Our Story

Prior to joining PEI in late 2016, Kathryn oversaw STEM curriculum for the Anchorage School District, where she designed the progression for K-12 STEM education to align with career pathways and Next Generation Science Standards. Before her role as STEM Curriculum Coordinator, she was a classroom teacher for 12 years. She began her career as a research biologist and has served in leadership roles with state and federal agencies as well as nonprofit, for-profit, and Tribal organizations in Alaska and Washington State and has served on several nonprofit and association boards. She holds a BS in biology from Lewis and Clark College, an MA in educational assessment with a focus on science performance assessment from Alaska Pacific University, and a certificate of educational leadership from the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

With PEI since early 2015, Denise has spent 30 years in the natural resource education arena as a nonformal conservation and environmental educator, teacher trainer, outreach specialist, and nonprofit director. She holds a BS in secondary science education and a BS in resource recreation management from Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. 

Before joining PEI, Gail worked for various local nonprofits in positions ranging from Office Manager to Department Director in Administration & Finance. As PEI’s Finance and HR Director, she is responsible for managing all aspects of finance and business operations, including accounts payable and receivable, budget, accounting and financial reporting, grant management, human resources, employee benefits, payroll, and risk management and compliance. She enjoys the range of duties required in a small nonprofit and the ability to learn many different aspects of nonprofit management. She is also grateful for the opportunity to work for an organization with a positive mission that impacts the teachers and students of Washington State. Gail is half Puerto Rican and a proud descendent of the Nisqually and Colville Tribes.

When not at PEI, she enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, camping and completing home remodeling projects.

Erika joined the PEI team in 2020 as Associate Director, supporting organizational operations, and utilizing tools and strategies that increase system efficiency and building capacity. With a degree in Environmental Science and Policy, experience in informal and outdoor education, classroom special education, and nonprofit marketing, Erika’s diverse background and passion for the environment compliment PEI’s mission, vision, and values; her love for spreadsheets and CRMs sealed the deal.

Erika’s passion for the environment extends beyond her nine-to-five. After work, you can find her filling jars with bulk goods, taking care of her plants, or feeding her worms (vermicompost). A proud pup mama and avid outdoors person, Erika spends her weekends deep in nature – backpacking, snowboarding, and climbing – dog by side. During each activity, she hopes to lead by example and inspire and empower individuals to make positive choices for the environment and their community.

With PEI since early 2020, Katie is an Olympia transplant, originally from Northern California. She holds a B.A. in Education from The Evergreen State College and a Masters in Education from Antioch University. She has a wide range of professional experience, but since moving to Olympia, she has honed her passion for connecting children to nature experiences, a direct result of watching her own children blossom in the Pacific Northwest. Both her education and recent experience in local nonprofits have paved the way to her position as Program Coordinator with PEI. She is excited to support educators in creating engaging outdoor learning experiences for children and youth in Washington!

Lourdes, a native Spanish speaker from Mexico City, began her career as a community biologist in Baja California, Mexico, where her passion for integrating local knowledge and Science led her to work with local fishing communities to design and improve protected natural areas in Mexico. She also designed and implemented high school Science programs in Mexico City.  In 1995, after completing a Master’s degree in Marine Science and Education at the University of Washington, she continued her work to advance citizen science and environmental education both through Mexican and U.S. organizations.

Since 2014, as a Bilingual Science teacher, Washington State Science fellow, and PEI Science grade-level coordinator, Lourdes has promoted teacher participation in STEM Science Programs and students’ field experiences in Washington State. Lourdes continues to support educators to successfully engage in the PEI Science programs to advance scientific literacy by promoting equitable, outdoor, locally and culturally relevant, integrated, career and real-world connected, science education.

Lisa is an Olympia native and holds a BA in English from Western Washington University. She has a background in nonprofit financial support and operations.  She discovered her passion for helping students after working for a Western Washington school district, helping to create curriculum for before and after school enrichment programs. She continued that work while supporting a local education foundation, collaborating with high schools to award scholarships for vocational training. Lisa is excited to help PEI support educators and students throughout the state.

