Staff

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 one to 25 employees. Most recently, he has consulted with small businesses and nonprofits on strategic planning, turn arounds, and growth strategies. In 2010, he was named one of Indianapolis’ “Forty Under 40” by the Indianapolis Business Journal. A Kentucky native, Carpenter holds a masters degree in peace studies and conflict resolution from Ulster University in Northern Ireland.

As a citizen-volunteer in Indianapolis, Carpenter has been an active advocate for environmental issues. His advocacy has included meeting with legislators, speaking at rallies, and taking part in events related to mass transit, coal, and renewable energy.

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 bodies at local, state, and federal levels. David has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from Bowling Green State University and a Juris Doctor from American University, Washington College of Law. He is a partner in the Fletcher Van Gilder LLP law firm, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

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 in human rights and equitable development. An Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) Senior Fellow, she also serves as the chair of the Indianapolis NAACP chapter’s Environmental Committee. She has received numerous awards for her work in environmental justice and was named a 2021 Hoosier Resilience Hero by Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI). Paula has a BBA in Finance and MA in Development Policy and Planning, both from Howard University.

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, ensuring that rural and disadvantaged communities had access to fresh, clean drinking water. Toby holds a BS in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and a MS in Forestry & Natural Resource from Purdue University.

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 the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame. Her experience includes process improvement, program management, data collection, and staff development. Jocelyn is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served both in the environment and health sectors in Tanzania from 2014-2017. She holds a B.A. in Geography from Cal Poly Humboldt and a M.S. in Global Health from the University of Notre Dame. Jocelyn's professional interests include environmental health, policy, sustainability, and healthy housing. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, reading books from her local library, and textile crafts.

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 relations and media outreach efforts for more than six years. Before her role with HEC, Marianne had a long and distinguished career in broadcast journalism, most recently working for WFYI Public Broadcasting in Indianapolis. Her more than a decade in public radio took her to stations across the country, from Dillingham, Alaska, to Burlington, Vermont. She first came to Indiana as the News Director for WVPE in Elkhart. She’s known to many public radio listeners as the Statehouse Bureau Chief of Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, a post she held from 2006 to 2011. Marianne has won numerous awards in both journalism and public relations and holds a journalism degree from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont.

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 the nonprofit organization the Water Fund for nine years, she spearheaded initiatives in freshwater management, policy formulation, and strategic planning. Maria also served as a consultant for The Nature Conservancy and the World Bank and she is an active member of the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) of UNWater and a certified Corporate Water Specialist by the Alliance for Water Stewardship. Maria has led significant projects, including Guatemala's National Climate Change Strategy and the Coalition for the Motagua River which brought together more than 200 participants and 85 entities, showcasing her ability to secure funding, foster community involvement, and promote sustainable development through green economy principles and integrated water management plans. Maria holds a Doctorate in Environmental Policy and Planning from Lincoln University, New Zealand, a Master's in Environmental Sciences from Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and a full scholarship for a Nature-Based Solutions for Water Challenges diploma from Technische Universitat Dresden. 

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 biochemistry from Pomona College, an MD from Johns Hopkins University, and a masters in public health from Indiana University.

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 classmates, Jeni has had long-standing interests in sustainability. She is an accomplished entrepreneur, with a drive for self-study of ecological issues, from native and invasive plants to wildlife and local water ecology. Jeni has degrees in business and Spanish from Indiana University.

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 HEC, she worked at an environmental consulting firm where she conducted wetland and stream surveys, assisted graduate students with deer habitat research at Purdue, and worked independently with a local land trust to create a land acquisition map. Susie is passionate about habitat conservation using maps to communicate our impact. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, cooking, nature journaling, and painting.

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 her career in development and communications roles for organizations promoting juvenile justice, fair trade, and travel. When she isn’t at work you can find Sarah traveling and planning trips for others via her travel blog, Suitcase Six, enjoying the outdoors, snuggling with her cat, or replicating recipes she’s tried on her travels in her kitchen.

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 for women, writing and communications, and volunteer management. Outside of work, Anna enjoys reading, baking, and “hiking” that typically includes scooting, crawling, and minor injuries.

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 Consumer Industrial Research Program. Shannon and her husband have two kids. She is a devoted volunteer at her children’s schools and is a Girl Scout troop leader too. She has made environmental stewardship an important part of raising her family.

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 the National Wildlife Federation prior to joining HEC.

Sitashma graduated with a MA in Philanthropic Studies from the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a BA in Environmental Sustainability and Sociology-Anthropology from Earlham College.

She looks forward to bringing her theoretical philanthropy knowledge to the practice space as the Development Coordinator, and is excited to expand her knowledge of climate and environmental policy in the state of Indiana.

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 and developing a partnership with Aveda in support of clean water initiatives, and in organizing the annual Greening the Statehouse event. She received a 2009 Sustainability Award from the Mayor’s Office for her Rush Hour Recycling events where more than 75 tons of electronics and cardboard were recycled and was recognized by Hoosier Environmental Council as the 2013 Green Business Advocate of the Year.  In her newest role with HEC, which began in July 2021, Renee manages the HEC website, and serves as an in-house advisor on development and marketing matters.

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 the University of Evansville. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys exploring nature with her son, traveling to new destinations, and immersing herself in literature.

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 from Ball State and a bachelor of journalism and photojournalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.