MEET THE CLIMATE NEXUS TEAM

As an Associate for the Projects and Partnerships Team, Olivia Amitay works to craft an effective climate finance communication strategy. She has approached climate communications from a journalistic, policy, philanthropic, corporate, and comedic lens to drive swift action across multiple audiences.

Olivia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and Environmental Policy. Prior to Climate Nexus, Olivia was a Producer for The Sweaty Penguin Podcast, a PBS comedic climate program that focuses on making environmental news less overwhelming and more accessible.

In her free time, you can find Olivia exploring the art of sampling music, browsing local thrift shops, or cultivating her house plant collection.

Rose Andreatta is a climate change impacts expert with a strong foundation in translating scientific information into usable formats for a variety of audiences.

As the Associate Director of Climate Science Communications, Rose directs the Climate Signals platform, one of Climate Nexus’s marquee projects.

Rose earned her Master’s of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University and holds a Certificate of Achievement in Weather Forecasting from Pennsylvania State University.

José Aranda is a water and communications professional working toward protecting Mother Earth and cultivating a deeper relationship with Water.* As Water Hub’s Relationships Manager, he advances water equity through the Color of Water initiative, which aims to give voice and visibility to Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islanders, people of color, and LGBTQ2S+ voices often overlooked in mainstream media.

Resourceful, from flying drones in the rainforest to dancing salsa with donors, José brings over a decade of experience in water and communications. Prior to joining the Water Hub, José served as Water Program Associate at the Pisces Foundation where he supported the strategic development of a national program focused on advancing a more holistic, equitable, and sustainable approach to water management. José also served as Researcher for the US Water Alliance’s Water Equity Taskforce and previously as Water Fund Coordinator for the El Triunfo Conservation Fund in Mexico.

Before joining the water and climate movement, José worked as a freelance journalist, photographer, and filmmaker for national and international outlets. José has an M.Sc. in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and a B.A. in Communications from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. He grew up in Toluca and spent his summers in Chiapas. He enjoys spending time outside, swimming, drumming and singing.

* In order to recognize the sacred living nature inhabited by “water,” the term Water is capitalized when referring to the life-giving consciousness and spirit of water.

Caterina Bartha is non-profit finance practitioner with a long history of working in theater and dance. In her role, Caterina oversees the finance process and directs the ongoing financial policies and priorities of Climate Nexus.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Caterina worked at the Dramatists Guild, with the who’s who of American Theater. She started life as a choreographer and was a founder of Collective: Unconscious, a downtown NYC venue that supported emerging artists, from 1995-2008. She is one of the producers of the film Charlie Victor Romeo and has produced numerous film festivals, dance, and theater programs since 1995. She holds an MBA in Media Management from Metropolitan College and an MS in Accounting from St. John’s University. She serves as the Treasurer for The Lilly Awards Foundation. Caterina is thrilled to support the most pressing issue of our generation at Climate Nexus.

Sarah Bucci has worked as a campaigner, advocate, and communications strategist on environmental issues across the United States for more than a decade. Today, she is director of strategic communications with the Water Hub and believes the best campaigns are smart and scrappy and the most effective way to create lasting change is by sharing and elevating personal stories.

As a fellow, organizer, and state director with Environment America, Sarah led successful field campaigns across multiple states where she organized support for climate action, fought new oil and gas projects, and worked to protect water resources. Most recently, Sarah served as the communications director for GRID Alternatives, a national clean energy equity non-profit, where she worked to bring real-world stories of a just energy transition to life.

While she grew up on the east coast, Sarah now calls Denver home. She’s an avid Colorado Avalanche fan and is at her happiest while gardening.

Maggie Caldwell is a writer, editor, multimedia storyteller, and strategist with a background in advocacy communications and journalism. As Associate Director of Energy Transition she is focused on advancing this country’s adoption of clean energy in a just and sustainable way.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Maggie was National Communications Strategist at Earthjustice where she ran campaigns to protect wolves, grizzlies, bees, rivers, and the people and communities that relied on and cared about them. Before that she was a journalist at Mother Jones and general assignment reporter and editor for several local newspapers in her native Connecticut.

Maggie has a B.A. in political science and cultural studies from McGill University, where she was also a member of the women’s soccer team. She continues to play competitive soccer, most recently for the New York Magic, a semi-professional team based in Manhattan. When not working or playing soccer, she can most likely be found hiking, biking, or skiing in the mountains of her newly adopted home state of Maine.

