USDN Staff

For more information about the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) or for questions about how you can join the network, please visit our Join page. Want to join our team? Check out our current employment opportunities.

Are you a member of the public or a current USDN member with questions?
Contact us at support@usdn.org, and we'll route you to the right person.

For media inquiries only: Contact media@usdn.org.

Allison Adcox -  Chief People Officer

Allison is responsible for growing and stewarding all aspects of USDN’s People Operations workstreams. As a SHRM-SCP Senior Certified Professional, Allison is an HR generalist with capacities that cover a wide breadth of HR functions. She oversees and implements on payroll and benefit administration, employee engagement activities, and helps us to meet our compliance mandates as a virtual multi-state employer. She leads our recruiting, hiring, and on boarding processes, organizes and leads internal learning programs, supports the development of supervision and performance management practices, and stewards efforts to continue to build a healthy and thriving workplace.

Allison developed her nonprofit management, operational, and HR skill sets over a 20-year career serving a variety of network and member-based nonprofit organizations. She has a Bachelors Degree in Community Development from Portland State University and is passionate about HR innovation and people-centered leadership. Allison lives in the Willamette Valley in Oregon and outside of work, she loves to spend as much time as possible adventuring, birding, making music, and laughing with her husband, son, and dog Beemo. 

Amber Weaver - Vice President of Capacity Building

Amber Weaver joined USDN in April 2022. In this role, Amber is responsible for leading USDN’s capacity building programs, which are designed to provide learning opportunities to members to build their competencies in foundational skills and applied practices. Some exciting work moving forward this year in this team is the launch of a new foundational training program (i.e., soon-to-be renamed Equity Foundations 2.0!) that will be available to all USDN members.

Prior to USDN, Amber worked for the City of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability as Chief Sustainability Officer. She holds an Environmental Economics and Management degree from the University of Georgia. Amber and her family reside in the beautiful Blueridge Mountains of Asheville, NC.

Berenice Pacheco - Member Services Manager

As Member Services Manager at USDN, Berenice is passionate about fostering connections and supporting local government leaders who are driving sustainable change across North America.
As a first-generation immigrant, Berenice brings a deeply personal understanding of the importance of elevating BIPOC voices and serving communities whose perspectives are often overlooked. This lived experience shapes her commitment to creating inclusive spaces where diverse voices can contribute to shaping more equitable and sustainable cities.
In her position, Berenice oversees the recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing support of USDN's dynamic membership community. Her approach is rooted in understanding each member's unique needs and helping them discover solutions that advance their sustainability goals. She takes pride in creating an environment where collaboration thrives and exceptional service is the standard.
Before joining USDN, Berenice dedicated a decade to the healthcare sector, an experience that sharpened her focus on service and community care. This background, combined with her Bachelor's degree in Health Sciences from the University of Utah, has equipped her with a deep understanding of how organizational systems can better serve people and communities.
When she's not working, you'll find Berenice volunteering as a medical translator, a role that allows her to continue supporting healthcare access in her community. Based in Dallas, Texas, she cherishes time spent traveling with her husband and three children, attending concerts, and spending time in nature.

Billy Schweig - Senior Director of Information & Impact

Billy works to grow USDN's digital and operational maturity, ensuring that systems and processes serve our organizational values and strategic priorities. His work in USDN’s technology ecosystem supports both internal and external stakeholders. His role also involves technical and operational planning and helps build capacity for individual users and teams. Prior to joining USDN in 2021, he delivered technology implementation, change management, and strategy services for mid-market to enterprise nonprofits. Billy also spent time leading operations for a statewide CDFI, forging community partnerships for a local foundation, and managing development and evaluation activities for a green jobs training nonprofit. Billy is a Salesforce certified Administrator and Nonprofit Cloud Consultant and received his M.P.A. from Western Carolina University. He lives with his wife in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina and enjoys working with bonsai, foraging, woodworking, and canoeing.

Brianne Fisher - Applied Practices Director

Bryan Bautista - Chicago Government Liaison

As USDN's Chicago Government Liaison, Bryan collaborates with community partners to improve and expand green infrastructure, enhancing the environment for residents across Chicago and Illinois. In this role, Bryan provides capacity support through technical assistance, training and policy development to help ensure grantees from the Bezos Earth Fund's Greening America's Cities Initiative have successful projects that provide residents with more equitable urban greening initiatives.

