Green Fund Committee
Julia Totty, Co-Chair
Julia is a 4th-year student double-majoring in Environmental Science with a Communications emphasis and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. She is from Sacramento, CA which she loves because it’s equally close to the beach and the mountains. She loves the Earth! She spends a lot of her time getting involved with campus clubs and organizations that promote sustainability and conservation of our ecosystems. She is part of other NAU clubs and groups like the Hiking Club, Green Jacks, and the SSLUG Garden. She loves hiking, camping, and backpacking, and just being outside doing anything. Her work with the USFS over the summer helped her develop her love for and interest in forestry and the intricacies of ecological systems. She hopes to be able to help everyone enjoy and appreciate the outdoors as much as she does.
Alanna Goodell, Secretary
Alanna is a senior at NAU majoring in environmental engineering and minoring in chemistry. Her love for the environment began in high school when she took an environmental science course and started getting involved with more clubs and volunteering opportunities focused on helping the environment. During her time at NAU, Alanna has been involved in small research projects that focus on creating a sustainable campus and ensuring that current implementations are not degrading to the environment. In the future, Alanna wants to be able to create new technologies that benefit the environment as well as spread awareness for important environmental issues. In her free time, Alanna enjoys hiking, dancing, hanging out with her friends, and taking care of plants.
Paige Strickland, Co-Chair
Paige is a senior at NAU pursuing a B.A. in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Paige developed a deep love for nature and wildlife from camping and hiking since she was a kid! She is most passionate about preserving and protecting our natural systems and teaching others about leading sustainable lifestyles. Paige spends much of her time involved in all things sustainability on campus and in the community and is constantly seeking to expand her horizons on the subject. She is the co-founder of Thrift Jacks, a club on campus that advocates for the reuse and donation of items by students, for students! She hopes to make sustainability more widely accessible to NAU students and help foster the culture of sustainability on campus with the help of the Green Fund and other environmental groups. In the future, she hopes to be either an environmental consultant or work for an environmental advocacy organization.
Emily Hackett, Public Relations
Emily is a junior at NAU pursuing a double major in Spanish and Environmental & Sustainability Studies. Being raised in the scenic Santa Cruz mountains of California, her passion for the environment has always run deep. She has had a great opportunity to work in her high school’s aquaponic greenhouse for two years, providing the school and community with fresh produce. After her time at NAU, she hopes to bring sustainable practices to mainstream agriculture businesses in California. In addition to Spanish and sustainability, Emily enjoys traveling, learning, going to NAU sporting events, and spending time at the beaches in her hometown.
Andrew Nettels, Treasurer
Andrew is a senior majoring in Business and is also pre-law. A proud Eagle Scout, Andrew first
developed his passion for the outdoors during his time in Scouts. Raised in Los Angeles, Andrew decided to attend Northern Arizona University for a change of scenery and to experience the many outdoor opportunities Flagstaff has to offer. When he is not busy studying, Andrew can be found hiking or skiing. During his time at Northern Arizona University, Andrew has worked for ASNAU, the School of Hotel & Restaurant Management has been a member of the Business Leadership Program, has served as the Treasurer and Vice President of Theta Chi Fraternity, and is also the current Vice President of the Inter-Fraternity Council. Throughout the remainder of his time at Northern Arizona University, Andrew is looking forward to learning more about business, law, and sustainability.
Dayna Cook, Data Analyst
Dayna is a senior Environmental Science major with an emphasis in mathematics and a minor in Spanish. As someone who was born in Flagstaff, her adoration for the town, as well as the natural environment that makes this small mountain town so special, is what led her to the Green Fund. Rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, gardening, and skiing keep her constantly outdoors and in touch with her passion for wildlife health and preservation. She hopes to encourage others to live their lives mindfully in touch with the earth, acknowledging the impact their actions have on earth’s natural systems. She dreams of a day when she can stop in the middle of her environmental fieldwork job and fondly remember how she and the Green Fund helped make sustainability a top priority at NAU.
