Leadership Team

Gregory “Greg” Ira is the UC Environmental Stewards Director, based at UC ANR in Davis, CA. His areas of interest include field-based environmental education, volunteer water quality monitoring, tools for addressing culture in environmental programs and strategic program planning. After completing his Bachelors in Environmental Studies and Masters in Asian Studies, he worked for six years in the Philippines integrating conservation into the context of rural development. In Florida, he established statewide environmental education programs for students and teachers and managed sustainable initiatives including the Florida Green Lodging program. 

Sarah-Mae Nelson leads UC Environmental Stewards’s UC Climate Stewards certification course. An educator, science communicator, and climate change interpreter, she's worked for the Monterey Bay Aquarium as a Conservation Interpreter and Online Community Manager for ClimateInterpreter.org. Sarah-Mae is an active member of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), sitting on one of the leadership committees.

Eliot Freutel is the Southern California Community Education Specialist (CES) for Climate Stewards and California Naturalist. Eliot's background is in language translation, informal marine science education with an emphasis on island ecology, and community climate resilience. He enjoys free-diving, backpacking, playing guitar and spending time outside with his kids.

Pamela Byrnes is the Bay Area Community Education Specialist (CES) for Climate Stewards and California Naturalist. As a Marine Biologist, Naturalist and Educator, Pamela has led educational programs and natural history/research trips along the California coast and internationally. Her studies focused on marine mammals, seabirds, wetlands and coastal ecosystems. She enjoys, hiking, gardening and watching wildlife. 

Karyn Utsumi serves as the Sierra/Central California Community Education Specialist (CES) for Climate Stewards and California Naturalist. With a background in environmental restoration and education, Karyn enjoys teaching people of all ages the importance of California’s unique and diverse ecology and concepts of sustainability. She enjoys nature walks, reading, and exploring new parts of California.

Jill Sarick serves as the Ventura, Santa Barbara and SLO Counties Community Education Specilalist. Early in her career, she lived and worked in the Lake Tahoe Basin as an environmental educator and relocated to southern California after the birth of her son. Since then, she has worked for a mix of local governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations promoting sustainable living and natural resource conservation. As an outdoor enthusiast, Jill finds solace and inspiration in nature.

Michelle Peeters serves as the Northern California Community Education Specialist (CES) for Climate Stewards and California Naturalist. With a diverse background in humanities, horticulture, web publishing, natural resource protection and education, she is dedicated to sharing environmental and climate literacy to assist in creating a robust community of stewardship throughout California and beyond. She enjoys lake kayaking, hiking, time with family and practicing phenology.

Alexandra "Ali" Stefancich is our Community of Practice Educator, supporting Environmental Stewards alums and course partners to inspire each other and work together towards the shared goal of ecosystem and community resilience. Her goal is to help create spaces where we support each other socially and emotionally as well as in our collective work—sharing best practices, discussing ideas for projects, seeking support in difficult times, celebrating successes, and engaging in hands-on work. Originally from the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, Ali has a Bachelor of Arts and Science from The Evergreen State College. She has devoted her career to inspiring people of all ages to connect with and nurture their local environment in various positions in the environmental field. When she is not hard at work, she enjoys a myriad of outdoor activities, independent cinema, crafting, baking, gardening, seeing live music, and spending time with loved ones and her awesome cat.