Staff & Consultants

Sarah is a creative, energetic, and mission-driven leader who brings 25 years of experience in developing, funding, and implementing outdoor education and adventure programs that provide a deep connection to nature for people of all backgrounds and abilities.

Cathy Jordan, PhD, LP, pediatric neuropsychologist by training, is an associate professor in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota. She is also an Extension Specialist in the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Community Vitality. Cathy was the Executive Director of the University of Minnesota Extension’s Children, Youth and Family Consortium from 2004 until July, 2014. Cathy earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Wayne State University in 1991.

Margaret is a policy and program architect who connects environmental learning and play with the goals of achieving health and wellness for all children. She is a national leader in designing programs that increase outdoor physical activity, mental health, and healthy lifestyles for children and families.

A proud product of south central Los Angeles, Juan D. Martinez is C&NN’s Director of Leadership Development and the Natural Leaders Network. His passion to empower individuals and youth led him to direct Sierra Club’s first environmental justice youth leadership academy in Los Angeles.

Every organization has a story to tell. Laura Mylan has spent the past 25 years helping public, private and nonprofit organizations create and share narratives that define issues, deliver business objectives and advance causes. She brings a passion for the outdoors and youth development to her work and loves helping grassroots networks communicate effectively to bring social change.

Paxton has over 20 years of experience connecting people of all ages to the natural world. Prior to joining C&NN she developed hands-on exhibits at living museums including the Bronx Zoo, the New York Aquarium, The New York Botanical Garden and the Maritime Aquarium. Paxton’s primary goal for all projects has been to create unique opportunities to engage with nature that leads to a lifelong love of the natural world.

Julie is an Administrative Professional with over 14 years of experience in public sector within the Twin Cities area.  She brings to Children and Nature Network process improvement skills and is creative and dedicated.   She is rooted in Minneapolis with her children and takes pride in connecting others to nature. She enjoys her own backyard gardens and herbalism, as well as taking time with her children in Minneapolis’s urban parks.

Cathy is using the many skills she learned during her 25+ years as an IT professional, small business owner and PTO treasurer to bring order and efficiency to C&NN’s processes and systems. Detail is her middle name. She is based in Minneapolis, MN and enjoys summer camping trips with her family and friends.

Cheryl Charles, Ph.D., served as founding President and CEO of C&NN from April 2006 to July 2013. Cheryl is an innovator, entrepreneur, author, and educator who is among those instrumental in developing the worldwide movement to reconnect children and nature.

Avery Cleary is the co-founder of the San Francisco Bay Area Children in Nature Collaborative and leads C&NN’s initiative to connect, support and empower Grassroots Leaders. She currently guides the team of Grassroots Leaders and C&NN staff who are committed to creating avenues of access to the latest tools, resources and research on Network Leadership Principles and Strategies.

CJ Goulding has worked with Washington’s North Cascades Institute introducing teens to backpacking and canoe camping trips, and has also served with the Student Conservation Association as a Community Crew Leader working with high school students in the city parks and green spaces of Seattle and Edmonds.

Martin LeBlanc is a leading voice in the movement to reconnect children and nature. As a teenager, Martin’s own life was turned around through an outdoor experience. Since then, he has gained experience in government and the non-profit sector to unite diverse partners toward the goal of giving each child an outdoor experience.

Monica has turned a love of the outdoors into a career promoting nature exploration, environmental education, and stewardship. Through her sixteen years of nonprofit work, she has been involved in all stages of program implementation and development from spearheading youth education programs and community-service initiatives, strategic planning, fundraising, and organizing communications campaigns. Monica is excited to assume her role as director of family initiatives, so she may continue to engage children in nature-rich experiences.

Ana Moses is a dynamic, passionate, and results-oriented technology professional with experience that includes marketing, strategy, social and community engagement. She possesses the unique blend of creativity and analytical skill. A keen web strategist with a balance between strategic planning and operational skill.

Mikaela is an energetic, passionate policy expert. For the past eight years, she has used her policy expertise to advance public health and transportation strategies at both the national and local level. Mikaela looks forward to working with cities across the country to create innovative ways to create equitable access to nature. Prior to joining C&NN, Mikaela worked for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership as part of the national Programs & Policy team. Mikaela is based in Los Angeles, CA and is devoted to making healthier, more vibrant communities.

Jenette is Director of Content Strategy at C&NN. She brings over 17 years of experience to the role and was a health and environmental reporter and documentary film producer for PBS, ABC, CBS & National Geographic before shifting into nonprofit communications and content. Jenette is passionate about nature and the environment and sits on an Advisory Board for the Endangered Species Coalition.

Mollie is the Senior Program Manager for C&NN. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Science, Policy and Management and a Minor in Sustainability Studies from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities.  For nearly a decade, Mollie has played a key role in developing and implementing strategic programs for diverse audiences—ranging from science and sustainability programs for international scholars, to outdoor adventure programs for youth and families, to training programs for community leaders in the U.S. and abroad—all with the goal of bringing people closer to each other and nature, to foster lasting engagement and stewardship.

Ruth Wilson, Ph.D. has over 30 years as a teacher and teacher educator and now devotes most of her time to writing and consulting on issues relating to young children and nature.  She wrote her first book on connecting children with nature (Fostering a Sense of Wonder during the Early Childhood Years) in 1993 and has since written several other books and numerous articles on this same topic.  Her most recent book, Learning is in Bloom, was published by Gryphon House in 2016.

Jaime is a strategic thinker, partnership builder, program developer, fundraiser and conservationist who is thrilled to help make green schoolyards the norm. She is the former Vice President of Community Engagement and Education at Openlands in Chicago, where she grew the organization’s school-based programs to include a substantial school garden and teacher training program for elementary and high school students, and launched its green schoolyard program, Space to Grow.