BOARD OF DIRECTORS

General Contact: LEEF.florida@gmail.com

OFFICERS

President: Dr. Brian Ogle     email: president@leef-florida.org

Dr. Brian Ogle is the Director of Conservation Learning & Audience Impact at Brevard Zoo. In this role, he oversees the Zoo’s education, community engagement, guest engagement, and research & evaluation programs. He actively conducts regular research related to the practice of conservation education and interpretation techniques. Throughout his career, he has been focused on environmental and conservation education serving in instructional management roles at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, Friends of the National Zoo, and Beacon College. He has served on boards for other organizations, including the Nebraska Master Natural Program and the National Science Teaching Association as well as operational committees for these organizations plus the Assoc. of Zoos & Aquariums and the International Society for Anthrozoology. Brian holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in educational leadership. Additionally, he has presented at LEEF conferences and has been actively involved in growing the practice of environmental education in the state of Florida by training college students in EE techniques. His goal in serving on committees or board of directors for organizations is to support the membership by providing them with value-added experiences that help to uplift the field collectively.

Immediate Past President: Lori Nicholson     email:past.president@leef-florida.org

Lori is the Instructional Systems Specialist at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in North Florida. She grew up in Oklahoma, has taught in OK, TX, and FL. She has resided in this area of Florida for the past 20 years. She received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, and her B.S. and M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology from Oklahoma State University. She has worked both in formal and non-formal education, teaching all ages. She has taught in schools, a museum, and acted as Senior Interpretive Education Instructor/Facilitator for Disney’s Wilderness Adventures at Walt Disney World. Lori enjoys being outdoors, horseback riding, fishing hiking, and gardening. During her 18-year tenure at St. Marks NWR numbers reached in environmental education programs and outreach has gone from 5400 to over 14,000 participants annually. She currently acts as the Chair (president) for the Florida Project Learning Tree state steering committee.  Lori also partners with the state wildlife agency FWC acting as hunt master for two youth hunts held on the refuge annually.

President-Elect: Kati Morris    email:president.elect@leef-florida.org

Kati Morris is an Upper School Science Instructor at Canterbury School, in Fort Myers, Florida.  Alongside her AP Environmental Science and Honors Biology classes, she also helps to oversee the Canterbury Upper School Independent Student Research program.  The research program regularly produces both state and international science fair champions, as well as students ranked in the top 300 best high school senior researchers in the country.  She has taught biology, chemistry and environmental science for fifteen years total, ten of which were in the public school system.  Kati has many roles outside of the classroom, serving as both AP Reader and Table Leader for the AP Environmental Science national exam scoring process, and an AP Consultant for College Board, training other AP Environmental Science teachers during one-day and weeklong program.  She was also a part of the curriculum team that supported the ExoLab-10 experiment on the International Space Station November 2023-January 2024.  Her proudest achievement is her role as a lifelong Floridian.  Kati was born in Deland, is a product of the Florida K-12 public school system, earned her BA in biology from FGCU, and is in the process of earning her masters in environmental science from the University of Florida.  She hopes to pass on her love of wild Florida, from the oak hammock to the estuary river, with her students and the community at large.

Treasurer:  Karolyn Burns      email: treasurer@leef-florida.org

Karolyn Burns is the Education and Curriculum Manager for the CLEO Institute, residing in the Tallahassee office. She runs the Teachers Network portion of the Climate Resilient Schools program and the CLEO Speakers Network program twice a year. This includes building capacity to bring more climate education into the State Standards (CPALMS), and developing lesson plans and other curriculum materials focused on climate and environmental justice. She also teaches biology and earth science classes at Tallahassee Community College. Her teaching philosophy centers on science literacy, critical thinking, and connecting social justice and policy issues into the science classroom to both engage and serve underrepresented populations in STEM.
Karolyn has bachelor's degrees in marine biology and ecology from Florida Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in science education from Florida State University. As part of her education research, she has presented at the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST), the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA), and the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Conference (MACCEC). Her work has been published in the Florida Science Teacher and the NSTA Science Teacher journal.

Secretary: Robin Reccasina     email: secretary@leef-florida.org

Hi, my name is Robin Reccasina. I have a B.S. in Zoology from North Carolina State University, an M.S. in Biology Education from Long Island University, and am a Florida Master Naturalist Instructor. I have been LEEF’s Board Secretary since 2011. I am also the Executive Director at the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital in Coral Springs, FL where I have served in all capacities as an employee since 2014 and volunteer since the late 90’s.

