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Green Earth Book Awards

Change is in the Air

2026 GEBA Winner: Council Oak Picture Book – Intermediate

Safe Crossing

Written by Kari Percival
Chronicle Books

Debbie Levy

The Nature Generation

The Nature Generation is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit that inspires and empowers youth to make a difference. We reach our nation’s youth through innovative environmental stewardship programs in literature, science, and the arts.

Tax ID# 20-1670424

© 2015-2026 The Nature Generation. All Right Reserved.

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800 North Glebe Road, Ste 500
Arlington, VA 22203

Special thanks to The Cadmus Group for generously donating office space and administrative services to NatGen

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East Coast
329 Park Avenue
Lewes, DE 19958

West Coast
917 Lincoln Place
Pacifica, CA 94044

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Ian Kline serves as president and CEO of Cadmus, a technology-driven advisory and implementation firm serving government and commercial clients. Under his leadership, the firm has significantly diversified its markets and capabilities through organic growth and through acquisition. Ian has also led the firm’s geographic expansion from an east coast-based consultancy with offices in Boston and Washington, D.C., to a firm that serves clients around the globe from offices across the United States and Europe.

Ian joined Cadmus in 1995 as an associate. He was named president in 2005 and CEO in 2007. He has provided strategic and analytical support to many of the firm’s clients, and he played a leading role in developing and implementing major public health and environmental protection programs at the national and state levels. He has also served as a senior technical advisor on the firm’s work in the areas of climate change and sustainability.

Ian serves on the Advisory Council of the Cornell University Atkinson Center for Sustainability and the Advisory Board of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. Ian is Chairman of the Board of The Nature Generation, a nonprofit organization that works to inspire environmental stewardship in children and young adults through literature and learning.

Ian holds a master’s degree in environmental policy and management from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University. He also is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s comprehensive executive leadership program.

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Debi McGhee brings more than 35 years of experience in capture and proposal development within the government and commercial sectors. She currently serves as Vice President of Consulting Services at Red Team Consulting, where she oversees operations and growth across Strategic Growth, Capture, Proposals, GWACs/IDIQs, and Training. In this role, she leads teams of senior executives, capture managers, business developers, functional leads, and subject matter experts to develop winning strategies, strengthen capture activities, and deliver high-quality proposal responses that drive growth for federal contractors.

Debi has a deep history with the Nature Generation. As the organization’s first Executive Director, she helped establish its environmental stewardship mission and led early fundraising and governance efforts. Today, she serves on the Board of Directors as Secretary, continuing to champion programs that inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.

“I have been part of the foundation from the beginning because I truly believe in the mission of inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. I love our seed grants to kick start small projects throughout the country to get the message of environmental sustainability out to all.” — Debi

Earlier in her career, Debi specialized in communications consulting for government clients, including the Environmental Protection Agency, where she advised on public access strategies and web development initiatives. She has also been actively involved in community service, supporting Habitat for Humanity initiatives and serving on the board of Habitat for Humanity of Loudoun County, Virginia.

Debi holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and is a member of the Association of Proposal Management Professionals and a graduate of the Leadership Arlington Program. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, their two adult sons, and Bailey, their energetic pup.

Cindy Shephard currently serves on the Board of The Nature Generation; she served on the Advisory Board since NatGen’s inception. As the Chief Operating Officer at Cadmus she brings more than 25 years of experience in financial management, operations, and accounting. She has a passion for ensuring that Cadmus continuously improves the ways in which it does business. She guarantees that staff management, workload allocation, and project management are the best in the industry, and that they benefit clients and employee-owners.

With her background in financial training and executive leadership, Cindy has helped steer Cadmus’ corporate policy development, financial management, and quality assurance. She also brings considerable expertise in acquisitions and integrations. Cindy is responsible for ensuring that administrative systems and performance data are structured to enable executive team, division and team leaders, and project managers to make the best decisions possible.

Previously, Cindy served as Vice President and Group Controller at SRA International, and as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Administration for the Marasco Newton Group. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Tennessee.

Darby Chellis Bade is the GDIT Vice President for the EPA Business Area Lead and Executive Lead for GDIT’s Climate Change Initiatives. In this capacity she is responsible for the overall successful program and financial execution of nearly 20 programs. She is also responsible for coordinating and implementing internal and external climate change initiatives within GDIT and with customers. Darby leads the successful delivery of product deliverables including the identification of innovative ways to meet customer requirements, developing and maintaining customer and partner relationships, supporting the development and growth of over 500 staff, and working closely with internal and external partners. Darby has worked for GDIT for 27 years working for the Marasco Newton Group, SRA, CSRA, and now GDIT.

Darby is a 2020 graduate of the ACT IAC Partners Program, is an ACT IAC Fellow, and is a graduate of the GDIT Executive Leadership Program. Darby holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from American University in Washington DC, an M.S. in Management Information Systems from University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, and is PMP certified.

