Alumni Association Board

Alumni Association Board Roster

If you would like to connect with a member of the YSE Alumni Association Board, please email the YSE Office of Development and Alumni Services for contact info.

Officers

Terry Baker ’07 MF

President 
Washington, D.C. 
2nd term ends in 2027

Terry Baker is the CEO of the Society of American Foresters. He oversees all of SAF’s programs and collaborates with his Board of Directors to establish a strategic vision committed to the scientific sustainable management of America’s forests. He strives to build strong relationships partners that leverage our unified voice as a profession. Terry serves on the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) board of directors to maintain the presence of forestry professionals in sustainable certifications.

Prior to his selection as SAF CEO in September 2018, Terry served in various roles within the USDA Forest Service. His almost 20-year federal career started in his home state of Florida on the Apalachicola National Forest. From there, he held positions on several other national forests in the western and southeastern US. He has been a wildland fire fighter, forester, and administrator of over 1 million acres. Terry earned a master’s degree in forest management and policy from YSE in 2007, and a bachelor’s degree in forest resources and conservation at the University of Florida in 2004. While a MF student at YSE, Terry was heavily involved as a Forestry Club and Student Affairs Committee member. Terry values the connections and communities he was part of as a student and considers these relationships one of the most important aspects of his time at YSE. Terry has maintained that sense following graduation serving as a class agent, returning for guest lectures, and advising prospective and new students. Scholarships, awards, leadership mentoring, and strengthening international connections all lead back to creating a more diverse and inclusive YSE student and alumni body. As someone who “stumbled across” the profession of forestry and natural resources, Terry takes every opportunity to broaden awareness of this amazing field.

Michelle Lewis ’13 MDiv, MESc

Vice President; 
Yale Alumni Association Delegate  
New York and North Carolina
2^nd term ends in 2025

Michelle holds a MESc from YSE and a Master of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and a certificate from Yale Institute of Sacred Music. She's very interested in the intersectionality between justice issues and spirituality. Her doctoral work focused on food justice, faith, and creating healthy communities on micro and macro scales. Michelle has worked in New Rochelle, NY as part of the city's energy and sustainability Commission and is currently the executive director of a non-profit that she founded called the Peace Garden Project, which has three gardens in NY with another two set to open in NC this year. Michelle is passionate about equity and inclusion and has worked with communities in NY and NC to create more equitable systems.

Haydi Boething Danielson ’85 MES/MPPM 

Secretary 
Santa Cruz, California   
1^st term ends in 2027 

Haydi grew up on a tree nursery near Los Angeles, where she and her three sisters learned to work hard and love nature. She earned joint MFS and MPPM degrees as one of the first graduates of the program and began her career as a financial analyst at Westvaco in New York. After marrying Damon, a fellow SOM alum, she returned to California to work in her family's nursery business, one of the largest in the West, and also contributed to Monrovia Nursery's quality management efforts. 

Haydi has served on various boards in the nursery and urban forestry fields, including the California Urban Forestry Advisory Council and the Nursery Growers Association, where she was board president. Now retired, she enjoys golf, tennis, and supporting nonprofits such as the Nicaragua College Fund, Free Guitars 4 Kids, and the Rotary Club of Woodside/Portola Valley.  

Lois Morrison ’93 MES/MBA  

At Large Executive Committee Member  
New York, NY  
1^st term ends in 2027 

Lois Morrison brings extensive background in conservation policy and management and great appreciation for her time at YSE. She has held leadership positions at The Nature Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program, Council of Great Lakes Governors, and the Clinton Administration’s President’s Council on Sustainable Development. 

Lois is actively involved in the Harold M. and Adeline S. Morrison Family Foundation, an organization committed to supporting champions of environmental justice and the benefits of spending time in nature. 

Board service is an important part of Lois' life and has included Rare, Blue Sky Funders Forum, Wild Earth Allies, Chicago Botanic Garden, Lake Forest Open Lands, Friends of the Chicago River, and Victory Gardens Theater. Lois is also an engaged supporter of National Geographic. Lois received her undergraduate degree from Penn and her MES/MBA from Yale. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Justin Daab, two college-age daughters, and their dog, Milo. 