Based in Chicago, IL, Bryan brings a diverse and accomplished background in public health governmental systems and processes to USDN. In his previous roles, Bryan has worked with the city of Chicago to establish the city’s first Urban Agriculture Land Access Program, enabling residents to transform city-owned vacant land into urban gardens and farms in neighborhoods experiencing food insecurity.

Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Washington and has developed expertise in public health, LGBTQ+ health, environmental health, and urban agriculture. His dedication to serving communities across the U.S. fuels his commitment to advancing environmental justice and sustainable solutions, with a particular focus on supporting marginalized populations.

In his free time, Bryan enjoys hiking, cooking, traveling, practicing Portuguese and Catalan, and spending time with his husband and their rescue pit bull. A coffee enthusiast, he’s always happy to recommend a favorite café to visitors in Chicago.

Bryan Parsons - Data, Research & Evaluation Manager

In this role, Bryan helps to shape USDN’s research strategy, develop high quality, impactful research, translate data into engaging communications to advance USDN Field Intelligence. He also stewards impact data for grant and member reporting, and supports the ongoing development of the field of urban sustainability.

Bryan is a social scientist with experience in quantitative and qualitative policy research. His aim is to equip organizations with tools and insights to realize their impact and build more equitable, inclusive, and resilient communities. . Bryan joined USDN after serving as an Associate Professor and a Senior Political Analyst. Bryan holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of South Carolina, and brings to our network a depth of subject matter expertise in Public Policy and State and Local Government. Bryan resides in Salem, Virginia where he enjoys traveling with his family, reading science fiction, and volunteering in his community.

Celía Burke - Equity Practice Manager

Celía Burke joined USDN in October 2019. As the Equity Practice Manager, she plays a lead role in the design and delivery of programming that focuses on developing the foundational practices that members need in order to take a people-centered, equity-focused approach in their work. Prior to USDN, Celía was a Planner I for Peoria County, her first role after receiving a Master of Urban Planning degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Celía began writing about sustainability and environmental justice while pursuing her B.A. in Political Science at Howard University. Since then, her professional experience has grown to include diversity and inclusion in the private sector and various areas within the realm of social equity. Celía resides in New Orleans, LA.

Cynthia McCoy, GISP - Federal Engagement Director

Cynthia McCoy joined USDN in 2022 as the Federal Engagement Director. In this role, she provides training and technical assistance to increase USDN members’ understanding of and ability to access federal funding programs that support local sustainability. Additionally, she engages with various federal agencies and the US Congress to inform future policy and program design that advances equitable, ambitious climate and sustainability action. Cynthia has largely worked for local and federal government agencies on climate change adaptation and pre-disaster mitigation planning and projects, analyzing and mapping risk to various natural hazard events, and managing grant and technical assistance programs that increase local hazard resilience. Cynthia received her Master's in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania. She’s from Cincinnati, OH, and now resides in Philadelphia, PA.

Deneine Christa Powell - Chief Executive Officer

As USDN's Chief Executive Officer, Deneine Christa leads our mission to support members pursuing transformative change to make communities more equitable, resilient, and sustainable. Powell is a nonprofit executive and a climate solutions expert with over 20 years of nonprofit leadership and management experience in environmental conservation, policy advocacy, and community engagement. Prior to joining USDN, Deneine Christa held roles as an Environmental and Climate Program Director at African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, FUSE Corps Executive Fellow on Climate and Equity with the City of Milwaukee,  National Program Director with ecoAmerica, President and CEO of African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee, and  Executive Director of Groundwork Milwaukee.

Beyond her professional commitments, Deneine Christa is deeply dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment. She proudly serves as Vice President of the Board for Groundwork USA and as Board Treasurer for Milwaukee Water Commons. In addition to her work in environmental preservation, Deneine Christa travels extensively across the country, attending and speaking at water conferences, clean economy convenings, environmental justice summits, and climate meetings. Her goal is not only to gain knowledge and motivation but also to inspire others to take action. Outside of her professional endeavors, she finds immense joy in spending quality time with her husband, their son and daughter, and their beloved dog and two cats. They can often be found in the garden of their home in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

Drew Woodward - Development Director

Drew joined USDN and SSDN as Development Director in April 2022. In this role, Drew is responsible for building relationships with key supporters, supporting the long-term sustainability of each organization, and identifying opportunities for new partnerships to advance USDN's and SSDN's missions.  Prior to joining USDN, Drew worked at SPUR, the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association as the organization's Foundations and Grants Manager. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia where he worked on a community health project and received his MPA from University of Colorado, Denver with a concentration in environmental policy, management, and law. He resides in Oakland, CA.