When not at PEI Lisa enjoys spending time with her two kids, exploring nature, traveling and reading.

Currently residing in Spokane, WA, Michelle hails from Alaska. Her education started with a scholarship to study concert piano and culminated with a BS degree in Agronomy from University of Idaho. She worked for the USDA as an underwriter throughout the Pacific Northwest and moved into national training for USDA programs. She started teaching secondary science in Spokane, became National Board certified, and was honored with Distinguished Educator in 2003 and Spokane Teacher of the Month in 2015. She served on state committees working on state assessments for OSPI. In 2019, She launched the Walking Project: an Experiential Alternative to In-School Suspension. She is currently working with Pacific Education Institute as a curriculum writer and workshop facilitator under ClimeTime grant.

Amy enthusiastically joined the PEI team in late 2021. She earned a BS in Plant Biology from University of California, Berkeley and is completing a Master of Sustainability Leadership degree at Arizona State University. She carries a true love for nature and a desire to facilitate outdoor experiences that spark lifelong curiosity. She has spent a good portion of the past 25 years working with youth (and adults) in a diverse range of environmental education settings and has especially enjoyed exploring ecological restoration, composting, pollinator/native plant gardening, stream monitoring, and more recently civic participation. She holds a special place in her heart for the tiny living things of the world that often go unnoticed. Amy believes solutions-focused community involvement provides a foundation for active hope, something we humans essentially need.

Cindy joined PEI in the summer of 2021 and holds a BS in Education from West Chester University and a Masters in Transformational Leadership from Seattle University. Cindy has taught in three states, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, and in every grade from pre-K-12. Cindy is proudest of her work in professional development, training teachers in CCSS integration, Project-Based Learning, and Dialectical Inquiry. She is passionate about developing community partnerships, helping students make connections based on their lived experiences, and on the integration of art and science into the humanities. Her graduate work included studies in Environmental Ethics, Non-Profit Policy and Advocacy, and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Her most recent position was as a parks planner for Pierce County Parks, where she fostered the public’s love for their community’s outdoor spaces. Cindy serves as the Vice Chair for the Chambers Clover Creek Watershed Council and the Pierce Conservation District Board.

Julie is a naturalist, writer and beekeeper who has worked for PEI since 2014.  Her goal as an educator is to help teachers experience the mystery and magic of everyday places – she says “students do not need to travel to stunning landscapes to find something to study; science is happening everywhere.”  Julie has been connecting children and adults to natural places since 1996 and has worked in a variety of settings, including narrating tours of the Lynn Canal in Alaska, teaching at a residential environmental education camp in Maine, and working as the environmental education specialist at Cape Disappointment State Park.  She has a BA in Recreation Management from Western Washington University, with a focus in Environmental Education and Outdoor Recreation.

Lara is an environmental educator, biologist, and artist who joined the PEI team in 2021. She is passionate about engaging youth with nature in ways which nurture community, identity, and a fierce sense of place. She has an extensive background in formal and informal environmental education, bringing over twenty years of experience teaching and designing environmental and sustainability programming in the Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay regions. She also served as a backcountry guide for at-risk youth and was the founding director of K-12 Green Schools and STEM programs in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PEI, she taught middle school environmental science in Olympia. Lara holds a BS in biology and an MS in molecular ecology. 

Outside of her work with PEI, Lara is an avid backpacker, skier, gardener, rockhound, folk artist, chicken herder, mountain lake swimmer, and dog mama. 

Contact Program Director, Denise Buck, for more information.

With PEI since mid-2019, Megan earned Bachelors Degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Central Washington University. As a certified teacher, she has taught in traditional and non-traditional public and private high schools and elementary settings, including helping migrant students graduate and helping K-4 Summer Literacy Camp students improve their reading. As a Science Fellow, Megan worked with ESD 105 and helped to lead workshops on implementing Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and provided quality resources and support for local teachers. Megan also worked in the Pacific Science Center’s “Science on Wheels” program where she developed and delivered K¬-8 STEM curriculum to students across Washington State. She’s excited to dig into everything that PEI does to support our educators, communities, and environment!