Tendro Tondrasoa Ramaharitra ’05 MESc 

At Large Executive Committee Member 
1^st term ends in 2027 

Dr. Tendro Tondrasoa is an environmental scientist and adjunct professor at the State College of Florida, Bradenton. He holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, with extensive international experience in environmental conservation and disease ecology, particularly in West Africa and Madagascar. 

Dr. Tondrasoa is the Vice President and founder of Diffusion Global Inc., a Florida-based non-profit organization. Since 2019, he has served as a lead expert for Yale's ELTI program. Additionally, he worked as a Senior Communications Officer with the United Nations Development Programme, delivering ecosystem restoration courses to over 16,000 participants worldwide, focusing on climate change, sustainable practices, and environmental stewardship. 

Eva Mueller ’84 MF

At Large Executive Committee Member 
Rome, Italy
1^st term ends in 2026

Eva became a forestry professional at Yale at a time when in her home country Germany, there were practically no women in forestry. The School was the starting point for an international career that took her to five continents while she moved from field-based work in developing countries to global leadership positions. Her work focused on forest policy and governance, particularly in the context of addressing food security, poverty, biodiversity loss and climate change. 

Currently she is an international consultant after retiring from her last position as Director General of Forests, Sustainability and Renewable Resources of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (2019 – 2021). Before joining the German Government, she spent fourteen years with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome where she was Director of Forestry Policy and Resources. Previous assignments included three years with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) in Japan, ten years with the German Agency for International Development (GIZ) in Costa Rica, one year with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Kenya and two years with CARE International in Rwanda. 

Board Members

Uma Bhandaram ’15 MESc

Brooklyn, New York 
Appointed term ends in 2025

Uma Bhandaram is the Deputy Chief of the Data Systems and Analytics team for the Environment and Planning division for NYC Parks. She leads a team that supports the division’s mission of building and protecting thriving and resilient community green spaces and natural areas via data-driven management, operations, planning, and research. She is deeply committed to urban greening and championing nature in urban spaces.

At YSE, Uma discovered her passion for public and community service while working to plant trees and cultivate nature during a summer internship at the Urban Resources Initiative. She continues to work in the public sector and has been at NYC Parks for the last 5 years. 

Uma is an MESc from the class of 2015 and holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Environmental Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.  

Genora Givens ’18 MEM

Oakland, CA 
2^nd term ends in 2025

Genora is a Program Research Analyst at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. She supports the Climate and Land Use strategy teams on monitoring, evaluation, and learning and leads efforts to incorporate principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice into grantmaking. Prior to joining the Foundation, Genora was an Environmental Grantmakers’ Association Fellow at Clean Water Action researching the impact of oil and gas production on U.S. water quality and quantity. Her interests include land use law and watershed protection, as well as the development of methods to incorporate understandings of social vulnerability and inequity into analysis of geographic risk and watershed management and planning. 

Shafqat Hussain ’02 MEM, ’05 MPhil, ’09 PhD

New Haven, CT 
2^nd term ends in 2026 

Shafqat is a professor at Trinity College where he teaches environmental anthropology. Most of his work is focused on understanding the social dimensions of conservation, specifically snow leopard conservation in northern Pakistan. A resident of New Haven, he has been active in the Environmental Leadership Mentoring Program and has participated in the annual YSE Reunion Weekend. During his time on the board, Shafqat intends to support efforts to increase the diversity of representation at YSE at every level, as well as opportunities for collaboration between the YSE Alumni. 

Cameron McKenzie 

Newton, NJ 
Appointed term ends in 2027

Cameron is a Presidential Management Fellow and Community Engagement Specialist with the USDA Forest Service where he leads efforts to connect members of the public across 20 states in the Midwest and Northeast to nature and to support the co-stewardship of regional cultural and natural resources. Prior to his role with the Forest Service, Cameron worked with the NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s urban reforestation program and led community-based environmental stewardship and education initiatives with AmeriCorps and Engineers Without Borders.

