10.24.16 | By Jessica Hanson

We’ve been hard at work here at Earth Economics this fall – with new projects and a growing team, we’ve had a lot on our plates! Our critical work putting nature on the balance sheet wouldn’t be possible without our stellar staff, and they’ve certainly been busy with EE projects and educational pursuits.

This spring, Evelyn Hickman joined us as Development Coordinator, and we are thrilled to have her join our team! She coordinates our fundraising activities, tracking fund development opportunities and supporting our team with proposal submissions. Evelyn brings a wealth of experience from the nonprofit world, including her most recent position with The Geneva Foundation managing a large portfolio of federal grants.

Evelyn and her family – husband Peter and daughters Ollie and Hanna – moved from Phoenix, Arizona four years ago, where Evelyn worked for the Arizona State Board of Education and teacher’s union. Transitioning to work in ecological economics has come naturally - “Valuing natural capital is the smartest, most progressive method I’ve encountered for protecting the environment. I’m proud to be a part of a team whose daily work gets to the heart of high-impact conservation solutions,” Evelyn says. We are certainly grateful to have Evelyn’s skills and passion for this work!

We are also pleased to welcome Stephanie Swinehart to our crew. As a Research Assistant Intern, she’ll be helping us with recreational valuation and sustainable agriculture projects. Stephanie has been very much touched by the interactions between nature and commerce and, in particular, the impacts those interactions have on local populations. She brings valuable on-the-ground experience managing a food security and microfinance project for a major international NGO in Malawi and two years with Peace Corps Senegal, where she worked with women’s groups, farmers, and youth on small business development, financial inclusion, and agribusiness projects.

Several of our staff members have also recently embarked on educational pursuits.  Ken Cousins is working on a GIS certificate at the University of Washington and Peter Casey is delving further into mathematics. Project Directors Angela Fletcher and Zachary Christin are both pursuing Master’s degrees.

Angela's interest in an M.S. in Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington stems from her experience in real world ecological field work and analysis - “Applied mathematics is an attractive topic to me since it really shows how mathematics makes a difference in the real world. It’s something that speaks well to our work at EE - I’m excited to utilize the practical topics I’m learning to improve our ecosystem service analysis and make it more efficient.”

Zachary is studying for his Masters in Public Administration at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Governance and Policy. Along with his MPA, he’ll also obtain an Environmental Policy Program Certificate, with a specific focus on federal flood policy and incorporation of ecosystem services into local policy. His studies are already proving useful for Earth Economics’ projects – he’s been able to apply what he’s learning to research related to the Floodplain by Design program and in understanding how the state prioritizes forest restoration through federal lands.

We’re exceptionally proud of our growing team, and we’re excited that so many are deepening their knowledge and skills!