Harrison Carpenter-Neuhaus is a communications associate on the energy transition team. He is an experienced communicator in traditional and broadcast media, social media, and digital advertising, with a background in diverse issues from immigration to business, political organizing, and sustainability.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Harrison was a Communications Coordinator with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Before that, he served as a Communications Associate with NYC Census 2020, the City’s 2020 Census organizing initiative. Harrison began his career in crisis communications with the international public relations agency Weber Shandwick, and also worked as a Content Strategist with the digital agency The Marketing Arm.

Harrison has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University, where he studied art, literature, history, and philosophy (and also met his wife). Outside of work, Harrison is a passionate baker and skateboarder, and father to two beautiful cats.

Danielle Crockett is a multi-hyphenate senior designer and art director, bringing a hybrid of analytical and creative thinking to her role at Climate Nexus.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Danielle founded a digital design agency — with a mission of creating communicative solutions for industrial start-ups, political campaigns, and non-profit initiatives. Her work spans across broadcast and digital campaigns for USAID, Senate Democrats, and the Nuclear Abolition Movement.

She received her BFA in Communications Design from Pratt Institute.

When not behind a computer, you can find Danielle playing the bass guitar, infusing her clothing with campfire smell, and pretending to be a mechanic via endless YouTube tutorials.

Part of the founding team for Climate Nexus, Hunter Cutting serves as a Senior Director and Special Advisor on Strategy. He is dedicated to developing strategy across the organization, researching the landscape of science, industry, economics, and politics.

Most recently Hunter scoped and launched the organization’s workstream on U.S. LNG exports and helped to develop the organization’s strategy on greenhouse gas removals. Among his other projects at Climate Nexus, Hunter led the development and launch of Climate Signals, a science database and digital platform curating climate change attribution literature and providing resources for discussing extreme weather events and other climate change impacts in real time.

Hunter is a veteran hand at meetings of the UNFCCC and led the Nexus team at the Paris climate talks where he also served as the U.S. lead on a global team coordinating NGO communications worldwide. Hunter has also participated in thirteen IPCC reports, starting with the AR4 report cycle in 2007. Most recently he has served as an invited expert reviewer in the AR6 cycle and was seconded to the IPCC Secretariat to assist with report rollouts.

As a researcher, Hunter has developed new methodologies to extend the field of media analysis. And he has written extensively on media and communications, including Right Here, Right Now: A Communications Guide to Climate Change Impacts.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Hunter built the energy and climate division of Resource Media and helped to launch and lead We Interrupt This Message, a national media strategy center dedicated to building the capacity of front-line organizations working for social justice.

Hunter is the co-author, along with Makani Themba, of Talking the Walk: A Communications Guide for Racial Justice (AK Press) named by Dani McClain, writing in the pages of The Nation magazine, as “essential reading for today’s movement for black lives.”

Early in his career, Hunter has served as a legislative aide in the U.S. House of Representatives and traveled the campaign trail, directing numerous political campaigns and working in swing districts such as Peoria, IL and Riverside, CA.

It all started when Hunter earned a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. He is the father of two, lives in San Francisco, and on weekends is mostly likely to be found sailing and racing on the San Francisco Bay.

Chévon Deputy is the senior director of development at Climate Nexus, bringing more than 15 years of professional expertise to the role. She spent the majority of her career raising funds for leading healthcare institutions including Mount Sinai, NYU Langone Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Chévon was a Major Gifts Officer at the Environmental Defense Fund, where she also served on the Environmental Justice Council. Before that, Chévon was the Campaign Manager for A Better Chance, an educational nonprofit, where she played a critical role in the completion of a $20M campaign, the first-ever.

Chévon serves as the Fund Co-Chair in addition to a Black Alumnae/i Fund Committee member for her alma mater, Bryn Mawr College. She received a Masters of Public Administration from Baruch College.

Andrea Everett is Climate Nexus’ Senior Director of Survey Research and Data Science. Her interest in opinion research began in graduate school, with a desire to understand how public attitudes affect foreign policy outcomes. She authored a dissertation and book (Humanitarian Hypocrisy, Cornell University Press, 2017) about the impact of democratic politics on the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Andrea conducted survey and social science research in the private sector, and worked in academia as an assistant professor of international affairs. She holds a PhD in politics from Princeton University and a BA in political science from Stanford.

