Debra Rowe, President, US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and Detroit Green Skills Alliance

As President of the US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development, Dr. Debra Rowe facilitates multi-stakeholder coalitions to improve inclusive transitions to green and sustainable societies globally. After owning a solar retail and wholesale company, Debra taught Campus and Corporate Sustainability at the University of Vermont, and renewable energies, sustainable living, and psychology at Oakland Community College. She helped hundreds of colleges, universities, and communities grow their renewable energy and sustainability programs. She supports a Climate Fellows youth network that provides open-source changemaker curricula. Dr. Rowe leads and co-facilitates with AASHE two national networks of sixty higher education associations. She chairs two groups at the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative, a collaboration of ten United Nations agencies, focusing on: 1) green skills and careers, and 2) connections between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

Diego Tovar, Director of Campus and Civic Engagement, Rachel Carson Council

Diego Tovar, Director of Campus and Civic Engagement, holds a master’s in Global Environmental Policy from American University and an undergraduate degree as a Udall Scholar in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability with a minor in Political Communication from Colorado State University. Diego has worked for the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Navajo Nation Washington Office, focusing on climate justice and climate adaptation. His passion for climate advocacy and the power of storytelling has also led him to become a science fiction author of books related to environmentalism, the effects of climate change, and equity. He is also the founder of Fast Orbit Press.

Sydney O’Shaughnessy, Director of Communications, Rachel Carson Council

Sydney O’Shaughnessy is the Director of Communications at the Rachel Carson Council. She holds a master’s degree in Media and Strategic Communication from The George Washington University and dual bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Environmental Science from Ithaca College.

She brings a decade of experience in environmental communications across the nonprofit, federal, and private sectors. Before joining RCC, she managed communications for the Earth and Life Studies Division at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She has also supported communications efforts for the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under President Biden.

In addition to her work at RCC, Sydney teaches speechwriting and public speaking at Shepherd University, where she also serves as faculty advisor to the student newspaper.

Passionate about the power of strategic communications to inspire positive change, Sydney helps organizations articulate their purpose, build trust, and drive impact. Her expertise spans content marketing, digital media, media relations, and project management.

Joy Reeves, Director of Policy and Strategic Development, The Rachel Carson Council

Joy Reeves, Director of Policy and Strategic Development, holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, as well as her undergraduate degree as a Udall scholar at Duke in Environmental Science & Policy with a minor in Visual Media Studies. Passionate about climate advocacy and scientific communication, she is the author of Growing Up in the Grassroots: Finding Unity in Climate Activism Across Generations (2020) and the winner of the 2024 Storyfest award from Planet Forward for multimedia journalism. Joy was previously an RCC Stanback Fellow and RCC Presidential Fellow and has held positions at the League of Conservation Voters, the Student Conservation Association, and the Wright Lab at Duke University. As an award-winning cartoonist, her goal is to combine creativity and advocacy throughout her career.

Tony Passino, Fellow|Ph.D. Candidate, Change the Chamber | UMass Boston

Tony Passino is a Ph.D. candidate in the Organizations and Social Change program within the College of Management at UMass Boston. He is a National Climate Fellow with Change the Chamber and a founding member of the Changemaker Training, which has recruited participants from over 29 countries. He has given countless speeches during well-known events such as New York Climate Week and the Natural Hazards Workshop. Before the Ph.D. program, Tony worked for a leading non-profit public health campaign where he used arts-based pedagogy to train students at colleges across the United States to pass 100% tobacco and vape free policies.