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Toggle navigation
  • ABOUT
    • Staff and Board
    • Jobs and Internships
    • Contact
  • PROGRAMS
    • INTERWEAVE
    • EVIDENT
      • Resilience Response Project
      • Sound Listening
      • In Sight
  • EVENTS
    • Seattle Green Drinks
    • PNW Resilience
    • Sustainability Leadership Awards: Campfire Stories
  • RESOURCES
  • SUPPORT
    • DONATE
    • Become a Member
    • S2 Community Marketplace

Staff & Board

Staff

Em Piro

Executive Director

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Em Piro (Executive Director)

Em Piro has been called a change agent, disruptor, artist, counselor, sparkplug, and community architect. Em’s practice integrates urban issues and cultural practice towards regenerative and resilient placemaking.   Em was named Best Impresario by the Riverfront Times, and among five St Louisans bringing international attention to the city by Alive Magazine. She has received over a dozen awards and nominations in community and cultural practice, and is a frequent speaker on innovation and social practice. She has presented on community change, urbanism, sustainability, and cultural vitality across North America and in Europe.   Em happily returns to her hometown of Seattle after fifteen years in the Midwest rustbelt and in Canada, where she worked in urban revitalization, social practice, community vitality, sustainability, and technology.
em@sustainableseattle.org

Natalie Hauser

Operations Strategist

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Natalie Hauser (Operations Strategist)

Born and raised south of Seattle, Natalie has always had a deep appreciation for the natural land- the beach close by, mountains, and waterfalls in almost every corner. It wasn’t until Natalie moved away to attend school at Washington State University that she experienced a different kind of natural beauty- it was subtle. The gentle rolling hills soon became her favorite part about eastern Washington, even more so when she found out the rarity of the native grasslands.   While attending WSU Natalie studied Science Communication, and Environmental Science, with the goal of being able to effectively communicate environmental issues to a diverse audience. She quickly realized while attending school the disconnect from easter and western Washington, which fueled a new passion- engaging with different stakeholders, communicating, and figuring out how to come together to align interest, and support one another.   After graduating, Natalie found Sustainable Seattle, and was an intern for S2 for quite a few months. Natalie couldn’t seem to part ways with S2, because of the org’s refreshing, yet true take on sustainability. Natalie’s passions directly aligned with S2 with how the org is actively engaging and amplifying communities often left out of the conversation on climate impact.   “There are countless organizations that can put community driven work, or equitable practices in their mission or on their website - but S2 actually walks the walk. We look at resilience as the art of bouncing forward, not back, and I am excited to be apart of an organization that is moving forward as we build a movement that empowers individuals so they can empower their communities.”
natalie@sustainableseattle.org

Oona Kilcommons

Producer / Operations Strategist

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Oona Kilcommons (Producer / Operations Strategist)

With a background in various crafts and studies, the cohesion of Oona’s work lies more in the technique than the subject. From lighting design to youth education to mediation to cooking, the through-line has been finding the praxis where service intersects innovation, where offering regenerative resources creates space for lasting empowerment. With Sustainable Seattle, they have found a team that also believes form can be function and that prioritizing sustainability within the personal sphere translates outwards and makes our projects one’s founded on integrity. Technical expediency, leading to faster, more focused production is their position and priority. They look forward to many well-constructed and inspiring events.
oona@sustainableseattle.org

Julia Martinez

Operations Advisor

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Julia Martinez (Operations Advisor)

Julia Martinez has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is originally from Texas and recently moved to Washington in 2018. She is an Americorps VISTA alumni, and is very passionate about social justice, especially the issue of poverty in America. Her VISTA experience taught her the extreme importance of the role organizational structure plays in program sustainability. She considers it her passion project to assist organizations during transitional periods, to maximize impact and longevity within communities. In her spare time, Julia enjoys working creatively- using mediums such as clay, beads, and acrylics in her work.
julie@sustainableseattle.org

Lace Lawrence

Grants + Engagement

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Lace Lawrence (Grants + Engagement)