Andrea grew up on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and currently lives in Northern California. When not diving into cross-tabs, she is happiest while hiking, camping, and sharing time outdoors with family and friends.

Briana Flin is an Associate Director for Nexus Media News, where she covers environmental justice and climate change. Her work has appeared in outlets like The Atlantic, WIRED, Newsy, KQED, and Twin Cities PBS. Prior to joining the Nexus Media team, she was at WIRED, producing videos on everything from kinetic sculptures to praying mantises sporting 3D glasses. She’s a proud alumnus of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and a Californian born-and-raised. After work, you can find her attempting to train her rambunctious rescue dog, baking treats, or rewatching Mad Men for the umpteenth time.

As the Methane Accountability Campaign Associate, Leslee Gutiérrez Carrillo’s work at Climate Nexus is to hold the oil and gas industry accountable for meeting methane emissions reduction pledges.

Leslee joined Climate Nexus with an organizing and environmental justice background. Their previous work focused on cumulative impacts legislation in Minnesota, local environmental justice policy, anti-incinerator work, and personally holds a heart in climate migration and displacement work. They were born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but grew up in Toronto, Canada and Puebla, Mexico. Now lives in Oakland, California.

Hodan Hassan is a communications strategist with experience in climate communications and a passion for advancing climate justice for the last eight years. Before joining Climate Nexus, she worked as the Senior Communications Specialist for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, where she led the communications work for their climate campaigns, Water Justice LA, and RePower LA campaigns. She is a passionate storyteller who combines community organizing and communications skills to center the lived experience of frontline communities of color in the climate justice movement.

She holds a Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Washington in her hometown of Seattle, WA. She relocated to Los Angeles, where she lives now, in the summer of 2019. When she’s not thinking about how to solve climate change issues, she is watching TV, reading books, and learning to swim!

Shravya Jain is a senior manager of media and international communications at Climate Nexus, where she works on communication strategies around climate change solutions, climate & environmental justice, and regional climate policies.

She holds an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Shravya has interned with the United Nations for their in-house sustainability initiatives and with the Heron Foundation on their impact-investment mission to help communities raise themselves out of poverty.

Before coming to the US, Shravya worked as a journalist in India with Reuters and India Today. She also briefly worked with SELCO Solar, a pioneering off-grid solar company, where she got a chance to visit villages in South India and see the transformational power of solar energy.

Shravya loves writing short-fiction and constantly day-dreams about being a published author in her spare time.

Jessica Jewell Lanier brings 10+ years of marketing and communications experience to support water justice in the West.

Prior to joining, she led digital efforts for One Meal a Day for the Planet, an initiative of James Cameron and Suzy Amis Cameron. She also served as TreePeople’s Director of Marketing and Communications where she supported progressive water and urban forestry legislation and community volunteers. Before joining the climate movement, Jessica cut her teeth at PETA where she worked on celebrity advertising campaigns and marketing efforts.

When she’s not working, you can find her making a mess in her kitchen, wandering dusty desert roads, reluctantly flipping vinyl on her record player, or between the pages of her next speculative fiction fix.

Sara Kazemian recently received her PhD in Political Science from UC Davis where she studied how political polarization and inequality shape political outcomes and political participation. Her academic training focuses on survey methodology, including survey experimentation. Sara has experience in securing grant-based funding, and her research experience spans a wide range of topics including Americans’ political attitudes toward climate change and health equity. In her free time, Sara volunteers her research skills for a non-profit that helps match service dogs with disabled veterans.

As climate science communications senior manager, Terran Kirksey is involved with climate science outreach to the public and media via our Climate Signals program.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Terran amassed a decade of science communications experience as a broadcast meteorologist, working in several regions of the country.

Terran has a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology from The University of Oklahoma, and a Masters of Science degree in Geosciences from Mississippi State University.

In his spare time he loves to find good coffee and good food, as well as explore nature.

Paige Knappenberger is the director of partnerships. She leads our work with climate change partner organizations working on climate change from the perspective of public health, faith, national security, environmental justice, youth and parents. Working out of the Climate Nexus office in Washington, D.C. Paige provides these partners strategic media guidance and support to amplify the work they are doing to reach and engage distinct groups on climate change and clean energy.

Prior to joining the Climate Nexus team, Paige worked for the D.C. Sustainable Energy Utility and interned at Oceana and NRDC. Paige completed a dual-masters in sustainable development and global environmental policy through American University in Washington, DC and the University for Peace in Costa Rica.

