Nice to Meet You
Every spring, we shine a light on local nonprofits, and we encourage businesses and Oregonians to get to know them. All told, Earth Day Oregon is a collection of many nonprofits, hundreds of businesses, and thousands of Oregonians who donate and get involved. We have contractors, a steering committee, and a board of directors.
Our Team
Our team at Earth Day Oregon is led by a board of directors, supported by a steering committee of community volunteers, and staffed by a collection of talented contractors. Their combined passions, nonprofit experience, business leadership, and community connections drive Earth Day Oregon’s work.
Interested in joining our steering committee? Let us know!
Thank you to our former Steering Committee volunteers: Julie Baweja, Suzanne Coffman, Kristin Connor, Kathryn Goodwin, Wanja Kiraguri, Kathryn Kocarnik, Katheryne Lewis, Mahala Ray, Morgan Rider, Micayla Short, Sierra Turpin, and Christina Williams. And Thank you to our former and inaugural Executive Director, Kelly Stevens.
Gina Binole is a seasoned communicator and passionate advocate for outdoor adventure and environmental stewardship. She combines her professional expertise in content, development, social media and storytelling with a deep personal connection to the outdoors, cultivated through years of hiking, climbing, bicycling and skiing in the Pacific Northwest. Gina’s work with organizations like the Mazamas, Cycle Oregon, the Community Cycling Center and the International Living Future Institute reflects her commitment to fostering inclusivity and inspiring others to find joy and purpose in nature. As a proud Oregonian, she champions initiatives that protect and celebrate the state’s natural wonders, making her a dedicated member of the Earth Day Oregon Advisory Board.
Anouksha Gardner is a dedicated Stakeholder Relations Manager at the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA). Originally from Nepal, Anouksha’s early years were spent amidst the lush, organic tea farms of her homeland, where she developed a deep appreciation for sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
Her passion for sustainability extends beyond her professional life. Anouksha actively volunteers with Earth Day Oregon, driven by a strong belief in its mission to celebrate and protect our planet. Through her volunteer work, she aims to build meaningful relationships with communities committed to environmental conservation.
Anouksha’s journey from the tea farms of Nepal to her impactful role at NEEA exemplifies her unwavering commitment to sustainability and community engagement.
Bethany founded Earth Day Oregon in 2019, with a team of volunteers, who envisioned catalyzing collective impact across the state on Earth Day. By inspiring businesses and nonprofits to collaborate, Earth Day Oregon has helped raise funds for organizations advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Oregon. Before launching Earth Day Oregon, Bethany co-founded Ecology in Classrooms and Outdoors (ECO), a nonprofit dedicated to environmental education. A lifelong Oregonian, Bethany is also a mother of three busy boys, enjoys running and live music, and lives with her partner in Portland. When not volunteering with Earth Day Oregon, she works in music production.
Sierra Ellis is a dedicated leader committed to serving her community and helping others thrive. With a passion for building strong relationships and creating positive change, she has spent her career developing impactful programs that support individuals and families. Outside of her work, Sierra enjoys staying active through soccer, barre, and other physical activities. She also loves exploring the outdoors with her two children, taking them on adventures that inspire curiosity and connection. Whether through her professional or personal life, Sierra is driven by a deep belief in the power of community, resilience, and meaningful engagement.
Bradlee Ensworth is a passionate advocate for sustainability and community engagement. Originally from Las Vegas, he moved to Portland six years ago and was quickly inspired by the Pacific Northwest’s deep commitment to environmental consciousness. This shift opened his eyes to the urgent need for greater awareness and action across the country. Bradlee is dedicated to fostering meaningful conversations and creating impactful activations that bring people together for a greater cause, he is eager to contribute his energy and vision to drive sustainable change and community-driven initiatives.
Our Values
We love Oregon and Earth.
We value the mosaic of communities and ecosystems in our corner of our amazing planet. Earth Day Oregon must include and benefit the health of all of our state’s communities and ecosystems as part of a global partnership for action.
We maximize impact through collective action.
Addressing the pressing challenges we face and creating a sustainable world requires all of us. Earth Day Oregon brings people together to make a greater collective impact on April 22nd each year than we ever could alone.
We advance equity.
Earth Day Oregon prioritizes relationship-building with and resource allocation to organizations led by, engaging, and benefiting people of color and people who identify with other marginalized communities. We pursue learning and action in our operations to advance racial equity and other forms of justice, and we are building a team that reflects these goals.
We champion an inclusive Earth Day.
We work to create safer spaces where people can build support for these vital causes. We prioritize the inclusion of those who have historically been excluded from Earth Day and its benefits and who are underrepresented in the movement.
We activate the power of diversity.
We are building a network of Oregon partners of all budget sizes; who have unique missions; who work in a range of places and with a range of communities; and who are led by people who hold diverse identities. As a one-stop hub and public campaign for Earth Day action, we invite people to learn about and engage with this diversity to advance our common goal of sustainability.
We partner with intention and trust.
We trust our nonprofit partners’ experiences and are responsive to their needs. Our nonprofit partners are trusted by their communities and by Earth Day Oregon to address the most pressing challenges facing our state. Earth Day Oregon recognizes that our nonprofit partners are the experts in their communities, and we put
them front and center in our work to generate community support that amplifies their work.
We lift up intersecting work.
We align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a global framework for action. We cultivate partnerships and public engagement to advance all 17 intersecting goals in Oregon. We focus on Earth Day Oregon’s unique role in Earth Day while recognizing the value of related efforts such as marches and advocacy campaigns.
