Tuesday, February 18^th  2025

Lidia Soto-Harmon serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Student Conservation Association (SCA), the largest provider of hands-on environmental conservation programs for youth and adults in the nation.

Prior to joining the SCA, Soto-Harmon was the CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital, the largest council in the country for the past 13 years, serving over 76,000 members in the Greater Washington region. She was directly responsible for building a compelling strategy to successfully expand access for girls across the region, transforming programs, creating experiences in the outdoors, and engaging communities to support and expand youth development.

Before joining the Girl Scouts, Soto-Harmon served as Senior Vice President of Community Development for First Book, a national children’s literacy organization dedicated to getting new books into the hands of children from low-income families. She also previously served as Deputy Director of the President’s Interagency Council on Women at the U.S. Department of State and Senior Director for the Fannie Mae Foundation’s Targeted Outreach Department. She currently serves as Chair and Trustee of Migration Policy Institute, Executive Committee member for the Booz Allen Foundation, Board Member for First Book – a national Children’s literacy organization, Chair of the Advisory Council for the master’s in public administration at the Schar School of Public Policy and Government and is an Adjunct Faculty member at George Mason University.

Soto-Harmon holds a master’s in public administration from George Mason University and has participated in various Executive Leadership Programs at Harvard, Stanford and the Center for Creative Leadership. She has a bachelor’s in arts from Drew University. She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum, the Washington Business Journal Women Who Mean Business, and Leadership Greater Washington Class of 2007. Having grown up in El Salvador for almost eight years, she credits her compassion and love of youth and nature to her childhood living in San Salvador. Soto-Harmon is married and has two fantastic bilingual adult children.

Jocelyn Bridson is the Director of Environment & Community Impact at the Tillamook County Creamery Association, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative and Certified B Corporation in Oregon. She has over twenty years of experience working at the intersection of science, management, and communication. After joining Tillamook in 2020, she has worked collaboratively to establish strategies and implement stewardship projects across farms, facilities, and their fleet including creating a climate action plan roadmap. She also leads the Certified B Corp’s philanthropy programs which center around food security, agricultural advocacy, and healthful children.  Previously she led sustainable agriculture programs in the fresh produce industry in California and has also worked in habitat restoration and environmental education. Jocelyn is a Certified Crop Advisor and has a master’s degree in Environmental Science & Management from UC-Santa Barbara and a B.S. in Conservation Biology from UW-Madison. 

Jocelyn served as an SCA member from 2002-2003 in Yosemite National Park. There she coordinated and led backpacking programs through the WildLink, a program dedicated to helping teenagers from traditionally underserved 

Natalie is a sustainability and policy expert with extensive grassroots organizing, fundraising and campaign experience. She has been named as one of The Hill's Top Lobbyists in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Natalie has served on the board of directors of the Power Shift Network, Young Voices for the Planet, and Care About Climate and currently serves on the boards of the Partnership Project and the Student Conservation Association. She has a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability from the Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona Sweden and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland College Park. Natalie has worked at some of the largest and most influential environmental organizations, such as the Sierra Club as the National Dirty Fuels Lobbyist, as the Policy Director at 350.org, as the Senior Director of Climate Solutions at the Wilderness Society and as the Climate Campaign Director at Greenpeace USA. She has served as the Vice President of Government Affairs for Rise to Thrive, an organization with a mission to empower and support women and femme leaders of color in the climate, environmental, and conservation movement. Today Natalie is the Chief Program Officer for the international youth climate organization Zero Hour and works with youth around the world, to build a powerful and inclusive movement of activists, fighting for a just and sustainable future. She is the Director of Campaigns and Advocacy for Generation Green, which organizes the Black/African diaspora to fight for environmental liberation. She works to build an environmental movement that truly fights for the people most harmed by fossil fuels and impacted by climate change. Natalie first served with the SCA in 2007.

Dr. Donna Shaver is a renowned wildlife biologist who has dedicated her career to the preservation of endangered species, with a particular focus on Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. She grew up in upstate New York, where her early interest in wildlife biology was influenced by her grandfather's love for nature and his saltwater aquariums. Dr. Shaver attended Corcoran High School and later pursued her undergraduate studies at Cornell University, where she majored in traditional wildlife biology. However, her passion always lay in the recovery efforts of threatened and endangered species. In 1980, between her junior and senior years at Cornell, Dr. Shaver began her work with Kemp’s ridley turtles as an intern at Padre Island National Seashore through the Student Conservation Association. At that time, the Kemp’s ridley population was plummeting, and her work was instrumental in the conservation efforts. Throughout her career, Dr. Shaver has been a strong advocate for women in science, often serving as a mentor and role model for young female scientists. She has been recognized for her dedication to her work and her commitment to passing on her knowledge and passion to the next generation of wildlife biologists.

Christine Chung is a field biologist, environmental educator, and lifelong conservationist currently based in Florence, Italy. She is a master’s student studying Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems at the Université Libre de Bruxelles under the Erasmus Mundus program. She is passionate about wildlife conservation and socioecology, with her master’s thesis research investigating the complexity of the human dynamics of the human-elephant conflicts in Sri Lanka. Her education and experiences have taken her from the historic wildfires in California to the pristine backcountry in New Zealand to the wildlife-rich plains of Kenya and Tanzania. Her multifaceted career spans the fields of wildland firefighting, environmental stewardship, animal care, public outreach, and wildlife research. As a six-time SCA alumna and Events Committee Chair of the SCA Alumni Council, she channels her diverse field experiences into inspiring, empowering, and mentoring the next generation of conservationists.