Paige grew up in Arizona and California and frequently endures the cross-country flight to visit her family out west. In her free time Paige enjoys scuba diving, crafting, and live music.

Tiffany Langston is a storyteller, writer, and communications strategist with 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. As Senior Director, Strategic Communications on the Methane Accountability team, she will develop campaigns focused on liquified natural gas, methane science, climate action, and climate justice.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Tiffany was the Communications Officer at Doris Duke Foundation, where she created and implemented the organization’s email marketing program, fostered and grew brand awareness, and oversaw thought leadership activities. Before that, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at Good+Foundation, where she oversaw a team that was responsible for public relations, events, corporate engagement, and fundraising strategies. Tiffany led the content and multimedia function as Director of Knowledge and communications at Nonprofit Finance Fund, and managed digital outreach efforts for WaterAid America and Philanthropy New York, respectively.

Tiffany holds a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Memphis and a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Miami, with concentrations in Motion Picture Production and Sociology.

Tiffany resides in Queens, New York. She is a James Beard-nominated writer, and in her spare time, she plays poker, figure skates, and volunteers with the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, and Meals on Wheels.

Tina Li is the Digital Data Analyst at Climate Nexus, working to ensure a data driven approach to all of the digital team’s work.

Tina’s background is originally in public health communications, but her career has traversed various sectors such as social services, higher education, and political campaigns. Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Tina worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as a Data Analyst for the 2020 campaign cycle.

Outside of work, Tina enjoys hanging out with (and taking too many pictures of) her dog, gardening, and finding the best food spots wherever she travels.

Alisha Maniglia is a communications expert with a strong foundation in environmental issues and land conservation. She serves as the Communications Director for the Climate Emergency Shipping Coalition, working with partners around the globe.

Before joining Climate Nexus, Alisha managed the Communications Department at the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority, where she engaged residents about the importance of nature for physical and mental health and its importance for combating climate change.

Alisha earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing at California Polytechnic State University. She now calls Denver home, where she spends her time hiking, biking, and kayaking.

As associate director of science defense, Phil Newell is involved at various stages with much of our work, from brainstorming ideas to drafting and editing final products. Phil also leads on our rapid response and denier monitoring work.

Before working at Climate Nexus, Phil was an intern at the World Watch Institute, where he blogged on sustainable agriculture. Prior to that, he worked with EARTHWORKS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of irresponsible mineral and energy development while seeking sustainable solutions.

Phil has an MA in Global Environmental Policy from American University, and a BA in Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University.

Marlene Peralta is a director of broadcast media relations, leading Climate Nexus’ broadcast outreach program to increase coverage of climate change and its impacts on national TV (network and cable) news.

She has a MA in Broadcast Journalism from The Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Before coming to Nexus, she worked as a senior consultant for strategic communications and has accrued over 15 years of experience in English and Spanish language media having worked for El Diario, the largest Spanish language daily newspaper in New York City, also for Newsday, AM New York, HITN TV, 1010 WINS Radio, CUNY TV, among others.

Marlene is an Emmy® award nominee and is the recipient of three Communicator Awards from the Academy of International Visual Arts (AIVA).

Marlene is a baseball fan and loves traveling, especially to her native Dominican Republic.

As a Communications Associate for the Projects and Partnerships team, Katharine Poole focuses on crafting effective climate change communication strategy. Katharine has a background in climate science and policy.

Prior to Climate Nexus, Katharine worked on designing brand identity and digital assets for various climate-related organizations. Additionally, she was an Associate for the Managing and Adapting to Climate course at Columbia University.

Katharine holds a Master’s degree in Climate and Society from Columbia University, along with a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Tulane University.

Dustin Renaud is a dedicated advocate and environmental communications leader serving as the Director of Programs and Strategic Communication. With a passion for justice, Dustin has built an impactful career centered around amplifying the voices of frontline communities and crafting communication strategies that center those most affected by pollution burdens and climate change.

Committed to environmental and climate justice, Dustin served as the public affairs and communication strategist for Earthjustice. Dustin also served as the Communications Director at Healthy Gulf, a regional environmental nonprofit focused on the Gulf of Mexico and the communities subject to heavy industrial pollution in the region. His work went beyond conventional outreach, striving to create a platform that not only raised awareness but also built power within marginalized communities.