While at YSE, Cameron conducted research on the canopy ecology of tropical montane cloud forests through the Tropical Resources Institute and Institute for Biospheric Studies and served as a Green and Equitable Workforce Development Fellow with the Yale Center for Environmental Justice. Cameron holds a BSE in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Princeton University and was a participant in Yale’s Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative’s certificate program in Tropical Forest Restoration, Conservation, and Sustainable-Use.

Anne Peters ’76 MFS

Board Member, Immediate Past President 
Sandy Hook, CT 
2^nd term ends in 2025

If Hallie is an “accidental forester,” Anne is an “accidental environmental attorney.” After studying paleoecology at YSE, Anne worked as a research assistant at Brown University, using pollen data to study the response of forest communities to climate change since the last glacial maximum. A tight job market for paleoecologists prompted her to attend law school and her training in natural sciences led to a career in environmental law. She has recently retired after more than 30 years working with individual, corporate, institutional, and municipal clients as well as with engineers, scientists, and government regulators to remediate contaminated properties, establish and improve environmental compliance programs for businesses and nonprofit institutions, and address community water supply and wastewater issues.  Anne is a past chair of the Environmental Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and of the Town of Newtown, Connecticut’s Inland Wetland Commission. In addition to representing the regulated community, she has served on Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection workgroups on environmental use restrictions, spill reporting and DEEP’s Comprehensive Evaluation and Transformation of Connecticut’s Cleanup Laws. 

Phil Rigdon ’02 MF

Washington State 
1^st term ends in 2024 

Phil Rigdon is a member of the Yakama Nation, a tribe in Southcentral Washington State. Phil had the honor to serve the Yakama Nation, as the Superintendent of Department Natural Resources for the last fifteen years. Phil’s career started as a wildland firefighter and extended into forestry and natural resources. Phil has been involved in activities from forestry, fisheries, salmon recovery, water rights, wildlife, environmental work, climate, and other natural resource challenges.                   

James Souder ’18 MEM 

Amsterdam, Netherlands  
1^st term ends in 2027 

Originally from Virginia, James Souder has a background in environmental and social sustainability, having previously worked for NGOs focused on urban gardening, food waste reduction, peacebuilding, and climate action. His expertise includes applying systems thinking and science-based methods to meet human needs within planetary boundaries. 

After studying industrial ecology and green design at YSE, he moved to Amsterdam in the Netherlands to work with Metabolic, a global systems change agency focused on circular economy solutions. 

James is also deeply involved in community activities. He serves as the Tenor 1 section leader in the Amsterdam Gay Men's Chorus and is an avid photographer, singer, and saxophone player. Committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the YSE community, James is enthusiastic about enhancing international alumni connections. He aims to bridge the gap between current students and alumni, ensuring their diverse needs and interests are reflected in YSE’s priorities. 

Jim Spencer ’95 MEM

Baton Rouge, Louisiana 
Appointed term ends in 2026 

Jim Spencer is Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School at Louisiana State University and Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East West Center. His scholarship focuses on urban and environmental planning and policy, with a particular focus on land use and pandemics; community-based water supplies & infrastructure; globalization; and urban inequality. 

Prior to his academic career, Jim held staff positions at the Ford Foundation and non-profit organizations working on community development. He holds a B.A. from Amherst College, a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University, and a PhD from UCLA in Urban Planning. 

Jim is honored to serve on the YSE Alumni Association Board, especially as it relates to how the school can support an increasingly diverse nation and world of decision-makers to manage our growing environmental challenges. Serving as an academic leader in the fields of urban & regional planning, as well as real estate and community development, he is enthusiastic about helping YSE find that increasingly needed link between scholarly excellence and practical impact. 

