Meet the Board of Directors
DAEE maintains an active Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and various Committees who are responsible for keeping focus on the vision, mission, plan, and goals and keeping them current and responsive to the needs of environmental education in Delaware. The Executive Committee is comprised of individuals from the Board of Directors who are elected to one- or two-year terms.
Executive Committee
Chair: David Christopher
Delaware Sea Grant
David Christopher is the Marine Education Specialist at Delaware Sea Grant/University of Delaware. He holds an M.A. in Teaching (UMBC), a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and a Masters of Education from Goucher College. He is a Certified Environmental Educator through the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education. (MAEOE). Before coming to Delaware Sea Grant, David worked for 18 years at the National Aquarium. He has served on the Board of DAEE, the Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association, and the National Marine Educators Association. He received the 2013 National Aquarium Innovation Award, 2017 National Marine Educators Association President’s Award, and the 2023 Mid-Atlantic Marine Educators Association President’s Award. His philosophy is to teach children that we are all connected and his goal is to help advance Environmental Literacy at the state and regional level. In his spare time, he is also an amateur event DJ
Vice Chair: Jen Cipolla
Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids
Jen Cipolla is the Program Manager for Healthy Food for Healthy Kids. She holds a BS in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Environmental Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. She loves helping students experience the joy and wonder of the outdoors. Her favorite moments are when students harvest a vegetable from the garden for the first time and audibly gasp or notice insects and animals near their garden. They get so excited and their joy is contagious. She wants as many students as possible to experience growing their own food and eating garden fresh vegetables and also wants to encourage students to love and respect the outdoors.
Secretary: Ashley Melvin
Delaware Forest Service
Ashley Melvin is the Training and Education Specialist at the Delaware Forest Service. With a B.S. in Plant Science from Delaware State University, Ashley serves as the Project Learning Tree (PLT) Coordinator and manages two education centers at Blackbird and Redden State Forests. She also coordinates the Annual Arbor Day Poster Contest and the Smokey Bear Fire Prevention Program. Ashley serves on the state and national FFA Forestry Career Development Event (CDE) as well as the state and national Envirothon Planning Committee. A founding member of the Delaware Association for Environmental Education (DAEE) and current Member at Large, Ashley works to increase the quality and opportunity for outdoor learning on a state, regional and national level.
A native Delawarean, Ashley developed a deep connection with nature at a young age and understands the importance of fostering that connection in today’s youth. When she outreaches to the public, her tagline is “I grew up playing in the woods and now I get paid to play in the woods.” Ashley loves to share her passion for the outdoors in the hopes it will inspire other people to want to get involved.
Ashley spends time outdoors with her 8-year-old son on their farm in Hartly.
Co-Secretary: Claire Mickletz
Delaware State Parks
Claire Mickletz is the Interpretive Programs Manager at White Clay Creek State Park, and has been with Delaware State Parks for 16 years, and worked as a park naturalist for three years at Kentucky State Parks. She has a BS in Environmental Biology and a BS in Education from the University of Dayton. She is the Project WILD Coordinator for Delaware and a Certified Interpretive Trainer (National Association for Interpretation).
Her goals for Environmental Education are to support young people in gaining an interest and appreciation for the world around them. If they can make a connection when young, they will be better informed as adults for decision-making and support about and for the environment. She enjoys reading, hiking and spending time with family. Claire also volunteers with the Cub Scouts and serves on a board in the township in which she lives.
Treasurer: Sonia Saunders
Red Clay Consolidated School District
Bio Coming Soon
NAAEE Liaison: David Pragoff
Delaware Nature Society
David Pragoff is the School and Group Programs Team Leader with Delaware Nature Society, based at the Ashland Nature Center in Hockessin, Delaware. David oversees program development and delivery for school, scout, and group audiences including children and adults together reaching approximately 35,000 participants each year. In his 16 years working at the Delaware Nature Society, David has collaborated with numerous groups to advance environmental education in Delaware. David was the 2021 DAEE Awards for Excellence, Exemplary Partnership recipient and is a long serving DAEE Board Member.
