WHO WE ARE
ABOUT US
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The People and Pollinators Action Network’s staff and leaders bring deep knowledge of and experience with pollinator protection, community development, environmental policy, sustainable agriculture, and habitat management. Staff and Board members work closely to forge strategic wins for people, pollinators, and the state of Colorado.
STAFF
JOYCE KENNEDY
Executive Director
Joyce is the chief coordinator of PPAN. In this multi-faceted role, she directs organizational development and project implementation. She leads the organization’s advocacy work, builds constituency and develops community outreach programs. She has worked as an environmental professional for 20 years for consulting firms, nonprofits, and the National Park Service. Prior to her work as a pollinator advocate, she did river work in New England for 12 years.
SABINA MACKAY
Director of Communications & Development
Sabina has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in fundraising and communications—most recently with small organizations working to build movements at the local level. Through her work with individual, foundation, and corporate donors she has grown partnerships and surpassed funding goals. She has a masters in International and Intercultural Communication from the University of Denver and a strong foundation working with diverse audiences. Sabina is particularly passionate about socio-environmental issues and helping communities enact change through nature-based solutions.
ANNA-GRAY ANDERSON
Community Engagement Coordinator
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Anna-Gray is a recent graduate from CU Boulder with her Masters of the Environment, specializing in sustainable food systems. Before moving to Boulder, she earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill, with minors in social and economic justice and global American studies. She currently volunteers for the Boulder County Climate Justice Hive, and works with Waves of Grain, a food coop in Boulder County. Anna-Gray is passionate about environmental justice, community resilience, and finding the power and joy in food. Her work with PPAN is focused around engaging with community members, collaborating with PPAN’s organizational partners, spearheading events, and supporting PPAN’s outreach and education program.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TIM PLASS, J.D.
Former Boulder City Council Member
Tim is a long-time Boulder resident, enthusiastic backyard gardener, advocate for a sustainable, local food system and a community activist. He has served on the Boulder City Council, the City of Boulder Planning Board and Landmarks Board. A lawyer by training, Tim received his undergraduate education at Harvard University and his law degree from the University of Denver.
SUE ANDERSON
Community Activist
Sue has worked in the non-profit sector for over thirty years in Vermont, Colorado and Washington state, as well as in Asia and Africa. She has worked primarily in the areas of social justice, environment and civic engagement serving as executive staff and on many boards of directors. Currently she serves on the boards of Conservation Colorado and the Community Foundation of Boulder and is on the national advisory board of the Union of Concerned Scientists. She is a beekeeper and grows things on a small farm outside Longmont.
BETH CONREY
Owner, Bee Squared Apiaries
Beth is the recently retired president of the Colorado State Beekeepers Association, a position she held for the past 6 years. For the previous 6 years, she was president of the Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association. She is co-chair of People and Pollinators Action Network (PPAN) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Pollinator Stewardship Council (PSC). She operates Bee Squared Apiaries, a chemical-free, 100 hive beekeeping business in Berthoud which produces terrific honey, gorgeous beeswax candles, and indulgent soaps.
LOUISE TURNER CHAWLA
Professor Emerita, College of Architecture & Planning, University of CO
Louise is Professor Emerita in the Program in Environmental Design at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her work focuses on the benefits of nature access for children, the development of active care for nature, and participatory methods for engaging children in design and planning as a means of civic development and sustainability education. Louise serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Children and Nature Network, which works to document the benefits of access to nature in spaces of everyday life and promote city greening. She finds cause in creating green spaces for people and pollinators, and in ensuring that both are protected from toxic pesticides.
AMY LEWIS
Vice President of Communications & Development, The WILD Foundation
Amy has spent the last 15 years researching the building blocks of collective action. She has brought this knowledge to bear in her own work as an award-winning nonprofit leader and a scholar of environmental policy. Her research explores the relationship between democratic decision-making and policies that benefit the environment. Recently, she has employed her knowledge and skills at the WILD Foundation, aligning her personal goals with WILD’s mission to activate an international ethic of care for our wild planet. Amy is also finishing the last two chapters of her doctoral dissertation, something she has resolved will be completed before the conclusion of this decade.
