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Board Members
Board President Jaime Golba Jaime is currently the School Naturalist at Discovery Charter School. In this role, she facilitates place-based learning by taking students out on the trail next to school that is part of Indiana Dunes National Park. She strives to connect students to nature and help them understand why the natural world is so important. Her love for environmental education began at Dunes Learning Center, where she mentored young professionals. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology. During her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, reading, jewelry making, and being in the garden. |
Vice President Darci Zolman Darci is retired as the Program Administrator for the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). Continuing her passion as an educator, she is now a volunteer educator for the SWCD and the Arrow Head Country Resource Conservation and Development Education Committee, assisting with field and stream programs and educational rafting trips. She is a facilitator for Project WET, Project WILD, Project Learning Tree and Hoosier Riverwatch. Darci also serves on the state advisory council for Indiana’s Master Naturalist program and the state steering committee for Indiana Envirothon. She is a self-proclaimed soil geek, birder and kayaker. Darci is a lifetime member of EEAI and has served in the past as secretary and president of the board and has been the recipient of the Joe Wright, Howard Michaud, President’s and Cornerstone Awards. EEAI is her favorite organization. |
Past President Alison Zajdel Board member since 2017 Alison Zajdel is a former environmental nonprofit director and a current nonprofit contractor and project manager. She works primarily with Earth Charter Indiana as a Resiliency Coordinator with a focus on local climate action and with Stamm Koechlein Family Foundation as their Philanthropy Advocate. Alison managed Cope Environmental Center's first major capital campaign and building project resulting in Indiana's first certified Living Building (https://visitcope.org/living-building). She volunteers for a wide variety of community organizations and events including Richmond Art Museum, Richmond Friends School, Richmond Redevelopment Commission, and the Richmond Meltdown Ice Festival. She also serves on the Environmental Sustainability Commission. Alison graduated from DePauw University in 2001 and currently lives in Richmond with her husband Kyle, their two children Maggie and Joel, and their dog Jake. |
 Treasurer Paul McAfee Board member on and off since 1996 Paul is a software engineer by trade, but has been involved with environmental issues for a lot of years, helping with the Envirothon, Little River Wetlands Project, Audubon Society and many more. He is also involved with Giving Gardens of Indiana, which has a very interesting set of outdoor learning experiences for pre-schoolers and elementary students. Check it out at https://www.givinggardensofindiana.com/. Why you are involved with EEAI: Foster Brown asked me to be on the board several years ago and I've enjoyed it ever since. Interesting hobby or fun fact: I have a blog mostly about nature photography. |
Secretary Sarah Wolf With the last name of Wolf, it’s no surprise that Sarah has been inspired by nature from an early age. Sarah’s most memorable childhood activity was exploring the outdoors while camping with her family - and she turned her passion into a career. Sarah is the Education Coordinator for the Hendricks County Partnership for Water Quality. Sarah earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from Purdue University. Through college, she worked at Turkey Run and Shades State Parks as an Interpretive Naturalist. To complete her Master’s, Sarah managed 1,000 acres of certified wildlife habitat at Eli Lilly Tippecanoe Labs in Lafayette. She studied for two semesters in Europe. Sarah has worked in the soil conservation field and as an Interpretive Park Ranger at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Big Thicket National Preserve, and Padre Island National Seashore (where she got to work with sea turtles!). Her passion is sharing the natural world with others, especially children. In her free time, Sarah enjoys camping, hiking, traveling, and learning. |
At-Large Director Stephanie Schuck Stephanie is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Prior to that, she was the Executive Director of the State of Indiana Cooperative Invasive Species Management (SICIM) and the Restoration Ecologist and Land Manager for the 70-acre Nina Mason Pulliam EcoLab on Marian University's campus, where she led many of the K-12 environmental education programs. She also served in the Peace Corps as an Environmental Action Volunteer and worked as an animal keeper and environmental educator at the Indianapolis Zoo. She received her Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from Ball State University, where her enthusiasm for native plants and restoring natural areas began. She enjoys spending her free time making her own yard more wildlife friendly and pretends to be a photographer when she can. |
At-Large Director Jack Shoaf Jack grew up on a farm outside of the small town of Hope, Indiana with a woods and a creek running through the farm. Jack fondly remembers playing in the woods, swinging on vines, climbing trees, and wading in the creek to catch crayfish. In addition to traditional farm animals, there were quail, pheasant, pigeons, doves, rabbits, raccoons, and red and grey foxes that DNR would use in their education programs. As an adult, Jack moved to Indianapolis and began working in urban schools, soon coming to understand how many children are limited in their experiences and understanding of the natural world. Jack has worked as an educator for over twenty years, primarily in the middle school grades, in both urban and rural settings. Jack has also worked as Resource Conservationist for the Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District and on environmental projects with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science from IUPUI and a Master in Educational Leadership from the University of Indianapolis. Jack is married with four children. As a lifelong Hoosier, Jack has always had an interest in making Indiana better for his family and all Hoosiers and believes that one way to do so is to increase students' understanding of Indiana's natural environment. |
At-Large Director Mary Cutler Mary had a baby sheep growing up, which influenced her to become an environmental educator. It had very white fur and would always follow her to school. She eventually became the chief Environmental Educator of Tippecanoe County. |
At-Large Director
Mindy Murdock Mindy is Director of Recreation Services for Zionsville Parks and Recreation Department. Prior to her promotion, she was a Park Naturalist/Manager for the Zionsville Nature Center since 2014. A transplant from Northeast Ohio, Mindy worked as a Naturalist with Cleveland Metroparks for 13 years, as well as several other park districts in Ohio. She became a Certified Environmental Educator through the Environmental Education Council of Ohio. She is also a Certified Heritage Interpreter and Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation. Mindy received her Master of Science in Biology at University of Akron and has a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from Kent State University. In addition to the EEAI board, she is also on the steering committee for Indiana Children and Nature (ICAN). Mindy is passionate about helping and encouraging others to get outside and discover the wonders of nature in their own backyard. In her free time, you can usually find her out playing in a park, gardening, and exploring nature with her husband and daughter. |
At-Large Director Anthony Escobedo With over 12 years in environmental education, Anthony is the Onsite Program and Fellowship Manager at Dunes Learning Center. He holds a BS in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences from Purdue University, where he founded the first collegiate student chapter of Environmental Education. Anthony's notable projects include the popular YouTube series “The Search for Sandsquatch,” exploring the Indiana Dunes. Passionate about building community through environmental education, he brings creative problem-solving and leadership skills to the board. In his personal time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and trapping, reflecting his deep connection to nature. |
Staff
Resource Coordinator
Megan Sharp
Staff member since 2021
Megan Sharp is EEAI's first employee (Hooray!) and also the Founder and Chair at STRIVE Worldwide, Inc, a nonprofit that works with community partners in Indianapolis and Haiti on projects that improve quality of life and quality of place. Megan has long been passionate about sustainable development, education, and global engagement. She has lived, worked, and studied in places as diverse as Germany, India, Guatemala, Mali, and Haiti and is excited to share what she has learned from these experiences! She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Ball State University in International Studies with a focus on International Resource Management and earned her Masters of Environmental Science from Taylor University. Megan has taught environmental management and various topics in sustainability to students from Kindergarten to graduate school, in a wide variety of settings including formal and informal education, online courses, international classrooms, and prison campuses. Megan also manages an urban homestead supply outlet to promote urban agriculture and sustainable food practices in Indianapolis.