Raised on Yakama Indian Reservation surrounded by elders who loved to regale her with legends, Lace fell in love with storytelling at a young age. She turned that love of listening to stories into writing stories through a Communication, Public Relations degree at Washington State University. This in turn led to over eight years of grant writing, event planning, and donor development in-house for organizations big and small.  In 2016, Lace took a deep-dive into her true passion for using stories to bring communities together, and created Laced Together, her own Grant Writing contract business. Through Grant Writing, Lace has been able to amplify the stories of those most often ignored, forgotten, or silenced by society and support the growth of organizations working towards a more equitable society. As a contractor, Lace has been able to see how varied the approach towards equity can be and has relished being a part of so many stories along the way.  She has supported organizations working towards: more equitable rural health care; housing and employing the unhoused; supporting the self-identified goals of survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation; bringing the outdoors, social justice education, art, and leadership to Seattle youth; creating a World Peace Education Curriculum; creating avenues for women and women of color in leadership; reducing the stigma surrounding mental health care; and more. Lace is excited to bring this expertise to Sustainable Seattle where she can listen to a variety of communities, rethink her understanding of Environmental Justice within the context of the changing Seattle communities, and share the bridge building work of S2.  When she isn’t writing grants, Lace loves to challenge herself in the outdoors especially, backpacking, solo camping, mountaineering, and skiing, and is an avid traveler. She has traveled and hiked all over the world. Her favorite and most challenging trip included her leading a six day, all female hike from France to Spain and back again in the Pyrenees; sleeping in abandoned huts, avoiding wild boar, and spotting the rare Pyrenees Chamois. Lace has a habit of constantly seeking new challenges and this year is learning to Mountain Bike, Trail Run, and continuing to hone her backcountry ski skills to include avalanche training, route planning, and ski mountaineering. She has also has a ridiculous love for her two dogs, Trooper Thorn a 75lb Walker Hound and Tokul Took the 15lb, mustached, Schnoodle pup.
engage@sustainableseattle.org
Photo of Lace and a scruffy black dog.

Demarus Tevuk

Engagement Strategist

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Demarus Tevuk (Engagement Strategist)

Demarus Tevuk is a researcher, writer, and educator with a strong background in traditional ecological knowledge, native pollinators, native plants, science, and engineering. Demarus is an Inupiaq from Nome, Alaska and her childhood with indigenous communities across North America greatly influenced her research on the definition of sustainability from the indigenous perspective. Demarus earned her degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Washington and she has a certificate in Permaculture Design. She produced case studies on climate change projects led by tribes that were funded by EPA Region 10 grants. Demarus loves to pick berries and gather traditional food and she is an avid fiber artist and loves to sew, spin yarn, weave, knit, and design knitwear.
demarus@sustainableseattle.org

Board of Directors

Jamilah Williams

(Board Chair)

Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications, University of Washington College of Built Environments

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Jamilah Williams (Board Chair)

Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications, University of Washington College of Built Environments
Jamilah is the Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications at the University of Washington College of Built Environments. Jamilah previously served as the Digital Communications Manager at Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii where she manages all things social media, email, and website. With a degree in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies, she's interested in the intersections of health equity and environmental equity. Jamilah is a co-chair on the Seattle Women's Commission and sits on the Equitable Development sub-committee. In her free time, she enjoys taking her cat for walks, trying new restaurants and breweries with her partner, and working out at her local community center.
jamilah@sustainableseattle.org

Virginia Cupp

(Treasurer)

Financial Analyst, Leidos

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Virginia Cupp (Treasurer)

Financial Analyst, Leidos
Virginia holds a finance degree from Murray State University and currently works as a financial analyst in the Seattle area. Originally from the Midwest, she was drawn to Seattle for the environment, both physical and cultural. “It takes a village to create a functioning system, and even more so to create a sustainable one. I see here in Seattle, there are so many passionate people of diverse backgrounds already collaborating to make more sustainable practices. Here at Sustainable Seattle, I hope to make my vocation useful as we better our society, environment, and economy.” During her time off Virginia enjoys exploring that environment via bike or sail.
virginia@sustainableseattle.org

Emanuelle Roy

(Board Member)

Owner, E Roy Design

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Emanuelle Roy (Board Member)

Owner, E Roy Design
Emanuelle Roy is an Interior Designer currently based out of Seattle but was raised in Montreal, Canada. She has an Interior Design degree and a bachelors degree in Environmental Science (BSc). Her work is often an expression of "bio mimicry". Climate change is redefining design with a focus on structural build, adaptable landscapes, urban planning and community-based design. Innovative design can provide proper adaptation for human and ecological needs, whether that is through sustainable design of the built environment, permaculture, landscape architecture, small housing, community-oriented designs or LEED. Sustainable Seattle is a way to bridge gaps within our built environment and our natural ecosystems.
emanuelle@sustainableseattle.org

Peter Bloch Garcia

(Board Member)

Principal, PBG Partners

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Peter Bloch Garcia (Board Member)

Principal, PBG Partners
Peter has worked for many years in the nonprofit field to advance racial equity and environmental issues through education, organizing and advocacy. He is committed to addressing racial equity and climate justice. He is currently principal consultant with PBG Partners where he supports capacity building of nonprofit organizations in communities of color. He enjoys reading and writing poetry.

