Kathleen Paul
Director

Kathleen Cowles Paul joins the PCEE from her previous position with Penn State Shenango (Sharon, PA), where she served as director of continuing education. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Education from Michigan State University and a master’s in Adult and Community Education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has also received extensive training to supplement her considerable experience in development (grant writing and individual donations), organizational leadership, and the application of creative problem solving techniques to support mission and program development.

Her previous professional experiences include the development of a school and neighborhood-based IPM program (with supporting educational materials) for the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies, oversight of environmental and community education for the City of Pittsburgh (including the Frick Environmental Center), serving as head of the education and training department and then director of planning and development for Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, and working as an independent consultant with non-profit organizations (including the Rachel Carson Homestead Association) to develop strategic direction and action plans.

Past activities include the development of training programs for professionals and a wide variety of non-formal educational materials and programs for both children and adults, including numerous members of populations traditionally under-served by environmental education. She has presented non-formal educational programs at the elementary, middle, high school and university levels, and has conducted training workshops for teachers, public health workers, social workers, laborers, administrators and the general public. Many of her programs have been funded entirely through grants that she developed.

Kathleen has assumed leadership of the PCEE with her usual high level of enthusiasm and creativity. As a fervent backpacker, hiker and sailor, Kathleen has always looked for ways to contribute to the health of the planet and to share her love of the workings of nature with others. She feels that the PCEE can make a significant contribution to the reputation that Pennsylvania already enjoys as a cutting edge provider of environmental education. Her goals for PCEE in the immediate future are to identify ways to support agencies and organizations that are already providing environmental education and to assess the educational needs of underserved audiences. She looks forward to hearing your thoughts.

Kathleen Paul’s Resume

Email: Kathleen Paul

Richard Knight
Communications Coordinator

Dick Knight has retired after being with PCEE since 2001 but will continue to support PCEE until his replacement is hired. By adding such Web components as the Question of the Week, the on-line newsletter and most recently Critter Quest PA, the Web site has grown from several thousand hits per month to the current traffic in excess of 3 million hits per year during his time with PCEE.

Dick joined PCEE after a 31 year career teaching middle school science and computer science in Montgomery County, Maryland. He has earned a bachelor's degree in Earth Science, master's degree in Science Education and A+ Computer Technician Certification. In addition to his teaching duties he was involved in curriculum and teacher development programs with NASA, NOAA, USGS, Smithsonian Institution; University of Maryland, and the American Meteorological Society. In 1998 he was recognized as the outstanding middle school science teacher in Montgomery County. After "retiring" from teaching, he returned to New Castle and has kept busy doing home remodeling, working as a computer technician, and as an environmental educator with Pa. Bureau of State Parks. Dick was responsible for maintaining the PCEE Web site and other technology related projects.

Email: Mr. Knight

Melissa Reynolds joins PCEE with a strong background in environmental education and training in a variety of non-formal and professional settings, along with experience and expertise in the arenas of for-profit business and sustainable agriculture.
Melissa is responsible for the educational components of upcoming and current initiatives, including the development of outreach materials, the virtual EE resource library and the educational portions of PCEE’s new website.

Melissa’s educational credentials include a bachelor’s in Environmental Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York, and a master’s degree in Environmental Education from Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

Her past positions include teaching outdoor education at YMCA Camp Kern near Cincinnati, Ohio, conservation education at the Oglebay Good Zoo in Wheeling, West Virginia and environmental education with Lutherlyn’s EE Program in Prospect, PA. Melissa has worked with at-risk high school students in the environmental science portion of the R. Benjamin Wiley Partnership Program at Slippery Rock University, and Special Olympics athletes at Lutherlyn.  Melissa has also received training in numerous educational materials, including a variety of Pennsylvania-specific curricula.  Most recently she worked in human resources and benefits with First National Bank (of Pennsylvania) in Hermitage and Davevic Benefit Consultants in nearby Grove City.

A member of the Pennsylvania Alliance for Environmental Education (PAEE) and the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Melissa is personally invested in living as sustainably and lightly as possible on the earth.  She is realizing her dream of homesteading while still living in town, including raising heritage-breed chickens and maintaining an organic vegetable garden.

Email: Melissa Reynolds

Dixie comes to PCEE with a 21 year career, working at Slippery Rock University in the Facility & Planning Department and more recently, University Police. She grew up in Slippery Rock and was the daughter of Woodrow Portzlin, PA State Game Warden and Land Manager for Butler and Lawrence Counties. Through this connection with wildlife, she truly appreciates all the resources and beauty that Pennsylvania has to offer.

Her interests are horseback riding, swimming, scuba diving, and roller skating with her grandchildren. Dixie looks forward to working with the staff at PCEE whom she says are "terrific and hardworking".

Email: Dixie Wolfe