ELP Staff

Dawn Chávez (she/her/ella) brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in nonprofit management in the environmental field to the role of Executive Director of ELP. Born and raised in the Bronx in New York City, Dawn has lived and worked across the country in many different communities, from wilderness outposts to small towns to large urban centers. From 2003 to 2015, Dawn worked in Boston as the director of the Boston Youth Environmental Network and education director of the Urban Ecology Institute. As Executive Director of Asheville GreenWorks, Dawn led the 50-year-old nonprofit through significant growth and development. She has served on the boards of statewide and national nonprofit organizations, including the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, Conservation Trust of North Carolina, and the North American Association for Environmental Education. Dawn is a 2006 Senior Fellow of ELP's New England Regional Fellowship program (NERN's very first year!) and she joined the organization's staff in June, 2023.

In her free time, Dawn enjoys hiking and camping in the mountains around Asheville with her husband, two children, and family dogs.

Nichole (she/her) is the Director of Core Fellowship Programs, and a Senior Fellow of the PNW Regional Network (2021). She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and has a love for rainy days. She believes in the magic of community and relationship as a guide to meeting people where they are. She puts the relationship first to make room for multiple truths.

Nichole is a cultural contributor to this role and brings a mix of skills built through working in a range of settings including grassroots nonprofits that blend trauma-informed principles into program development. She also has a strong financial background developed through her time at a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on equity building in the Pacific Northwest. Nichole works in dynamic ways to foster change, and sees joy in finding multiple paths to achieve creative solutions centering community’s needs. She joined ELP's staff in January, 2023.

Takeya (she/her) is a community builder, a chef, and a land-tender. Her work and life experience includes a longstanding passion for environmental work-- including study in coastal and aquatic ecosystems, working as an educator and conservation crew leader, and supporting young people to gain hands-on experience through the Student Conservation Corps.

Keya shares, "I actively lead a creative life and enjoy exploring my diverse interests—prioritizing my curiosity. I am someone who deeply respects and cherishes the land and my connection to nature is intentional. I deeply believe in the interconnectedness of nature and its role in social and healing justice and am committed to advocating for it and being a loving steward."

Takeya hopes to inspire others to embrace joy, play, spirituality, grace, connection, and exploration daily as she believes through this we can transform our communities from a survival mentality to a thriving one and move towards a more cooperative perspective. She joined ELP staff in November, 2023, and is also a Senior Fellow of the 2019 Eastern Regional Network.

|ma (she/they), RAY Fellowship Partnerships Manager, is a halfrican and southern(US)-raised, western(US)-born environmental experientialist. Her current skill-set includes roles such as sustainability specialist, waste stream coordinator, program facilitator, and artisanal crafter. Her experiences have given her a well-rounded, socially-minded view of the environmental field -often with a focus on bolstering/involving/increasing the presence and capacity of historically excluded groups. That in mind, Ima seeks to incorporate humanist-naturalist-wholistic environmental awareness, conservation, and sustainability into much of their day-to-day life.

They have a bachelor's in Wildlife Conservation Biology from the Fort Valley State University and a master's in Natural Resources and the Environment with a focus on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Systems from the University of Michigan. She also has topics such as sustainable development, food access, and renewable energy "under her belt."

She enjoys reading and listening to a variety of media, dancing around her apartment and sometimes in public, volunteering with local community orgs, catching up on the latest news with family and friends, and trying to get in at least a small bit of nature daily.

Nia, Communications & Outreach Manager, is a proud Caribbean woman who calls both St. Thomas, USVI and Atlanta, Georgia home. Growing up with such a strong connection to her people, she always felt moved to fight for sustainable and equitable change in her community.

Her journey in communications began once she realized how the right messaging can move thousands to action. Upon receiving her degree in Communications: Public Relations from Columbus State University she understood where her newfound skills belonged. Nia has gained her experience working to amplify the voices of small business and nonprofits that aim to improve the position of Black people across the diaspora. In addition to her communications knowledge, Nia has spent time leading instruction in youth agricultural education programs in both Michigan and Arizona. This work led her to becoming a part of the RAY Fellowship team.

When she is not so busy, Nia enjoys painting and filling her home with colorful canvases, listening to music or podcasts, and exploring the world around her.