Ellen Claussen has been a life-long educator across two different careers and various volunteer positions. Her first career was as an educator in math and sciences ranging from grammar and high schools through colleges as her family moved up and down the East Coast.

Ellen changed direction when her children went away to college by going back to college herself to get a degree in physical therapy. In this second career, she most enjoyed educating geriatric patients on how to be physically active in their later years. As a volunteer and supporter, Ellen established a strong connection with the Camden Public Library (Maine) and its children’s library. It is consistently ranked as one of the top 50 public libraries in the country.

In retirement, Ellen continues to tutor students in math and the sciences. She holds a B.S. and M.A. in education and a B.A. in physical therapy.

John Claussen is former Chief Environmental Counsel at GE, President of TRC Environmental and Vice President of CH2MHILL. Across his professional positions, John enjoyed managing multi-disciplinary staffs directed at finding the most effective solutions to environmental and energy challenges.

His interest in environmental issues has extended to volunteer positions with The Nature Conservancy and various land trusts. John’s other volunteer interest has been in education leading to public library board positions and board chair of Maine Media Workshops (an educational institution focused on storytelling through photography and film making).

John holds a B.S. in engineering, M.S. in engineering management and a J.D. in law.

Dr. M. Cathrene Connery is an English as a New Language Teacher in the Homer Central School District in upstate New York. Over the past 30 years, she has contributed to the education of linguistically & culturally diverse children, communities, and their educators as a public school elementary teacher, instructional coach, consultant, professor, writer, editor, and researcher. An award-winning author of multiple books and presentations, Cathrene’s teaching, scholarship, and research utilizes creativity, cultural-historical theory, and literacy education to actualize educational equity, democracy, and academic excellence.

Ed Miller is a Senior Vice President at the Cadmus Group LLC where he leads proposal development and corporate communications. In addition, Mr. Miller serves on Cadmus’ Executive Committee and participates in a variety of corporate planning and strategic initiatives. He joined Cadmus in 1992 and spent several years building a practice focused on providing marketing and outreach support using social science, social marketing, risk communication, and a wide range of creative communication techniques to design, implement, and evaluate innovative voluntary pollution prevention and public health protection programs. Rather than rely on traditional regulatory approaches, these voluntary efforts encourage positive behavior to promote public health and environmental protection. Mr. Miller enjoys bringing his skills to bear to help the Nature Generation expand its brand presence.

Prior to Cadmus, Mr. Miller was an Associate at ICF, Inc., where he conducted extensive energy sector modeling and economic and financial analyses of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a master’s degree at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Edward R. Saltzberg, Ph.D. has been a director and senior officer of environmental and management consulting firms for over 20 years. He is founder and president of ERS Advisors, an independent consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Dr. Saltzberg’s environmental expertise is in water quality and hazardous waste programs. He has been instrumental in developing and implementing growth strategies and expanding corporate technical capabilities.

Dr. Saltzberg is a former Board member of the Marasco Newton Group. He currently chairs the Economic Development Authority in his hometown of Falls Church, Virginia where he helps promote revitalization of underutilized commercial and residential sites.

Linda Manning has an interdisciplinary background in natural resources policy and analysis, community problem-solving, facilitation, conflict-management, communications and social science and policy research. Her work has focused on improving communication of environmental issues and problems in order that individual citizens, land and water managers, government officials and educators can more effectively engage public support and resources in protecting the natural environment. She specializes in the design and facilitation of complex technical/scientific dialogues in order to solve management issues, prioritize scientific inquiry, and inform policy makers.

Ms. Manning has worked collaboratively and in a management capacity with a variety of audiences from executive-level federal government officials to subsistence farmers in West Africa. Her focus on alternative dispute resolution and management priorities consistently reflect the richness of these multiple viewpoints and values in any issue in which she is engaged. Her subject area experience is both broad and deep with experience and interest in the following topics: flood risk management, water quality, brownfields redevelopment, endangered marine mammals, sustainable development, biodiversity protection, pollution prevention, wildfire policy, and international environmental policy

Prior to her 13 year career in environmental consulting for SRA International and the Marasco Newton Group, Ms. Manning was employed as a community planner for the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, a researcher/writer for the National Consortium for Environmental Education and Training at the University of Michigan and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa. Ms. Manning is now the founder and President of Council Oak, an interdisciplinary consulting firm located in Annandale, VA.

Lydia Kline is a Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Health’s Fogarty International Center (FIC). As a member of FIC’s Division of International Science Policy, Planning and Evaluation (DISPPE) she develops and researches concepts for FIC’s new Center for Global Health Studies, helps provide strategic information to the Fogarty Director on program planning and evaluation, and is part of a core team developing FIC’s new strategic plan. Ms. Kline has previously worked at the non-profits Partners in Health and World Education, as well as at research centers at Harvard University (the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights), Georgetown University (the Institute for the Study of International Migration) and Massachusetts General Hospital (the Center for Global Health).