I enjoyed a childhood with the freedom to explore the outdoors at my leisure and have always been amazed at the wonders of nature. I enjoy sharing my discoveries with others which led me to life of teaching both in and out of the classroom for over 30 years. LEEF offers a great forum to learn and network with others who share the same passion.

Native to North Carolina, I have been in Florida since 1996 where my husband and I have raised two children.

DIRECTORS

Director 1: John Martinez   email: director1@leef-florida.org

John Martinez is an award winning educator, executive coach, corporate trainer, and father of three.  He resides in Orlando, Florida where he teaches fifth grade at Millennia Gardens Elementary (Orange County Public Schools).  John is the president of Eco Club which is a program that is at Millennia Gardens Elementary School and Westridge Middle school.  In 2018 John won the state of Florida teaching Ag in the classroom award and the National Teaching Ag in the classroom award.  In 2019 John took a group of Millennia Garden Eco Club students camping at Everglades National Park, and this was the first school in Orange County to participate in this program.  In 2022 Millennia Gardens won the Orange County Green School Award, the state of Florida's Green Apple Award, and the US Department of Education's Green Ribbon Award.  In December of 2022 John graduated from UCF with a masters degree in teaching K-8 Math and Science.  John has been a speaker at the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST) conference and at National Science Teachers Association Conferences.

Director 2: Pam Owens  email: director2@leef-florida.org

I am currently an Orange County Public Schools elementary teacher with 16 years of classroom teaching experience. I received my M.Ed. from the University of Central Florida in K-8 Math and Science. It was an honor being selected as school Teacher of the Year in 2013 and 2020. I have been a member of LEEF since 2019 and am currently a member of Florida Trail Association, Florida Native Plant Society, Florida Association of Science Teachers, and have completed Project Wild Facilitator training. I have been a past member of NSTA, FMSEA, and BSA. 
During the past 8 years at Zellwood Elementary, I have been the lead coordinator for the Everglades Champion School Program, Green School Program, STEM Club, Jr. Birding Club, and Green Eagles Club. Our school has won 4 Silver and 2 Gold Everglades Champion School designations, 2024-2025 First place winner for OCPS School of Excellence for Green School Initiatives, Florida Green Apple School designation, and is a US Department of Education Green Ribbon School. I have helped our school win grant monies that support gardening in the classroom, hydroponic gardening, erecting bird houses around our school campus and partnering with our local Audubon Society for binoculars for a birding club. These accomplishments have made me proud as I promote environmental awareness and sustainability at the school and community level. I reside in central Florida with my husband and enjoy hiking, gardening, and being outdoors.

 Director 3: Kirsten Hein     email: director3@leef-florida.org

Kirsten Hein is a proven leader in park development, program management, and organizational impact; committed to advancing public spaces and fostering inclusive, vibrant communities. Her background includes nonprofit management, communications, creative production, and programming. Currently, Kirsten serves as Vice President of Engagement at Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, FL, where she led a successful grand opening and now oversees a dynamic team that delivers 50+ public events and 200+ environmental education programs annually. She has held leadership roles at Gathering Place in Tulsa, Montgomery Parks in Maryland, and the Chicago Park District, where she drove strategic activations, secured funding for new initiatives, and developed partnerships to enhance park visibility and utilization, guest experience, and community involvement. She is actively engaged in the community, serving on several boards and advisory councils.

Director 4: Maggie Carozza     email: director4@leef-florida.org

Maggie Carozza is the Director of Education for Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens.  In this leadership role she has the incredible opportunity to impact decision making and engage, inspire, and connect with diverse groups of people to ignite a greater appreciation for the natural world.  She has over 15 years’ experience working at zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums with an emphasis on non-formal education.  Her commitment to the environment and conservation stems from these roles and affords her a strong background in nature-based early childhood programming, training, inclusion, and animal care and welfare. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with minors in physiology and art from Aurora University and holds a master’s degree in biology from Miami University-Ohio with an emphasis and study on water quality and coral reef systems.  Maggie’s commitment to the environment extends beyond her schooling and work, serving as a volunteer with Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve with their Fisheries Research – Shark Assessment Program and Trawl Assessment Program since 2021, serving as the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Regional Community of Practice Community Builder (Florida) since 2023, holding a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation since 2015 and becoming a Certified Educator with National Geographic in 2020.  It is Maggie’s commitment to the board to support the LEEF community and connect the many facets of education to steer towards common goals and support our learners in being stewards for the environment’s future.