Ebony Loadholt - Events Director

In her career as an Event Planner, Ebony has planned and executed 750+ events throughout her 16-year career as an Event Planner. Motivated by creating community and bringing talented minds together, she seeks out-of-the-box solutions for visionaries in higher education, corporate, tech, and non-profit sectors. Ebony turns visions into reality by infusing fresh, creative energy into event project planning, streamlining highly detailed logistics, and managing complex budgets to create impactful, mission-driven events. Ebony enjoys spending time with her family, Soduko puzzles, listening to music and traveling. Previously, Ebony worked as an Event Planner for the Institute for the Arts and Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ebony is located in North Carolina.

Elizabeth Witty - Communications Coordinator

Elizabeth joined USDN as Communications Coordinator in October 2024. She is responsible for overseeing, organizing, and performing key functions in support of USDN newsletters, website, social media, branding/graphic design, and organizational communications. In her role, she helps to improve member and staff communications and channels, collect ideas, and create content to share with members, funders, partners, and the public to support the building of equitable, sustainable communities.

Prior to joining USDN, Elizabeth worked as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey where she led a variety of marketing and communications initiatives for New Jersey's largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization. Elizabeth has a deep passion for environmental justice and sustainability, which fuels her commitment to addressing climate change.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Communications Studies from Monmouth College. In her free time Elizabeth enjoys exercising, baking, and cheering on her favorite football team, the New York Jets! Elizabeth resides and works out of Florham Park, New Jersey in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST).

Ellena Ignacio - Operations & Finance Manager

As USDN’s Operations & Finance Manager, Ellena oversees critical operational systems and financial functions to enhance efficiency across the organization. Based in Chicago, IL, she brings a strong background in systems management, finance, and nature-based climate solutions to USDN.

In her previous role as Operations Manager at the Center for Regenerative Solutions (CRS), Ellena led daily operations and spearheaded key initiatives, including the launch of the first national Urban Nature-Based Climate Solutions Accelerator series, a program designed to help cities implement regenerative, climate-resilient strategies.

Ellena holds a Master’s in Business Design and Innovation and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a focus on Ecology and Conservation from Carthage College. Her expertise bridges strategic business operations with environmental sustainability, equipping her to drive impactful, equity-centered climate solutions.

In her free time, Ellena enjoys skating and biking along Lake Michigan, swimming, yoga, and traveling. A passionate home cook, she loves recreating restaurant dishes in her kitchen. She’s also a self-proclaimed serial hobbyist, diving into a new craft or skill each year—this year’s focus: puzzling.

Jamal Brown - Chief Finance and Operations Officer

As USDN's Chief Finance and Operations Officer, Jamal oversees the budget and finances of the organization, creates and facilitates understanding of financial reports, oversees treasury management activities, manages financial reporting for grants, works collaboratively to develop plans for the long term-financial and cultural goals of the organization. This role is also instrumental in helping us live into our values of information transparency, collaborating with intention, and centering equity in our operational and business processes. Prior to joining USDN, Jamal held roles leading Finance, Operations, and Administration in the fields of Education, Banking, and Community Development. Most recently as the Director of Finance and Human Resources for Torsh, Inc. Throughout his career, Jamal has been drawn to work where he can use his talent and expertise to support under served communities. In his free time, Jamal enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 kids, watching and playing sports, listening to live music, and volunteering on nonprofit boards. 

Javonne Paul - Finance & Grants Manager

As USDN's Finance and Grants Manager, Javonne manages the finances of the organization,  manages financial reporting for grants, creates financial reports, and assists in treasury management activities.

Prior to joining USDN, Javonne worked as the Grants Manager for STEM NOLA where she was responsible for grant reporting in conjunction with establishing and maintaining fiscal compliance for government and private funders. Javonne is experienced in developing and implementing systems for better financial accountability. Javonne has over 15 years of nonprofit accounting experience and brings with her a vast knowledge in accounts payables, accounts receivable, budget, and grant management. The heart of Javonne’s work is in her love for collaboration, and using her financial acumen to be of service in ways that have a positive impact on our communities. Javonne is based out of New Orleans in the Central Time Zone and when she is not working Javonne loves hanging out with family and friends.

Jennifer Mahar - Special Projects Manager

In this role, Jennifer is responsible for the design, management, and implementation of USDN programs and special projects to help local government practitioners become more effective change agents who transform practice and generate equitable and impactful outcomes in the movement toward an equitable, resilient, and sustainable world. This position helps to develop, track, monitor and advance special projects, and project portfolios to ensure USDN is meeting emergent opportunities in the field.