Ms. Kline earned her MPH degree from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health as a Sommer Scholar, an MS degree from Georgetown University and her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. She is co-author of The Uprooted: Improving Humanitarian Responses to Forced Migration.

Theresa Thomas is the COO and Co-Founder of Bullard, Thomas, Watson & Co. (BTW & Co.), a women-owned consulting firm that helps government contractors and commercial companies build scalable growth operations and organizations and win strategic pursuits. Over her career, she has led and supported proposal and growth efforts totaling nearly $5B and has operated across complex business inflection points including pre- and post-IPO environments, leading post-merger integrations, and driving transformation under private-equity ownership. She holds a B.A. in Biology from George Mason University and an M.B.A. from Trinity University.

An environmental consultant by training, Theresa brings a stewardship mindset to everything she leads—grounding strategy in evidence, accountability, and impact.

Theresa is a current executive board member of The Nature Generation and has volunteered with NatGen since its inception. A recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, she champions innovative environmental stewardship programs in literature, science, and the arts through education and community partnerships. Theresa lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her family and an energetic menagerie of pets.

Nathan Smith is a Senior Vice President at the Cadmus Group. He has more than two decades of experience supporting government agencies and multi-national corporations in the design and creation of performance-driven energy, environmental management, and resilience programs. He has managed and delivered major environmental, sustainability, energy efficiency, training, facilitation, and program support contracts to government clients.

Nathan leads Cadmus’ Public Sector Division, which advises federal, state, and local government clients in the areas of water, energy, transportation, emergency management, resilience, climate change, public health, and international development. He leads all federal accounts, including the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Research Board, and Department of Justice.

Nathan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia and a Master’s of Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

Rebecca Tirrell is a Senior Manager of Emergency Management Programs at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), bringing expertise to advance critical client-focused missions. Ms. Tirrell began her career as a biochemist performing and developing new experimental procedures in academic research laboratories for the University of Virginia in the areas of Pathology, Internal Medicine and Microbial Ecology.

Keenly aware of environmental stewardship through early lessons of “searching for treasures” with her grandfather in Virginia’s salt marshes, Ms. Tirrell continues to devote her professional career to prevention, preparedness, and response to oil spills and hazardous substance releases. As part of her passion for the environment, she became a board member for The Nature Generation in 2015. As a volunteer and board member, she brings her enthusiasm for learning and environmental protection to a new generation of youth through her support of the Green Earth Book Awards.

Ms. Tirrell holds a B.S. in Biology from Radford University and M.S. in Environmental Sciences from The University of Virginia.

Roger Vance is a historian and journalist who served as Editor-in-Chief of the world’s largest publisher of history magazines for more than two decades. He has been elected to eight consecutive terms as Mayor of the Town of Hillsboro, Virginia, and is the appointed Loudoun County Planning Commissioner from the Blue Ridge District. He has long been a vocal advocate for smart growth, environmental protection and preservation of farmland and open spaces. Born in Virginia but raised in Ohio, Roger received his BA degree in Journalism from Kent State University. He was one of the founding board members of the Hillsboro Preservation Foundation and was a founder and is a current board member of the public Hillsboro Charter Academy. He has lived in Hillsboro since 1995.

Evan Thomas is a 1997 graduate of Shippensburg University, with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration. He is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional. This accreditation is issued by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

Mr. Thomas currently is a marketing specialist for Arlington-based GHT Limited, a mechanical, electrical, plumbing engineering design firm that focuses on delivering high-performance, energy-efficient building and work spaces. He communicates the firm’s expertise in sustainable design via project descriptions, white papers and blog posts. Evan has 15 years of experience in non-profit, start-up, and for-profit organizations.

Mr. Thomas, a volunteer and donor with The Nature Generation for more than eight years, also supports Arlington’s environmental/educational resources including: Lubber Run Amphitheater, Planetarium, Nature Centers, and school system. He resides in Arlington with his wife and two children.

Amy Norgren Salfi is the Chief Growth Officer at AetherForge Technologies, brand of Excel Technologies, LLC. AetherForge delivers mission-centric resilience solutions to the Federal Government. Its core capabilities of cybersecurity, AI Governance, and organizational modernization and resilience use a unique combination of technical, sociological, and canine teams. Through those, AetherForge helps organizations active results that blend technical rigor with human ingenuity.

Prior to her position at AetherForge/Excel, Amy spent more than 30 years at Booz Allen Hamilton. At Booz Allen, she led teams delivering complex interdisciplinary services to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Interior, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Amy will soon finish out a 3-year term as the Industry Chair for the ACT-IAC Resilient Infrastructure Community of Interest, where she is collaborating with the contractor community and federal government experts to address the infrastructure impacts of the climate crisis.

Amy holds a Master’s Degree in Environment and Natural Resource Policy from George Washington University, Bachelor’s Degrees in Environmental Policy Studies and Political Science from Dickinson College. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). She is an avid figure skating fan and enjoys singing in the Georgetown Corale.

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