Vivian Wang

(Board Member)

Bilingual Outreach Coordinator, Waste Management

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Vivian Wang (Board Member)

Bilingual Outreach Coordinator, Waste Management
Vivian grew up in southern California and recently moved to Seattle for a change in scenery. She has a degree in Environmental Sciences and has stayed in the environmental space, dabbling in environmental consulting and outdoor education. She currently educates the community on Seattle's recycling and compost initiatives. Prior to that, she was a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park, sharing knowledge about park resources and the importance of representation and diversifying the outdoors. She believes in the power of individual actions to create collective change for the planet and people. Vivian enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities especially hiking, backpacking, camping, and climbing. Her houseplants and tomato babies also bring her lots of joy.
Vivian smiles broadly with mountains in the background. She has a jacket, hiking pole, and big backpack. Looks like a great trip!

Venice Wong

(Board Member)

Washington Trails Association

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Venice Wong (Board Member)

Washington Trails Association
A child of the diaspora, Venice studied geography while dabbling in conservation and restoration work throughout Washington, Minnesota, and New England. They've worked for various nonprofits and government agencies such as Washington Trails Association, US Forest Service, and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Venice is interested in how environmentalism can leave behind settler-colonialism practices and become intersectional once again. You can find them taking trips up to Richmond for A+ dimsum and the best Chinese pastries in the region. On days off, they can be found exploring beaches (and shellfishing when safe) or reading with whatever four-legged friend they're caring for at the time.
Venice laying on their back on a porch, with a cute grey doggie in the background

Miguel Jiménez

(Board Member)

Budget Analyst, City of Seattle

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Miguel Jiménez (Board Member)

Budget Analyst, City of Seattle
Miguel Jiménez spends his weekdays crunching numbers as a Budget Analyst for the City of Seattle’s Budget Office. He grew up in Orlando but exchanged his life of suburbia and strip malls for the expansive evergreens and orcas of the PNW in 2013. Miguel is a Masters candidate in the Public Administration program at Seattle University where his research focuses on chronic homelessness and permanent supportive housing. Miguel believes Sustainability should focus on the intersection of justice and wellbeing.
Photo of Miguel, smiling in front of a brick wall.

Patricia Allen

(Board Member)

National Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness, Chief Seattle Club

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Patricia Allen (Board Member)

National Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness, Chief Seattle Club
Identifying as multiethnic and multitribal, Patricia predominantly is Tlingit (Xun.aa Kaa.wu/Hoonah Village - Glacier Bear Clan/Eagle Moiety (Chookaneidi) Alaska Native, Mohawk, Seneca and AfroCaribbean (Arawak, Taína & Sierra Leonen descent). Patricia is a founder of NDNs for Justice which is a women-led Indigenous civil rights organization in Seattle. She is also a member of Hip Hop grassroots organization, 206 Zulu, and a member of Women of Color Speak Out; organizing and educating the systems of oppression that have led climate change and why it is important for marginalized communities to lead the global environmental justice movement. She more recently worked at the Northwest African American Museum and has many familial ties with Seattle's historic central district; whereas, her maternal grandparents became leaders in grief and social work. Patricia has spent many years researching the intersectionality of human, environmental, and Indigenous rights in relationship to reconciliation and healing in Canada, South Africa and Peru during her undergrad at UW. She has been actively participating in coastal canoe journeys in BC, Alaska and Washington every year since 2011. After returning from Standing Rock, she focused her grassroots organizing in the Seattle communities of color around solidarity, accountability, and healing. She is currently serving as an elected delegate for Tlingit & Haida Tribes of Southeast Alaska and facilitating the National Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness as well as the Community Advocate with the Chief Seattle Club.
Photo of Patricia. She is in traditional clothes at a rally or march.

Jasleena Grewal

(Board Member)

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

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Jasleena Grewal (Board Member)

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Jasleena is a writer, mentor, and healer. Her work in these areas focuses on underserved groups, including people experiencing homelessness, people with sensory and mobility disabilities, and at-risk youth. She is a psychiatric nurse practitioner in the Greater Seattle Area. She is interested in the intersections of mental health, health equity, and environmental justice. In 2014, she was selected as a Fulbright finalist for her research proposal on the overlaps of spirituality and environmental conservation practices in India. She has lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of her life, and enjoys being a supportive presence in many diverse community groups. Jasleena is an avid reader. She keeps Excel sheets for books-in-progress and to-be-read books.
Photo of Jasleena, smiling brightly into the camera. She is wearing glasses and a dark turtleneck.

Eloise S. Lee Harris

(Board Member)

Strategist and Storyteller

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Eloise S. Lee Harris (Board Member)

Strategist and Storyteller
Born and raised in Hawai’i, Eloise has a deep connection to open water and the issues that impact the communities and ecosystems that rely on healthy waterways. As a strategist and storyteller, she has 15+ years of experience supporting government, private, and nonprofit agencies in diverse industries throughout the U.S. and internationally. Since moving to the Seattle area in 2018, she is focused on projects and programs that prioritize the well-being of those systemically burdened by environmental harms. In addition to being a board member of Sustainable Seattle, Eloise is a strategic communications consultant and sits on the funding board of the Rose Foundation - a funder supporting grassroots initiatives that hold polluters accountable and foster environmental stewardship; and guides the communications and marketing program of Friendly Hmong Farms as a volunteer - a Hmong-led Community Supported Agriculture venture in partnership with Hmong farmers and other farmers from Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. She received her BFA in Film and Television Production from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, and her MA in Asian American Studies from San Francisco State University's College of Ethnic Studies. Eloise is the proud mother of a rambunctious seven-year old, a firm practitioner of intersectional frameworks, and is anxiously awaiting her first Southern Resident orca sighting.
B&W Photo of Eloise, in profile, with a large net.