Prior to joining USDN, Jennifer served as the Senior Director of Community Programs & Partnerships with the Fairmount Park Conservancy where she worked with many city agencies on sustainable initiatives, both in Philadelphia and as a part of a national learning network. Outside of work, Jennifer loves to travel the world, hike with her dog Daisy, row on the Schuylkill River and cook overly ambitious meals.

Joseph Glandorf - Development Manager

Joseph serves as USDN's Development Manager. In this role, Joseph helps evolve the organization’s fundraising practices and be a key contributor to securing revenue to support USDN’s mission and programs. Joseph plays a leading role in developing proposals, tracking data, maintaining fundraising collateral, and managing awarded grants while supporting the identification of new funders and the exploration of new revenue strategies. Prior to joining USDN, Joseph worked as the Foundation and Corporate Grants Administrator for YWCA Columbus. Joseph gained in-depth experience researching and communicating about environmental and climate policy while serving as a Policy Intern at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI). Joseph holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from Ohio State University. Joseph is based out of Columbus, Ohio in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST). 

Joy Custer - Urban Forestry Program Manager

As a joint member of the Membership Experience Team and the Program Team, Joy provides a wide array of project management and community engagement support to the Urban Forestry as Equity-Centered Climate Action and Sustainable Community Development initiative.

Prior to joining USDN, Joy worked as a Sustainability Programs Coordinator for the University of Texas at Austin. In that role, Joy managed government and nonprofit grant-funded programs aimed at increasing access to environmental education for students underrepresented in STEM. Joy is passionate about implementing equitable climate initiatives and science-based solutions to support resilient communities. She holds a Master’s in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona and is based out of Austin, Texas in the Central Time Zone (CST). When she is not working, Joy loves exploring thrift stores, trying new vegetarian restaurants, and getting lost in Google searches.

Julia Trezona Peek - Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer

Julia helps USDN build effective strategies, connect with partners and stakeholders, and create impact for members and the field at large. She works with executive and program leadership to support strategy, planning, engagement, and organizational development and oversees USDN teams responsible for federal engagement, field partnerships, and information & impact. The needs and experiences of USDN’s members are her constant touchstone. Previously, Julia was USDN’s Communications and Mobilization Director. Before USDN, she was an Account Director at Fenton where she specialized in running campaigns on climate, clean energy, public lands, and civil rights. Over the years, Julia has worked for many coalitions, nonprofits and foundations on climate change, energy, land and water issues. She hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and made stops in Washington D.C. and New York City before calling Seattle home. She loves to backpack, kayak, and paddleboard, eat dessert, and drink coffee in the morning sun.

Latasha Bell - Capacity Building Program Coordinator

Latasha is responsible for engaging with staff, members, and partners to help design, manage, and deliver virtual meetings, learning group calls, trainings and workshops as well as ongoing capacity-building programming. Latasha brings to the USDN team a passion for project planning and community engagement.

Prior to joining USDN, Latasha worked in nonprofit organizations focused on mental health and youth development. Most recently serving as a program manager at Greening Youth Foundations where she applied her project management expertise to support internship programming, organizing multiple projects and programs that provided training and mentorship to recent graduates seeking opportunities in the field of sustainability. Latasha holds a Masters degree in Social Science and Sociology from Georgia Southern University. Outside of work, Latasha enjoys working out, shopping, and spending time with family.

Laurene Hamilton - Chief Member Experience Officer

Laurene provides vision and leadership to a team focused on building a thriving network that relies on USDN for connection, inspiration, and best practices. Laurene's work helps to broaden and strengthen USDN’s membership base, build connectivity and community among members, ensure that our programs continue to serve member needs, and helps to us to center equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in the member experience. Prior to joining USDN in this capacity, Lauren served as Interim CEO / VP of Programs and for Greening Youth Foundation and has over 20 years of leadership and experience in environmental education and resource management in Metro Atlanta, Georgia. Laurene has a Masters Degree in Environmental Leadership and Education from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Science and Business from Tennessee State University. Laurene volunteers her time to several boards such as the Co-Lead for the American the Beautiful for All – Urban Parks and Greenspace Committee, Georgia Audubon, USDA Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, the Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the US Green Building Council Market Leadership Advisory Board. She is also a certified LEED AP and a Master Gardener.