Laurel Sullivan
Delaware National Estuarine Research Reserve
Bio Coming soon
DAEE Board of Directors
DAEE is governed by a Board of 10-20 Directors. Our Board is comprised of a diverse group involved with informal and formal environmental education and related fields. The appointment to the Board of Directors is approved at our Annual Conference in later winter/early spring each year. Look for a call for applications to the Board starting a few months before the next annual conference. Please consider getting involved! We’re always looking for new faces, ideas, and perspectives.
Lisa Swanger
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays
Lisa Swanger is the Director of Outreach & Education for the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays.
She has an M.S. in Marine Resource Management from the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. She is focused on the following issues: watershed education, stormwater best management practices, marine debris, and nature-based solutions. Her goal is to combine sound science with engaging, outcomes-based education and engagement that builds meaningful social-ecological connections, resulting in enhanced environmental literacy. Lisa is also a yoga instructor, animal lover, avid hiker, tea enthusiast, and traveler.
Sarah Bett
Delaware Commute Solutions
Sarah Bett is the Outreach Coordinator with Delaware Commute Solutions. She holds a BS in Community, Environment, and Development (CED) and a BA in Spanish from the Pennsylvania State University. She’s passionate about bridging gaps between communities and the environment and making the outdoors more accessible. When Sarah isn’t advocating for sustainable transportation, you can find her traveling, hiking, ice skating, or gardening.
Amanda Austin
Brandywine Zoo
Amanda Austin is the Lead Zoo Interpreter at the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington. In this position, she oversees development and delivery of interpretive programs for all ages, with a strong focus on early-childhood programs both at the Zoo and within the community. Her programming aims to help children strengthen their understanding and empathy for wildlife through inquiry-based learning, sensory exploration, literacy, and nature play.
Amanda has a B.S. in Marine Biology with a minor in Environmental Sustainability from the College of Charleston. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation and received the 2023 DAEE Outstanding Field Educator award.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, working in her native garden, crochet, and spending time with friends and family (including two domestic cats).
2025-26 Board of Directors
- Lisa Watt
- Maureen Larkin
- Katie Pollock, University of Delaware Lab School
Committees
Most of the work that DAEE does gets done through a variety of standing or ad hoc committees.
You do not need to be a Board member to be part of one of our committees and we welcome you joining. Please contact us at DAEEonline@gmail.com if you may be interested in participating on one of them.
The following committees are an important way that we accomplish our mission.
Our Current Committees
- Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion and Accessibility Committee (JEDIA) – Works to ensure environmental education and meaningful experiences with nature are accessible to everyone.
- Marketing & Media Committee – Maximizes our organization’s marketing strategy and communications including the newsletter, website, and social media.
- Communities in Nature– Works to engage communities and promote environmental
and outdoor education to facilitate positive impacts. - Outdoor Learning Network– Works to coordinate a unified voice for outdoor
learning. Helps to schedule tours and gather resources. - Events (non-conference) & Program Planning Committee – Plans and implements non-conference DAEE events (behind-the-scenes tours, paddling trips, etc.), and professional development workshops.
- Membership Committee – Determines how to attract, retain, and best serve our members.
- Conference Committee – Plans and implements the annual DAEE conference.
- Finance Committee – As a 501(c)(3) organization, bookkeeping is of utmost importance. This committee ensures the fiscal responsibility and well-being of DAEE.
- Strategic Plan Committee – Ensures DAEE is working toward its current strategic plan, and updates the document as needed, during its life.
- Budget Committee – Helps DAEE grow as an organization by creating monthly, annual, and multi-year budgets.
- Audit Committee – Works with an external auditor to ensure DAEE has proper financial reporting and disclosure.
- Awards for Excellence Committee – Determines winners of DAEE’s annual Awards for Excellence.