OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Maria Abadie
Maria’s lifelong connection to the natural world, cultivated since childhood on the Chesapeake Bay, has guided her career in driving impactful environmental and climate initiatives. Transitioning from a marine biologist to a federal consultant, Maria served as a government subject matter expert on environmental and sustainable land management regulations preserving our country’s natural areas. Currently, Maria serves as a carbon reduction program manager at a leading technology company. She is eager to make a local impact contributing to EcoAction Arlington’s mission of fostering community-driven climate action. When she isn’t working, Maria enjoys exploring and taking advantage of Arlington’s natural amenities with her husband and dog, Augie.
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. His post-doctoral research at MIT, Harvard, Brown, and Freiburg University in Germany centered mostly on climate and climate modeling. His last academic position was at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Norman lives in Arlington and has two daughters.
Sampak Garg
Sampak grew up primarily in Northern California, but has called Arlington home for over a decade now. 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.
Michael Lowe
Mike is currently serving as Board Chair. 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.
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. 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.
Joan McIntyre
Joan is passionate about tapping into the power for grassroots and local action to lead the way in addressing the climate crisis and creating a sustainable and prosperous world for future generations. Since retiring from the federal government in 2015, Joan has volunteered for EcoAction Arlington and other local organizations supporting environmental sustainability and combating the climate crisis. Joan previously served on the Board from 2015-2021 and has continued to support our advocacy and outreach efforts. Joan is also a Commissioner on Arlington’s Climate Change, Energy, and Environment Commission and a Master Gardener. She has lived in Cherrydale for 40+ years and enjoys working in her garden.
Shawn Norton
Shawn currently serves as the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) Branch Chief, Sustainable Operations. Shawn integrates agency sustainability goals and objectives into NPS parks and program centers including climate change resilience and adaptation. Shawn lives in Arlington with his wife and three children. He loves hiking, biking, and kayaking in our national and state parks among other outdoor activities. In his role as a board member, he would like to develop and implement strategic initiatives aimed at sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community engagement across a wide range of our community.
Levi Novey
Levi started his career as a park ranger and worked in many of our country’s amazing national parks. He lived in 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.
Leslie Patykewich
Leslie has worked in global public health for 20 years. Throughout her career, it’s become increasingly apparent that the climate crisis is also a health crisis with climate change inextricably linked to air pollution, food insecurity, higher risks of infectious disease outbreaks, with underserved communities suffering the most. While her work focuses on the intersection of health and climate around the world, she had been looking for ways to engage in climate action in Arlington more meaningfully. With its mission to educate, advocate and act, EcoAction Arlington provides this opportunity. Leslie is excited to support EcoAction and offer her experience, skills and energy to help achieve its goals. Now, more than ever, there is an urgency to work together as a community to become more sustainable and resilient.
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.
Alex Rough
Alex is a Northern Virginia native with a strong background in environmental advocacy and sustainability. Alex has played a key role in shaping regional policies, contributing to the Fairfax County Community Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan, being appointed to numerous Fairfax County boards and commissions, and advising the Town of Herndon Sustainability Commission. As a systems engineer in the tech industry, Alex has also been deeply engaged in data center sustainability, leveraging years of hands-on experience to advocate for greener infrastructure, a commitment that led to his feature in a BBC documentary. Driven by a vision of Arlington as a leader in sustainability, Alex is dedicated to advancing policies that promote environmental stewardship, walkability, and climate resilience, making the city a model for others to follow.
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, have volunteered with EcoAction for years. Their enthusiasm for environmental issues has reignited their families’ activism and commitment to effecting change. Nina hopes to contribute their skills to helping EcoAction have a positive impact in our community and beyond.