In her free time, Laurene promotes respect for both the natural and built environments and the importance of integrating all aspects of sustainability within our system. Laurene’s personal volunteer efforts also center on advocating green and healthy initiatives in the primary education system; thereby instilling these values into the next generation.

McKenzie Jones - Senior Director of Membership Engagement

Maria "Mia" Dozier - Government Liaison - Atlanta

Maria “Mia” Dozier joined USDN as Government Liaison – Atlanta in February 2025. She serves as a key connection between USDN, the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, and grantees of the Greening America’s Cities Initiative. In her role, she provides project management and policy support, focusing on urban agriculture, greening, and nature-based climate adaptation strategies to strengthen community resilience.

Prior to joining USDN, Mia worked at the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP), where she collaborated with federal agencies to advance climate literacy, equitable engagement, and community-led resilience efforts. She has also worked with municipalities and community-based organizations to support environmental justice initiatives and has extensive experience developing and facilitating justice-centered climate curricula for schools and universities.

Mia holds a Bachelor of Science in Sustainability and the Built Environment from the University of Florida, with minors in Urban Planning and Innovation, and a Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability from the University of Michigan, specializing in Environmental Justice and Policy and Planning.

In her free time, Mia enjoys hiking, tarot reading, attending music festivals, thrifting, and watching Studio Ghibli films, anime, and reality competition shows. She also loves spending time with her cats, Hiccup and Astrid. Mia resides and works out of Atlanta, Georgia, in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST).

Natalie Bridger - Business Process Manager

Natalie Bridger joined USDN in September 2019. In her role, Natalie analyzes processes to help identify and respond to changes that should be made to meet business goals and ensure the organization is aligned with it's values. Prior to USDN, Natalie was the Senior Director of Solution Center for Project Lead The Way, where she managed the daily operations of the customer service team and helped to continuously build and improve systems, processes, and the customer experience. She has a Master of Business Operational Excellence degree and resides in Carmel, IN.

Neche' Nelson - Human Resources Manager

Neche' Nelson joined USDN in 2023 in the role of Executive Office Manager and Corporate Secretary and is now supporting USDN as our Human Resources Manager. In this role, Neche' supports and facilitates human resource processes across the organization. Prior to joining USDN, Neche' served as a Senior Executive Assistant to two national mental health organizations working simultaneously with the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors and the National Association for Rural Mental Health in Washington D.C. A native Washingtonian, she grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Radford University and George Mason University. 

Nia Mitchell - Direct Support and Innovation Program Manager

Nia Mitchell joined USDN in 2024 and is the Program Manager with the Direct Support and Innovation (DSI) team, supporting a wide array of innovation and deep engagement projects while assisting with project management, data management, research, and program delivery. Nia is a committed climate justice advocate, scholar, and organizer and prior to joining USDN, Nia worked as a Community of Practice Manager at National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and a Manager of Health, Equity, and Climate with C40 Cities, and an Environmental Equity Policy Fellow with the Greenlining Institute. Nia holds a Masters of Science in Climate Justice from Glasgow Caledonian University and an Interdisciplinary Studies B.A., in Environmental Science, Black Studies, and Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara. In her free time Nia enjoys reading and leading an international women of color book club, being outdoors when the weather permits, and trying new recipes to share with her family and friends. Nia is based out of Los Angeles  working in the Pacific Standard Time Zone (PST).

Samira Malone - National Urban Forestry Portfolio Lead

Samira Malone is the National Urban Forestry Portfolio Lead at USDN managing an initiative at the forefront of urban forestry development. With USDN set to spearhead a five-year program starting in 2023, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, Samira's leadership will be pivotal in enhancing equitable access to urban tree canopy, fostering community engagement, and advancing climate resilience efforts and supporting their ecosystem of implementation partners across the country. Previously, Samira served as the Executive Director of the Cleveland Tree Coalition, orchestrating collaborative efforts to grow a sustainable urban forest in Cleveland. Through her leadership, the Coalition achieved milestones like strategic planning, grant programs, and successful advocacy and platform building, amassing over a million dollars in support.

As an urban planning practitioner, Samira holds a Bachelor's in urban and Regional Planning, a Master's in urban planning and Development, and GIS certification. Her dedication extends beyond her professional roles; as a proud Cleveland native and Chair-elect for the Urban Forestry Commission, she champions community and environmental justice as her personal and professional praxis.In her free time, she loves to travel around the world, visit museums and other cultural centers, cook for loved ones, and enjoys being active.