By placing frontline community voices at the forefront, he has successfully crafted messages that inspire action, fostering a sense of urgency and solidarity. His work exemplifies the belief that sustainable change comes from listening, understanding, and providing resources to those most affected.

He holds a BA in Communication Studies from the University of Southern Mississippi. He is based in New Orleans where he enjoys singing, cooking, working out, costuming for Mardi Gras, and taking his dogs to City Park to spend time near the water.

As Creative Content Director at Climate Nexus, Monika Sharma brings her extensive media and communications experience to the Nexus Media News team, managing multiple streams of content and helping the brand reach its full potential. Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Monika was ‘doing good’ at MTV Networks, where she led numerous issue-focused campaigns across MTV’s various media platforms. Monika further honed her marketing skills on the social innovation team at Weber Shandwick, where she was responsible for brainstorming and pitching sustainability ideas to corporate clients.

Monika is a graduate of Duke and Columbia. She is an avid yogini, francophile and music fan, who is constantly inspired by her native New York.

Elisabeth Soto is a highly motivated, full-stack digital native with over ten years of experience and a startup marketing mind. She holds certifications in marketing automation, digital marketing, data analytics, e-marketing, SEO, and front-end web development.

Her digital and communications experience spans a variety of sectors — from financial services to philanthropy — and institutions including Cohen & Steers, the Latin American Private Capital Association, and Sony DADC.

Elisabeth holds a BA in political science from Columbia University and is a General Assembly alum.

She is also a coffee addict with a love for vegan cooking. When not fighting climate change, she is probably Netflix binging, cry laughing at TikToks, or traveling between coasts and throughout LatAm.

Stephanie Stanton is a data-loving, story-driven digital strategist and marketing specialist based in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to joining the Climate Nexus team as Senior Associate of Programmatic Ads, her multifaceted background in digital included running paid media, email strategy, social, and beyond in both the consumer goods and nonprofit sectors. Most recently, she worked as the Digital Marketing Manager at Belle Isle Craft Spirits, and before that served as Digital Strategist at the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University.

When she’s not staring at screens, Stephanie can be found tinkering with cocktail recipes for her food and drinks pop-up Shift Meal RVA, planning her next elaborate trip, or hanging out with her two bad cats, Bill and Worm.

Emma Stieglitz is a skilled communicator with more than a decade of experience securing high-value media placements for progressive campaigns and causes. As director of the Building Electrification workstream, she works with community, local, state, and national partners to advocate for a just, equitable, and safe transition away from fossil fuels in the building sector.

Before joining Climate Nexus, Emma was a communications consultant at BerlinRosen, where she led and executed national and local media strategy for a range of labor and nonprofit clients.

She lives in New York with her partner and a possessive tabby.

Courtney St. John is the Managing Director of science and energy. She has extensive experience working across policy, academia and communications on environmental issues.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, Courtney was the outreach director at the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University’s Earth Institute. Before that, she was the Climate Change Affairs Officer for the U.S. Navy’s Task Force Climate Change, overseeing execution of the Navy’s Climate Change Roadmap. She was a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, working on marine and coastal policy issues.

Courtney has authored publications on a variety of environmental issues, including the national security implications of climate change and climate change communication. Courtney holds a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning and a certificate in Risk Communication. In 2015, she was named a Climate “sHero,” one of nineteen women working to advance climate action in New York City.

As a Communications Associate for the Projects and Partnerships team, Vivian Taylor works to connect experts and thought leaders with media and activists to help promote strong understandings of the links between climate and human health.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus Vivian served as a Chaplain’s Assistant in the US Army in the War in Iraq, the executive director of the Episcopal Church’s national LGBTQ ministry, and wrote about peace and justice issues for various newspapers.

Vivian has a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Public Policy with a focus on renewable energy from Duke University.

In her personal time she enjoys walking her dog while listening to podcasts, playing video games, and writing science fiction.

Shoko Yanagawa is the Manager of Broadcast Media Relations at Climate Nexus, working to increase national TV news coverage on climate change and its impacts.

Prior to joining Climate Nexus, she served as a general-assignment news producer for the NYC bureau of Japan’s Fuji Television, covering everything from breaking news and international diplomacy to a skyscraper-climbing raccoon.

A native of Shizuoka, Japan, Shoko has lived in Alaska and Wisconsin prior to making a home for herself in New York City. She enjoys cooking, crafting and traveling, including to places she can reach by bike share.