REBECCA DICKSON
Instructor, University of CO / Chair, Sierra Club, Indian Peaks Chapter
Rebecca has a doctorate in English literature and teaches at the University of Colorado Boulder for the Writing and Rhetoric Program. She has published on many topics and served as editor of various Sierra Club publications. She has long been dedicated to addressing environmental concerns and has won regional awards for her work as an activist on climate change and the protection of pollinators. Most recently, she was awarded PLAN-Boulder County’s environmental award and the Sierra Club-Rocky Mountain Chapter’s Networking Award. She has also been awarded the Charlie Oriez Environmental Award for her political activism. She is dedicated to helping students understand key sustainability issues and the importance of how we communicate on these topics.
LORRAINE DIXON-JONES
Policy Advisor, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
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Lorraine Dixon-Jones served as a policy advisor for over 25 years at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, where she was involved with the regulation of health care facilities. Before that she worked as a policy analyst at the Colorado state legislature as well as at the National Conference of State Legislatures. She has a B.A. in International Studies from Allegheny College and a Masters in Sociology from UC Denver.
JULIE MORRIS
Associate Teaching Professor in Department of Biological Sciences, University of Denver
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Julie's work focuses on biology education and outreach, especially environmental education and strategies to improve engagement and learning effectiveness in large introductory and non-major’s biology courses. She is passionate about preserving biodiversity and is actively involved in several sustainability initiatives on DU's campus and in the surrounding Denver community. This includes managing DU’s community garden, and advising two undergraduate student organizations: the DU Pollination Association and the DU Botanical Society.
LIANA STREET
Owner, Bees & Trees Inc.
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Liana owns and operates Bees & Trees, Inc., a family-run business that provides bee and tree-related services, including tree pruning, tree removal, honey bee hive removal, and more. Through Bees and Trees, Liana spends a lot of her time giving advice about native bees, honey bees, wasps and how to create a safe habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife, including the importance of planting native plants and trees. She has been involved with PPAN since 2017 and heads up PPAN’s Boulder County chapter.
BRET TURNER
Hazardous Materials Specialist, University of Colorado Anschutz
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Bret currently lives in Denver and works as a Hazardous Materials Specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. He is also a Master of Public Health candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health with a concentration in Global Environmental and Occupational Health, with plans to graduate in May of 2023. Bret received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Resource Management from Penn State University in 2015. In his free time Bret enjoys spending time outdoors looking for native plants, cooking, and tending to his houseplants.
ROB GREER
Tenant-defense nonprofit attorney & native plant enthusiast
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Rob is a tenant-defense nonprofit attorney by day and native-plant advocate by night. His favorite native plants include western sand cherry, bee balm, and prickly pear, and he recently grew 800 natives for his local plant swap. Rob takes a special interest in the public-health benefits of urban native plants: shade, water conservation, local food, storm runoff, and temperature moderation. He also values their benefits for native fauna, as well as for sheer beauty and preservation of Indigenous culture. Rob is an alum of U.C.L.A. and the University of Chicago Law School. He lives in Denver with his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and darling mutt, Mollie.
Don Murray​
NOAA meteorologist & beekeeper
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Don is a meteorologist working at NOAA on issues related to climate change and renewable energy. He stopped using pesticides in his yard and started planting flowers for pollinators in 2007, started keeping honeybees in 2013, and became a neighborhood leader for Bee Safe Boulder in 2014. He worked with the Boulder County PPAN chapter to encourage the City of Longmont to reduce/eliminate the use of pesticides on city property, frequently works events for PPAN, and teaches kids about pollinators at summer camp, as he believes them to be the future of the fight to save pollinators. Don and his wife, Diana, operate Buddha And The Bees, producing pure beeswax candles, all natural personal care products, and honey from their chemical-free hives and gardens.
WEBSITE DESIGNER
IDELLE FISHER
Website Designer, Graphic Designer, & Gardener
Idelle is an avid gardener and runs an organic community garden in Denver where she's worked with the members to create pollinator habitat featuring many native plants. Idelle also has a large organic landscape and garden at home and recently replaced her front lawn with a native plant bed. She volunteers with PPAN and Front Range Wild Ones at native plant swaps and in Denver Parks to help take care of the city's pollinator beds.
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Idelle grew up in Thornton, Colorado and is a DU Alumni. In addition to gardening, she paints watercolors, sketches, and loves taking photos of gardens, homegrown veggies and pollinators. She runs her own business offering Website Design and Graphic Design, and loves working with green clients that are helping to change the world for the better. Check out her website at: picklewix.com