Elisabeth Krautscheid is Managing Director for CHPS and a Certified Energy Manager with more than 25 years of professional experience in environmental policy implementation, program management, and community activism. Prior to joining CHPS, Elisabeth directed the Green Schools Initiative (MA-CHPS program) for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. During her tenure, she oversaw completion of the 2009 update to the MA-CHPS criteria and the Post-Occupancy Study of the first round of schools built under MA-CHPS. Elisabeth specializes in environmental justice and healthy communities, skills she honed while working with the Massachusetts Department of Community Development, where she spearheaded adoption of a green building policy for housing development and was part of an inter-agency team focused on sustainable development. She holds a B.A. in English Literature from Michigan State University and an M.A. in Energy & Environmental Studies from Boston University.

Cynthia (Cyndy) Merse is is Director of Communications for Green Schools National Network (GSNN), managing the organization’s publications and editorial content. She is also owner of MerseCreative, a freelance writing and consulting business based in Knoxville, TN. Prior to joining GSNN and starting her own business, Cyndy worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she gained experience in research, data analysis, communications and outreach, and program development. She worked on several high-level, national scale projects that concerned children’s environmental health and healthy school environments including the Schools Chemical Cleanout Campaign, a voluntary program that promoted responsible chemical management in K-12 schools, and developing a set of guidelines and a model program for state school environmental health programs. Cyndy obtained her Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a Masters Degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from Ohio University. 

Angelia Reid-Griffin is an Associate Professor of Science Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC – Wilmington). Angelia’s research involves providing youth opportunities to engage in authentic learning experiences through mentorship. She currently serves as the coordinator and instructor of an afterschool STEM program at UNC – Wilmington, Junior Seahawk Academy. Through this program Angelia uses interdisciplinary curriculum to teach youth to become good stewards of their environment by emphasizing sustainability and recycling/upcycling materials for service-learning. Her research also involves best practices in using technologies in teaching STEM, recruiting minorities in STEM, and teacher retention.

David Sobel is a Professor Emeritus in the Education Department at Antioch University New England in Keene, New Hampshire. He consults and speaks widely on child development, place-based education, and nature-based early childhood education. He has authored eight books and more than 70 articles focused on children and nature for educators, parents, environmentalists, and school administrators. In 2007, he was identified as one of the Daring Dozen educators in the United States by Edutopia magazine. He is a member of the Children and Nature Network Advisory Board and the Nature-based Learning Research Group.