally, having recruited over 10,000 volunteers, she is internationally recognized for her leadership in community and volunteer engagements. One of her proudest moments came in 2011, when she was invited to participate at the White House as part of the President’s “Champions of Change” program. Kisha earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Communications and Leadership from Seton Hall University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Brigham Young University.
Jennie Swisher
Development Coordinator
jennie@ecoactionarlington.org
Jennie joined the EcoAction Arlington development office part-time in October 2022 after working full-time in Arlington Food Assistance Center’s development office. She was a regular substitute teacher in Arlington County Public Schools and has twelve years combined project management experience with Freddie Mac and KPMG. Jennie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Rhetoric & Communications Studies from the University of Virginia. She lives in Arlington with her husband and has three adult sons.
Emy Yamamoto
Outreach Assistant
emy@ecoactionarlington.org
Emy joined EcoAction Arlington in September 2024 as the Outreach Assistant. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Enterprise Management and Psychology from Wake Forest University. Before joining EcoAction, Emy was an intern at Wake Forest’s Office of Sustainability where she volunteered at schools and created workshops for student clubs for sustainable event planning. Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Emy brings a global perspective and an open-minded approach to every challenge. Passionate about sustainability, she is dedicated to making a positive impact in her community and beyond.
Tree Ambassadors
- Juan Bustamante
- Ana Cisneros
- Fitsum Geremedihin
- Sarah Foard
- Sydney Molaver
Board Members
Norman Barth
Dr. Norman Barth is a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer. His twenty years at the U.S. State Department included serving on delegations to the UNFCCC Climate Change negotiations and as the U.S. Liaison to the Buildings and Appliances Task Force of the Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate. Norman obtained a Ph.D. in physics from UNC-Chapel Hill. He did post-doctoral research at MIT, Harvard, Brown, and Freiburg University in Germany much of it centered on climate and climate modeling. His last academic position was at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Norman lives in Arlington and has two daughters aged 19 and 15.
Sampak Garg
Sampak grew up primarily in Northern California but has called Arlington home for the past 12 years. As a husband and father, he cherishes Arlington’s livability and community. Our natural resources are a big part of what makes Arlington a great place to live, and Sampak wants to be part of an organization that helps preserve them. He currently works as a lawyer for a large technology company.
Aisha Husain
Aisha works on Federal energy efficiency regulations for appliances. Seeking ways outside of work to engage in climate change solutions, Aisha was fortunate enough to find EcoAction Arlington as well as the Energy Masters program. As a volunteer she has been continually impressed with EcoAction Arlington’s commitment and effectiveness. Arlington has made some good progress and has the potential to be a leader as a climate solution community. As a board member Aisha hopes to assist EcoAction Arlington in its holistic approach to addressing climate change in Arlington – through education, advocacy, and implementation of technological, social, and behavioral solutions.
Angelo Ioffreda
Angelo is an independent strategic communication and management consultant, leadership coach, and adjunct professor at American University and George Washington University. He is a long-time Arlington resident in the Barcroft neighborhood, and enjoys the nearby WO&D trail as an avid cyclist and walker. Angelo studied biology and environmental sciences in college and has long enjoyed the outdoors. Angelo’s goal is to apply his organizational, communication, and leadership skills to help EcoAction Arlington create a more sustainable and enjoyable environment in Arlington as well as a more diverse and inclusive organization able to expand engagement within the Arlington community and beyond.
Jim Lyon
Jim has lived in Arlington for 40+ years, and recently retired after 45 years in environmental policy/advocacy for several national organizations. Jim spent the last 25 years with National Wildlife Federation, as Vice President for Policy guiding policy/advocacy campaigns on a host of conservation issues – Climate change; rivers and coastal restoration; protecting America’s public lands; threatened wildlife populations; defending keystone laws like the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. Jim has been privileged to work with many citizen organizations across the country facing environmental impacts. Now retired, Jim is interested in volunteering locally to enhance community conservation, advance climate solutions, and help youth connect with nature to lead us forward.
Mike Lowe
Mike’s environmental consciousness was formed during a high-school semester on an organic farm in Vermont. Ever since, he has aspired to be a suburban homesteader and to live a lower-impact life. Professionally, Mike is a management consultant and works with companies, government agencies, and law firms to strategize, solve difficult problems, and implement change programs. Mike is thrilled about the opportunity to contribute his professional skills and passion to support EcoAction Arlington’s mission. Moreover, he is eager to engage with and learn from a diverse community of Arlingtonians who share a commitment to making our county a model of sustainability.
Levi Novey
Levi started his career as a park ranger and worked in many of our country’s amazing national parks. After meeting his wife, they lived with family throughout Peru for several years and worked on environmental conservation and sustainability there. Since moving to Arlington in 2010, Levi and his wife realized that they wanted to create deeper roots in our community. Impressed by the positive and tangible impacts of EcoAction Arlington, he is excited to offer his career experience and skills to help the organization achieve its goals. As more people acknowledge the interconnectedness between nature, climate change, human well-being, and strong economies, it’s a terrific time to galvanize new and diverse champions within Arlington who think globally, and act locally.
Andrea Reese
Andrea has spent more than 17 years working in land conservation, including about eight years in roles specific to Northern Virginia, with both nonprofits and public agencies. Andrea comes to EcoAction Arlington looking for new ways to engage locally as a volunteer while bringing her professional experience and training to bear. What excites her about EcoAction Arlington are its service across many walks of life in Arlington and its results-oriented, approachable style. Andrea was raised in Idaho, with plenty of camping and backyard birding. She has lived in Arlington for over 10 years, and especially loves visiting local parks with family and friends.
Nina Wurster
Having been raised by one of the founders of the Environmental Defense Fund, Nina has been an environmentalist (even if unknowingly!) since childhood. Although her career has been mainly in healthcare, she cares deeply about the environment and climate change. Nina has lived in Arlington and the DC area since 1997. Nina and her children I have volunteered with EcoAction for years. Their enthusiasm for environmental issues has reignited their families’ activism and commitment to effecting change. Nina holds an MBA from Georgetown University, and hopes to contribute their skills to helping EcoAction have a positive impact in our community and beyond.