Sully Moreno

(Co-Chair)

Community Engagement Manager at HealthierHere

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Sully Moreno (Co-Chair)

Community Engagement Manager at HealthierHere
Sully is an outdoor enthusiast and racial equity advocate who has called Seattle home since 2012. She was born and raised in Panama and moved to the United States to obtain a degree in communication from Florida State University. Sully started her career in the tech industry, and then pivoted to working on social issues communication. She has worked on topics ranging from environmental education to accessible transportation to housing, always centering the voices of the people most impacted. She also volunteers as an Outing Leader for Latino Outdoors to help members of her community access outdoor recreation and change narratives around what being an outdoorsperson means. Her life’s purpose is using any power or influence she wields to shift traditional power structures and undo white dominant culture. In her spare time, Sully enjoys hiking and camping, reading in her hammock, practicing yoga, and spending time with her dog, Denali, and two cats, Katniss and Prim.
Sully sits in a large wicker chair. She is smiling, has long curly hair, and a yellow top.

Heather Hutchison

(Board Member)

Membership Engagement and Community Partnerships Coordinator at Conservation Northwest

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Heather Hutchison (Board Member)

Membership Engagement and Community Partnerships Coordinator at Conservation Northwest
Heather is the Membership Engagement and Community Partnerships Coordinator at Conservation Northwest, a PNW conservation non-profit where been working in a range of roles in development and events. Originally from Wisconsin, Heather focused on indigenous rights and culture in the Andes region during her undergraduate studies in International Development. After college, Heather lived and worked in Ecuador for 5 years, where she also completed her Master's in Socio-Environmental studies at FLACSO-Ecuador before moving to Seattle in 2016. An ecofeminist at heart, Heather seeks to create opportunities for community empowerment, environmental justice, and intersectional environmentalism. Outside of the virtual office, she enjoys connecting with nature via a variety of outdoor activities including backpacking, rock climbing, cycling, and snowboarding. Closer to home, Heather also enjoys seeking out Seattle's best sour beer, exploring the city with her quarantine pup Tika, and satiating her puzzle addiction.
heather@sustainableseattle.org
Headshot of Heather, a fair-skinned person hiking in the mountains.

Jameson Morrell

(Board Member)

Consulting Technologist, CH2M

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Jameson Morrell (Board Member)

Consulting Technologist, CH2M
Jameson Morrell lives with his family in Seattle and is often seen outdoors coaching soccer, hiking in the mountains, or playing on the water. Jameson leads Sustainability Intelligence unit globally for Jacobs Engineering as well as working locally with Seattle start-ups and neighborhood businesses through his advisory firm, Averdi Group, LLC. Previously, Jameson worked as a Vice President in financial operations at Bank of America and as an executive with Deutsche Post DHL, where he spearheaded the company’s sustainability performance efforts. Jameson earned a dual B.S. Philosophy and History after serving in the United States Army, and received a Certificate in Sustainable Business from Presidio Graduate School.
jameson@sustainableseattle.org

Contributors

Valeria Valdez

(Evident Contributor)

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Valeria Valdez (Evident Contributor)

Valeria Valdez is a Master’s candidate in Product Design  & Development focused on design for care practices at UAM Azcapotzalco. She has studies in industrial design and Electronics for Arts & Design. She has been the Global Goals Jam Mexico City coordinator & facilitator for 4 years, since 2017. Her projects seek to integrate design and technology to address complex problems in our society. A fun fact is that she likes to take photos of plants in resistance on her walks in the city. Special Accolades: She was awarded the Mexican design award Diseña México 2019 in “hardware design for mobile devices”.

Nat Adams

(Evident Contributor)

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Nat Adams (Evident Contributor)

Nat Adams is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University. His dissertation research explores the racial politics of urban sustainability in Baltimore by examining greening initiatives that target vacant and abandoned property in historically redlined communities. He is interested in the ways that practices of maintenance and care come to take on meaning in relation to the historical experience of marginality in American cities. Prior to coming to Johns Hopkins he worked for several years at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs as a program coordinator, working on policy oriented research that examined the cultural and religious dimensions of international development priorities. He holds an MSc in International Development and Management from Lund University and a BA in Anthropology from Virginia Commonwealth University.

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