Natalie Pierson, Community Outreach Coordinator
Natalie is a Senior at NAU majoring in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a minor in Astronomy while simultaneously pursuing an M.S in Climate Science and Solutions in an accelerated master’s program. Having grown up in the magnificent Pacific Northwest, she has always held a deep appreciation and love for the environment. her previous major, Physics & Astronomy, left her with a fascination for the stars while her current studies inspire her to take action against the accelerating change of climate by helping communities mitigate and adapt to climate change. When not doing research or sustainability work she has also been heavily involved on campus as Astronomy Club president and dedicated member to Green Jacks, the SSLUG garden, and Thrift Jacks. In her spare time, she loves spending time outside going on walks, volunteering, relaxing in a hammock with a good book, admiring the stars, or exploring somewhere new. She is always trying to apply what she has learned to the real world by working to protect both the social and ecological communities of Northern Arizona from the consequences of rapid climate change. Her dream is to continue this type of work into the future and engage communities in the beautiful process of change for a better, greener world.
Sam Blustein, Graduate Student Representative
Sam is a graduate student at NAU pursuing an M.S. in Climate Science and Solutions, having previously earned his B.S. at the University of Minnesota where he studied Sustainable Systems Management. There, he found his passion for the technical side of addressing climate change. He found his calling with Life Cycle Assessment and Greenhouse Gas Accounting, which are essential tools to inform sustainable decision-making and climate action. He hopes to be able to transfer his technical experiences and skills into a career in sustainability consulting and greenhouse gas accounting. In addition to his technical interests in climate change, he also has a larger appreciation for nature and enjoys going on hikes around Flagstaff (sometimes it’s nice to stop staring at spreadsheets on your computer and actually get out and enjoy what you’re trying to preserve).
Agnes Drogi, Faculty Advisor
Agnes is a professor of practice in the Construction Management program in the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences (CEIAS), as of Fall 2017. Prior to that, she was the director of Planning, Design, and Construction at NAU, and championed sustainability across campus, contributing actively to the design and construction of (11) LEED Certified (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) buildings on NAU campus. She has 27 years of project management experience, handling planning, design, and construction of large commercial, industrial and institutional construction projects using multiple delivery methods (Design/Build, CMAR, JOC, Hard Bid). She successfully managed multi-million-dollar construction projects, with an accurate budget and schedule forecasts.
She encourages her students to think about how, as construction managers, they will be in ideal leadership positions to help reduce the impact our build environment has on the natural environment.
Agnes has been living in Flagstaff since 2004 when she came up as a General Contractor’s project manager from Phoenix to manage the construction of the College of Business on NAU Campus.
She loves her new job as a teacher, engaging with students while keeping her connections with professionals in the construction industry.
In her spare time, you are most likely to find her riding the local mountain biking trails, skiing, trail running, having fun with her family and friends.
Chad Stiller, Staff Advisor
Joshua Spear, Staff Advisor
Joshua Spear is currently employed at Northern Arizona University in the role of Senior Project Management and oversees multiple construction projects from conception to completion. In this role, he has helped NAU achieve many honors including the USGBC Heavy Metals award two years in a row 2014 and 2015. This is an award for LEED projects that have gone over and above expectations of facility performance and aesthetics.
Avi Henn, Staff & Green Fund Business Manager
Avi was born and raised in Israel where he was deeply influenced by environmental damage his hometown experienced from heavy industrialization and poor planning. He became interested in sustainability, climate mitigation, and wildland preservation and traveled to the United States in 2001 to obtain his higher education. His most recent degree was with NAU at the Climate Science and Solutions (CSS) program. Avi has over 20 years of experience and has been involved with sustainability at NAU and in Flagstaff for over ten years. He is excited to help NAU become a leader in all aspects of sustainability and to advance our institution’s carbon neutrality.