Our Team
Staff
Leadership Team
Sam Carpenter
Executive Director
Sam Carpenter is the former executive director of Indiana-based nonprofit fair trade retail outlet Global Gifts, In his 17 years leading Global Gifts, sales of sustainable goods grew from $196,000 to over $1.8 million and staff grew from […]
David Van Gilder
Senior Policy and Legal Director
David Van Gilder has a life-long interest in the environment, natural resources, and humankind’s relationship with the natural world. He brings to HEC decades of environmental legal work, teaching experience, and advocacy to administrative agencies and to legislative […]
Paula Brooks
Environmental Justice Director
Paula is our Environmental Justice Director. She leads our Indianapolis Environmental Justice Initiative, which aims to identify, prioritize, and ultimately mitigate environmental health risks in low-income communities and in communities of color in Indianapolis. Paula has long-standing interests […]
Toby Days
Sustainable Agriculture Director
Toby Days serves as HEC’s Sustainable Agriculture Director. In this role, Toby will be advocating for agriculture that is economically just for the producers, environmentally regenerative, and community-focused. Prior to coming to HEC, Toby worked in water quality, […]
Jocelyn Keranen
Director of Operations and Environmental Health
Jocelyn is responsible for overseeing and optimizing daily operations at HEC. She originally came to HEC as a program manager for the organization’s environmental health work. Prior to her work at HEC, Jocelyn was a Program Manager at […]
Marianne Holland
Senior Development Director
In Marianne’s development capacity, she oversees strategy and is helping to expand and deepen HEC’s network of relationships while increasing financial and advocacy support for HEC’s mission. Prior to stepping into her development role, Marianne led our public […]
Maria Jose Iturbide-Chang
Water Policy Director
Maria made Indiana her home in 2022 and brings extensive expertise in environmental policy, natural resource management, and water governance. As the former Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in Guatemala and having served as Executive Director of […]
Program Team
Indra Frank, MD, MPH
Coal Ash Advisor
Indra Frank’s first career was as a physician specialized in pathology. In 2004 she shifted to environmental health and has since worked in environmental health programs, education, and policy with Indiana-based nonprofit organizations. Indra has a bachelors in […]
Jeni Jenkins
Senior Special Projects Manager
Jeni supports HEC’s sustainable agriculture program, is part of HEC’s Mounds Greenway team, and also assists with outreach events such as the annual Ride for the Mounds. Voted most likely to save the world by her high school […]
Susie McGovern
Water Science and Sustainability Specialist
Susie works on research, content development, and education related to water policy, water science, and sustainable development. Susie has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in environmental science with a focus on spatial analysis and cartography. Prior to […]
Sarah Kautzman
Marketing Manager
Sarah joined the HEC team as the Marketing Manager in late 2023. Combining a dual bachelor’s degree from IU Bloomington in history and mental health with a passion for sustainability and social justice, Sarah has spent most of […]
Anna Rode
Environmental Health Program Manager
Anna joined HEC in 2024 as the Environmental Health Program Manager. After a decade of helping people improve their lives on an individual level in the fitness industry, Anna pursued a career in public health to put her […]
Anna White
Advocacy in Action Manager
Anna joined the HEC team in 2024. She has dual bachelor’s degrees in psychology and English, and a Masters of Public Affairs with a concentration in Sustainability and Environmental Policy. Previously, Anna held positions that involved legislative advocacy […]
Development Team
Shannon Curtis Kellogg
Senior Database and Administrative Coordinator
Shannon serves as HEC’s Senior Database and Administrative Coordinator. She has nearly twenty years of quantitative market research experience, including as the sole proprietor of SCK Consulting. Shannon completed her Master’s coursework at Cleveland State University in the […]
Sitashma Thapa
Development Coordinator
Sitashma Thapa is HEC’s Development Coordinator. She is a climate philanthropy and advocacy enthusiast who has held the Research Associate position at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and the Climate & Energy Policy Fellow position at […]
Renee Sweany
Special Projects Senior Advisor
Renee is deeply connected in the Indiana green movement. Renee founded and lead the HEC Green Business program where she networked with businesses who have a sustainability focus to support HEC’s mission. Renee was also instrumental in growing […]
Jalessa Slade
Grant Writer and Coordinator
Jalessa Slade joins the HEC team as Grant Writer and Coordinator. She has over a decade of experience in nonprofit fund development, including as President & CEO of Slade Consulting. Jalessa holds a BS and MS in Health Services Administration from […]
Operations Team
Amanda Goehlert
Graphic Designer
Amanda is HEC’s long-time Graphic Designer. She creates a great breadth of designs for HEC, including our semi-annual reports, white papers, policy briefs, social media advertising, maps, and more. Amanda has a masters of arts in journalism design […]