Sarah Morehouse - Chief of Staff

Sarah provides executive management, spearheads Board of Directors management, and works with HR to help support with streamlining processes and procedures. She comes to USDN with a strong foundation in operational management, training and development, project management, coaching, counseling, and extensive experience enhancing individual well-being and organizational effectiveness.

Sarah holds her Masters Counselling: Interpersonal Dialogue from the University of Edinburgh, and currently lives in Orlando, FL, where she loves going to the beach, indulging in the theme parks, and she’s working on visiting all the national parks in the state!

Stephanie Kellish - Information and Impact Administrator

As USDN's Information and Impact Administrator, Stephanie plays a key role in supporting the Information & Impact Team, ensuring the success of USDN’s operations and information systems. The position works collaboratively with staff across the organization through the administration and rollout of technology systems, the development and refinement of data processes, and the coordination of key projects that enable USDN’s programs and measure its impact.

Prior to joining USDN, Stephanie has worked in the nonprofit sector managing technology, Constituent Management Systems (CRMs) to streamline donation, grant and data tracking systems. Stephanie has held roles with United Way of Central Ohio, Ohio Environmental Council, and most recently was the Database Administrator for Washington Trails Association. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University. In her free time Stephanie enjoys hiking through the great outdoors, baking new dessert recipes, and relaxing with her cat and a good book. Currently, Stephanie resides and works out of the Seattle, Washington area  in the Pacific Standard Time Zone (PST).

Summer Sandoval -  Environmental Justice Federal Funding Lead

In this role, Summer leads USDN’s work on the EPA Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center. She will support local governments and communities navigate the maze of federal funding opportunities to win grants and realize their projects to advance equitable climate action. Through USDN’s Federal Funding Programs, Summer works with federal, community and technical partners to improve federal and grant programs in order to produce better, equitable outcomes for communities. Summer brings nearly a decade's worth of experience in environmental and climate justice and clean energy policy experience. She excels at building alignment with diverse public, private and community stakeholders. She has held roles as the Energy Democracy Coordinator at UPROSE where she worked with diverse partners to pass and implement climate and energy policies such as New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, NYC’s Climate Mobilization Act, and the Federal government’s Justice40 Initiative. Summer has also served in roles with NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice as a Policy Advisor, Clean Energy and Equity, and as a Senior Advisor, Environmental Justice and Clean Energy. Summer holds Masters of Science in Sustainable Environmental Systems from the Pratt Institute and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Environmental Science from New York University. In her free time Summer enjoys group fitness classes, traveling, creating games for dinner parties, drinking bubble tea, and taking care of her five guinea pigs (Cardi P, Wednesday, Juniper, Cleo, and April). Summer resides and works out of New York City in the Eastern Standard Time Zone (EST). 

Tim Kobussen - Senior Director of Communications

Tim joined USDN in 2024 as Senior Director of Communications. In this role, Tim works closely with staff from across the organization and our stakeholders and partners to develop, organize, and lead USDN’s strategic communications. Before joining USDN, Tim engaged large corporations as a business development consultant and communications expert with The BRIEF Lab. His previous professional roles include Senior Director of Network Growth for Social Current, Group Vice President of Membership and Marketing for the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, and several years of communications leadership in the financial technology space.

Tim and his better half, Denise, live just north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the Central Time Zone with their toddler-aged chocolate lab, and they have two adult children who they do not see often enough. In his free time, Tim is an avid cyclist, and he owns a couple of guitars with aspirations of one day being seen and heard as an actual musician. 

WendyKay Gewiss - Procurement Director

As USDN's Procurement Director, WendyKay leads USDN’s corporate fundraising efforts and assists the Events Director in oversight and management of USDN’s in-person events. This includes participating in strategic decision-making and championing implementation of diverse revenue strategies, working in collaboration with each organization’s leadership to cultivate new corporate relationships; hone the articulation of their missions, programs, and impacts; and explore new revenue models. This role builds on WendyKay's strengths working with the USDN team, host city partners and members to coordinate annual meetings and training workshops focused on sharing best practices to create equitable, prosperous and healthy communities across North America. Prior to joining the USDN team, she was the National Adaptation Forum Program Coordinator for EcoAdapt and helped develop and facilitate the Forums in 2013, 2015 and 2017. WendyKay's background also includes being the Development Director for the Oregon Natural Desert Association where her passion for the outdoors was well-matched with her relationship-building and donor management skills. She came from nearly two decades steeped in corporate sales before making the jump to serve the non-profit community. She lives in Nevada's High Desert.

Questions? Ideas? Contact us at support@usdn.org.