Director 5: Pamela Caputo  email: director5@leef-florida.org

Pam Caputo is a dedicated educator at Key Largo School, where she has been teaching for the past 29 years. Her expertise spans fourth and fifth grade general education and science, and she currently teaches STEAM to grades K-5. Pam was honored as the Monroe County Environmental Teacher of the Year in 2016 for her outstanding dedication and service. She has actively engaged her students in environmental initiatives, including the Florida Bay Forever stewardship program since 2018. Pam was also named Key Largo School Teacher of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year.

From 2013 to 2016, Pam's participation in the Fairchild Challenge earned her first place in environmental action and environmental role model categories. She founded the "KLS is the Solution to Pollution" club in 2016, focusing on monthly cleanups and addressing environmental issues, leading to involvement in the Everglades Champion program. Since 2021 Key Largo School has held a gold status, Pam has served as the school's Teacher Lead and organized the Everglades Ambassador Club.

Pam and her students have tackled numerous environmental issues in the Upper Keys, such as eliminating plastic straws at local restaurants and replacing plastic utensils in the school cafeteria. She passionately believes in educating students about the importance of environmental stewardship from a young age. Through cleanups, plant-growing projects, and outdoor explorations, Pam instills in her students a deep respect for their environment and the importance of taking care of the place they live.

Director 6: Bryan Cushing  email: director6@leef-florida.org

Bryan Cushing is an instructor at Beacon College, where he teaches courses such as Animals in the Public Eye, Florida Ecology & Conservation, Educating About Animals, Conservation Biology, Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conservation, and Animal Ethics. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Humanities and Cultural Anthropology from Stony Brook University, with minors in Environmental Design, Policy & Planning and Ecosystems and Human Impact. He also earned an M.S. in Anthrozoology from Canisius College. 

Bryan’s academic interests lie at the intersection of anthropology, conservation, human-wildlife conflict, animal welfare and rights, and sustainability. He is passionate about exploring how humans understand, represent, and interact with other animals and the environment in a rapidly changing world. 

Outside the classroom, Bryan enjoys hiking Florida’s trails with his two dogs, Denali and Mako.

LEEF Operations Consultant,  Alicia Torres      email: leef.florida@gmail.com          

I am a native Floridian who spent her childhood running barefoot on the family farm, raising horses, tending the garden, building tree forts in the nearby woods, exploring rivers and trails, and doing anything else I could think of in order to spend as much time as possible outdoors. These cherished childhood experiences set me on a path to value and appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature, both in my professional and personal life.

I earned my B.A. in Education from the University of Florida with a specialization in middle grades science, my M.A. in Education from Florida Atlantic University, and my Ed.S. degree in Curriculum & Instruction from FAU with a specialization in environmental education. I have 15 years of formal classroom experience teaching science to children ranging in age from PreK3 to the 7th grade. In all my years of teaching, the thing I loved the most was being a part of a student’s “Aha!” moment.

My love for the outdoors and passion for the environment eventually steered my career away from the traditional science classroom and more toward the field of environmental education. I spent three years working at Florida Atlantic University’s Pine Jog Environmental Education Center as a Program Coordinator. There, I worked closely with educators and students across the South Florida region in providing Everglades education, solar energy programs, Green School initiatives, and facilitating Project WILD and Project Learning Tree professional development. Currently, I work at The Everglades Foundation where I am the K-12 Everglades Champion Schools Program Manager. My responsibilities involve curriculum development, program management, and training educators who share the goal of helping their schools become Everglades Champion Schools.

COMMITTEES

Executive

Finance

Membership

Conference

NON-VOTING MEMBERS

Parliamentarian: Amanda Purnell

Amanda Purnell is the Education & Outreach Director at Friends of the Everglades. In this role, she develops and leads In-House Field Trips for students, mentors interns, and engages in community outreach.

She earned a B.S. in Biology and a M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction from New Mexico State University. Amanda has more than two decades of experience working with students, including 10 years as a classroom teacher. Regardless of content, she loved taking her students outside to learn. With a background in Expeditionary Learning, she specializes in developing authentic learning experiences that connect students with the natural world and empower them to be informed change-makers in their communities. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing kids light up with wonder and inspiration. She is driven by the belief that together we can work toward a healthier planet, support classroom teachers, and transform education to give all students the incredible learning experiences that they deserve.

SEEA Representative(s):  Alicia Torres, Brian Ogle

Project WET: Eileen Tramontana

Our Board meets the last Thursday of each month via Zoom. Contact us if you would like a link to attend a Board meeting. Email: leef.florida@gmail.com

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