Home >Children in Nature Initiative>Mission and Vision


Secretary Mark Murphy
Secretary of the Delaware Department of Education (DOE)

Secretary Colin P. O’Mara
Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)

Children In Nature Taskforce Chairs

Ray Bivens
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

John Ray
DOE

Students in Nature Sub-Committee Chairs

Helen Fischel
Delaware Nature Society

April McCrae
Education Specialist-Science
DOE

Community Outdoor Experience Sub-Committee Chairs

Helen Fischel
Delaware Nature Society

Jennifer Holmes
Delaware Association for Environmental Education

Greener Schools Sub-Committee Chairs

Sally Boswell
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Flavia Rutkosky
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Active Living in Nature Sub-Committee Chairs

Ron Breeding
Nemours Health and Prevention Services

John Ray
DOE

Neighborhood Connections Sub-Committee

Ray Bivens
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Matthew Ritter
DNREC-Division of Parks and Recreation

Taskforce Members at Large

Fred Gatto
Division of Public Health

Sally Humphrey
Delaware Greenways

Tonyea Mead
DOE

Committee Members

Dot Abbott
Statewide Renewable Resources Agent
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

Dr. Bruce Allison
Professor
Wesley College

Jenna Argo
Teacher
Indian River School District

David Bartoo
Planner, Trail Specialist
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Dr. Dennis Bartow
Schoolyard Habitat Coordinator
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Mary Betts
Recreation Superintendent
Milford Parks and Recreation

Ray Bivens
Operations Section Manager
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Sally Boswell
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Ron Breeding
Program and Policy Analyst Nemours Health and Prevention Services

Terri Brixen
Environmental Scientist
DNREC- Division of Air and Waste Management

Angel Burns
Trainer/Educator
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Steve Cardano
STEM Teacher
Secondary Science Specialist
Indian River School District

Tim Carrick
Guide
Wilderness Canoe

Aracelio Carabalto
Teacher
Red Clay School District

Colleen Carter
District Office, School Nutrition
Brandywine School District

Sarah Coakley
Planner
Department of Transportation

Chief Dennis Coker
Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware

Dr. Daniel Curry
Superintendent
Lake Forest School District

Pat Drizd
Volunteer Coordinator/Teacher
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Charles Emerson
Director
Newark Parks and Recreation

Helen Fischel
Associate Director Education
Delaware Nature Society

Dr. Danielle Ford
Associate Professor, Science Education
University of Delaware

Todd Fritchman
Aquatic Biologist/President
Envirotech Environmental Consulting

Dr. Kim Furtado
Program Director
Delmarva Community WellNet

Fred Gatto
Healthy Promotion Bureau Chief
Division of Public Health

Peggy Geisler
Owner, Senior Consultant
PMG Consulting, LLC

Deborah Gilchrist
Professor
University of Delaware

Kate Hackett
Director
Delaware Wildlands

Bill Hall
Retired Professor
University of Delaware

Sarah Hilderbrand
Education Director
Environmental Concern, Inc.

Connie Holland
Planning Director
Office of State Planning

Paula Holloway
Director of Education
Delaware Museum of Natural History

Jennifer Holmes
Vice Chair
Delaware Association for Environmental Education

Catherine Houghton
Instructional Coach
Christina School District

Sally Humphrey
Program Director
Delaware Greenways

Michelle Jacobs
Community Relations Officer
DNREC- Division of Watershed Stewardship

Dastina Johnson
Public Affairs Specialist
Natural Resource Conservation Service

Jill Karlson
Curator of Education
Brandywine Zoo
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Gary Kreamer Administrator I Trainer/Educator
DNREC- Division of Fish and Wildlife

Leslie Lee
Parent/Volunteer
Rehoboth Elementary School

Scott Lynch
Energy Services Manager
Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation

Mark Manno
State Extension Educator
4-H Youth Development/University of Delaware

Dr. Thianda Manzara
Executive Director
Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids

Lori Maramante
Instructor
Delaware Technical and Community College

David Marvel
Owner
Marvel Farms

Karon Massado
Teacher
Red Clay Consolidated School District

April McCrae
Education Specialist-Science
DOE

Ellen McLean
Vice President of Operations
Boys and Girls Club of Delaware

Tonyea Mead
Education Associate –Science
DOE

Rick Mickowski Conservation Planner/Public Education Coordinator
New Castle Conservation District

Christine Miller
District Office, Parent Involvement Liaison
Red Clay School District

Jeanette Miller
Associate Director
Delaware Environmental Institute

Patti Miller
Program and Policy Analyst
Nemours Health and Prevention Services

Alice Mohrman
Teacher
James Farm Middle School Program
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays

Margaret Moor-Orth
Agriculture Educator, Cooperative Extension
Delaware State University

Russell Morgan
State Conservationist
Natural Resource Conservation Service

Carlyn Nelson
STEM Program Specialist
Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council

Samantha Neubert
Teacher
Appoquinimink School District

Ginger North
Associate Director for Natural Resources Conservation
Delaware Nature Society

Dr. Iva Obrusnikova
Assistant Professor of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Services
University of Delaware

Dorothy Onn
Senior Program Analyst
Nemours Health and Prevention Services

Dorothy Payton
Assistant Park Superintendent
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Ashley Peebles
Trainer/Educator
Delaware Department of Agriculture

Jay Poole
Owner
Wilderness Canoe

Karen Pritt
Physical Education Teacher
Smyrna School District

John Ray
Education Specialist for Health Education, Physical Education
CDC School Health Programs
DOE

Matthew Ritter
Chief of Programming
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Flavia Rutkosky
Wildlife Biologist
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Rob Schroeder
Chair
The Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service

Kendall Sommers
Planner
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation

Garth Stubbolo
Teacher
Appoquinimink School District

Tammy Sumner
Physical Education Teacher
Appoquinimink School District

Lisa Tossey
Outreach Specialist
University of Delaware- College of Earth, Ocean and Environment

Pam Vanderwende
Teacher
Woodbridge School District

Peggy Vavalla
Education Liaison
DuPont Center for Collaborative Research and Education

Kristen Wan
Senior Analyst
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials

Dawn Webb
DuPont Nature Center Manager
DNREC-Division of Fish and Wildlife

Lynn Widdowson
District Office, Special Services
Capital School District

Jacque Williamson
Training Coordinator
Delaware Center for Horticulture

Barbara Woodford
Trainer/Educator
DNREC-Division of Parks and Recreation

Dr. Susan Yost
Educator
Delaware State University- Claude E. Phillips Herbarium

Harvey Zendt
Educational Consultant

Special acknowledgement to:

Dan Ashe
Project Consultant
Challenge Applications, LLC

Don Baugh
Director
No Child Left Inside Coalition

Michelle Eichinger
Public Health Advisor
DB Consulting

Gary Heath
Consultant
No Child Left Inside Coalition

John Hollis
Sussex Manager
Nemours Health and Prevention Service

Dr. Lilian Lowery
State Superintendent of Education
Maryland Department of Education

Charles Salkin
Director
DNREC- Division of Parks and Recreation