Dr. Cisneros is a general pediatrician at Children's Community Pediatrics Bass Wolfson. He also serves as Medical Director at Children's Express Care, Secretary/Treasurer of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP), and a founding member of Clinicians for Climate Action. He's co-chair of the Climate and Environmental Health Committee and Advocacy Committee of PA AAP and has met with elected officials to advocate in support of climate health policies. Dr. Cisneros has cared about environmental sustainability throughout his life. He's an alumnus of the Student Conservation Association. He graduated from Pomona College with a B.A. in Environmental Analysis. He helps lead Green Office certification projects in the outpatient clinic setting. Dr. Cisneros served with the SCA in 1999 at Rocky Mountain National Park.

With over 22 years of experience as a hiring manager for the Forest Service, Becky Shufelt is a seasoned expert in the federal hiring process. Recognizing the challenges many face when trying to secure federal employment, she founded Life in the Wildlands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting individuals in navigating the complexities of the federal hiring system.

Becky's passion for conservation careers drives her mission to empower others. Through her nonprofit, she provides valuable resources including federal resume writing assistance, career counseling, and comprehensive guidance on navigating the USAJobs.gov hiring platform effectively.

Her workshop is tailored specifically for current SCA members and alumni, focusing on entry-level positions in fields such as:

• Wildland fire
• Outdoor Recreation Management
• Wildlife and Fisheries
• Forestry
• Park Rangers
• Other various roles within the National Park Service, Forest Service, and other public land management agencies.
  
  

With a commitment to simplifying the federal employment landscape, Becky offers an insightful presentation that equips her audience with the necessary tools to pursue fulfilling conservation careers.

Lauren Cosgrove is the Northeast Campaign Director for the National Parks Conservation Association, a 100+ year-old nonprofit organization advocating for America’s national parks. 

She works with grassroots organizations, diverse coalitions, academia, policy experts and decision makers to protect national parks, strengthen policies, fight for critical funding, and empower the next generation of park and climate advocates. She is an experienced advocate and campaigner, working at all levels of government and with front-line communities to bring positive, equitable change. Being a resident of Rockaway, Queens, NY for over a decade and serving as a Board Member of the Coney Island Beautification Project since 2015, Lauren leverages her skills to train community leaders and center local voices in the rebuilding and future development of vulnerable coastal communities. She has written publications, spoken at noteworthy public events, and serves on numerous Citizen Advisory Committees in NYC and regional and national coalitions helping to shape innovative approaches in land conservation, urban and suburban resilience, and cultural preservation. Lauren received her MBA from Baruch College, CUNY, in 2021 and recently became a certified WEDG® (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) Associate joining a network of over 500 professionals in waterfront planning, design, engineering, and community development.

Lauren served with the SCA in 2013.

Bio coming soon!

Rod served as an SCA backcountry intern in the summer of 1976 in Olympic National Park. He was stationed in the Hoh River Valley rainforest, at Glacier Meadows (adjacent to a glacial moraine), and in the Bogachiel River valley.  The Hoh River Valley descends from the snow-covered Olympic mountains. After his internship Rod created and completed an Environmental Studies major in college. The major had an interdisciplinary focus. His thesis evaluated the economic, social and scientific challenges and opportunities of protecting and logging redwood forests in northern California 

Post college Rod assisted with environmental impact statement preparation in southern California. He then entered a graduate program with an initial focus on land use planning. Rod pivoted to non-profit finance after taking an inspiring course on how to tackle financial challenges and opportunities. He pursued a career in non-profit finance which included working with Boards, CFOs and CEO to expand and improve housing and healthcare for the elderly. His clients developed innovative new campuses which offer a continuum of independent housing, assisted living, memory care, short term rehabilitation and long-term care. Those innovative campuses nurture residents’ holistic health with a focus on the seven dimensions of wellness (including environmental wellness, which includes experiencing nature both indoors and outdoors).  

Rod served as a volunteer with the national commission which evaluates the financial health of non-profit life plan and continuing care campuses.   He also served as a volunteer with the trade association which represents New York’s non-profit housing and healthcare providers for the elderly.  

After retiring from his career in non-profit finance Rod developed a second career as a full-time volunteer. This career includes hands-on-work and governance (serving on non-profit boards). His service included two terms on the Student Conservation Association Alumni Council, and continuing service as a member of Council’s Alumni Donor Engagement Committee. He also served as chair of the board of The Osborn, a non-profit continuing care (life plan) community in New York and serves on the board of Brookhaven at Lexington, a non-profit continuing care (life plan) community in Massachusetts. He is co-president of the New Rochelle Library Foundation, which oversees an endowment fund and fundraises to finance enrichment projects. In addition, he volunteers with Healthy Yards which collaborates with the New Rochelle School District to plant native gardens and promote sustainability. He also volunteers with Wild Tomorrow, which is rewilding agricultural land in South Africa, preserving unique habitats like the sand forest and providing conservation jobs for the local Zulu community. Finally, Rod volunteers with Westchester Resettlement Coalition, a local non-profit refugee resettlement agency which supports families authorized to settle in the United States.