Tressa has been with PEI since July 2020. She earned a BA in Government from the University of Texas and a Master of Marine & Environmental Affairs from the University of Washington. Prior to joining the PEI team, Tressa worked as a Washington Sea Grant Hershman Marine Policy Fellow with the Washington Department of Ecology. She has taught literacy and special education in public schools and has worked with informal educators for NOAA Science Camp in Seattle. Tressa is passionate about environmental literacy, engaging outdoor experiences, and place-based learning, and looks forward to supporting educators throughout the region!

Contact Executive Director, Kathryn Kurtz, for more information.

Education/Degree(s):
B.A. English & American Studies, University of Rochester
Master’s in Teaching, John Hopkins University

Area of Expertise: Thinking Skills, Habits of Mind, Integrated Curriculum, Literacy, Common Core ELA.

Education/Degree(s):

B.Sc. Geology and Zoology, Minor in Chemistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia

Masters in Public Health in Environmental Health & Community Health Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii 

Ph.D. in Urban Education: Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Science and Environmental Education, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Area of Expertise: Helping school districts integrate PEI’s “field investigation” models into their science inquiry programs, projects with a focus on wildlife issues, program evaluation and assessment of student learning in environmental education and education policy.

Education/Degree(s)

B.S. Biology, St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana

M.S. Forest Ecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Teaching Certification, Antioch University, Seattle, Washington

Areas of Expertise:  Developing and delivering science and environmental education professional development with an emphasis on investigations and engineering practices in the field. Co-developing integrated curriculum including Field Investigations; Drain Rangers; and Healthy Forests, Healthy Waters, schoolyard investigations and ELA performance tasks. Former member of the Washington Science Assessment Leadership Team developing, range finding, and reviewing test items for the state science exams. Pat received the Project Learning Tree Educator of the Year award in 2001 and the Project Learning Tree Gold Star award in 2015.

Currently residing in Vancouver, WA, Barbara has 30 years of workforce development experience in the state. Since serving as Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy at Centralia College, she was awarded Emeritus status there. Her board and committee service includes organizations such as Corporation for A Skilled Workforce; IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Community College Outreach; WA Joint Center for Deployment and Research in Earth Abundant Materials (JCDREAM); National Hydro Foundation; WA HB2227 Evergreen Jobs Leadership Team advising the Governor and Legislature on federal ARRA investments in clean energy; National Commission on Energy Policy’s Task Force on America’s Future Energy Jobs; U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Commission Green Jobs Roundtable; U.S. Department of Education delegation to Germany’s Global Sustainable Education Training and U.S. Canada Clean Energy Forums.

Randall James, a lifelong resident of Spokane, is the founder and was the director of the Institute of Science and Technology at North Central High School in Spokane, Washington. Mr. James earned his BS in Biology from the University of Oregon and his MS in Biology from Eastern Washington University. He was a public high school science teacher for thirty-nine years. Randall, winner of numerous national, regional, and state recognitions, has focused for the past twenty years on immersing students in authentic, novel research opportunities in the Institute. His primary research focus was Conservation Genetics and Molecular Ecology. He absolutely loves teaching his students of all ages and believes he has the best job in the world — being an educator. Randy firmly believes all of his students are YATOs, (You Are The One), and they will solve the world’s greatest challenges.

Residing in Olympia, Hattie is currently a classroom teacher in an alternative program. She has been working with PEI since July 2019. In addition to her work at PEI, Hattie has been a science kit master trainer for ESD 123, a member on several science working groups at OSPI and was a STEM teacher in the Pasco School District. Hattie has a passion for elementary science education, equity in science learning and diving deep into the Next Generation Science Standards. Hattie is excited to continue providing professional learning opportunities to teachers of Washington state that want to connect their students to the environment and community through real-world science learning!