Student Representative

Dennis Martey ’25 MEM 

New Haven, CT 
Second Year  Student Representative 

Dennis Martey is from Ghana, with a background in law and public policy and a focus on advancing environmental governance and sustainable development. His work has included roles as a lawyer, governance consultant, and In-Country Associate in Ghana for ClientEarth at TaylorCrabbe Barristers & Solicitors, a consulting firm focused on law and development. He specializes in providing legal advisory services on environmental and natural resource management, particularly for Ghana and the broader ECOWAS region. Dennis has worked extensively to empower civil society and policymakers through legal guidance, training workshops, and by fostering collaboration among Civil Society Organizations to strengthen advocacy and drive policy reforms. 

Currently, he is pursuing an MEM degree at the Yale School of the Environment, concentrating on Climate Change Science, Solutions, and Environmental Policy Analysis. He is committed to advancing strategies for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience that improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Faculty and Staff Representative

John Wargo ’81 MPhil, ’84 PhD

Faculty Representative

John is a Professor of Environmental Health and Political Science at Yale University and chairs the Yale College Environmental Studies Major. He has been a Visiting Professor at Yale-NUS College in Singapore and the Universitat Basel graduate school of Law, Economics, and Policy, in Switzerland. John’s research focuses on threats to human health posed by environmental hazards. He has been an advisor to the Senate Committee on Health, U.S. Vice President’s office, several EPA administrators, Senators and Representatives, the Secretary of Agriculture, the U.N.’s World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization. He has been a member of EPA’s Scientific Advisory Panel/Board on Pesticides and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientific panels. His books include Green Intelligence (Independent Publishers Gold Medal Award in Environment, Ecology and Nature; Connecticut Book Award for Non-Fiction; and one of Scientific American’s Favorite Science Books of the year), Our Children’s Toxic Legacy (winner of the Association of American Publishers Annual Award in Government and Political Science), and Ecosystems: Balancing Science and Management (co-author). 

Members on Leave

Paloma Caro ’16 MEM

2^nd term ends in 2022
Santiago, Chile
At-Large Executive Committee Member 

Paloma is a consultant for landscapes and forest policy issues in international development, and has experience in different countries, sectors, and topics of Latin America. As a consultant, she has worked with teams researching, and supporting environmental projects on capacity building, rural development, and global environmental policy and governance. Currently, Paloma works at the World Bank, and prior to joining the organization, she worked for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and WWF at their Chile offices. Paloma studied Agronomy in the Universidad Católica de Chile, and holds a Master of Environmental Management from YSE.

While at Yale, she supported several efforts to create platforms that foster broader connections and dialogue, including the Conference on Sustainable Development in LAC and the Graduate Latinx Network.

Morgan Pierce ’20 MEM

2^nd term ends in 2026
Chiacgo, IL

Morgan is a sustainability professional whose work focuses on helping multi-national consumer brands reach their environmental goals by improving the supply chain and product development process. Utilizing her background in marketing and brand communications, Morgan conveys sophisticated environmental topics to build consensus among stakeholders. Additionally, Morgan serves as a consultant for Karen Karp & Partners working with a variety of food based organizations on supply chain improvement. While at YSE, Morgan served as co-chair for the Yale Environmental Sustainability Summit, was named a social justice fellow at Dwight Hall, and chaired ROOTS. 

Monica Nuñez Salas ’18 MEM

2^nd term ends in 2025
Twin Cities, MN / Lima, PerúMonica is a Political Ecology PhD student at the University of Minnesota Department of Geography. Formerly a professor at Universidad del Pacífico (Perú), where she taught Environmental Law and started an Environmental Management Clinic. Trained as a lawyer, Monica has worked in international development and capacity building through projects with USAID, UNDP, UNEP, the World Bank, and government entities in South America and South Asia. Her doctoral research focuses on the social and environmental effects of the collaboration between China and Latin America. Monica looks forward to connecting our international community of alumni, and assisting in the ongoing diversification of the YSE student population.

 

If you would like to connect with a member of the YSE Alumni Association Board, please email the YSE Office of Development and Alumni Services for contact info.