Staff and Board

The Sustain Dane team is based in Madison, WI, and serves all of Dane County. Our board members represent a diverse group of businesses, nonprofits, and local governments that believe in a sustainable future.

Meet Our Team

Claire Oleksiak

Executive Director

As Executive Director Claire (she/her) aims to accelerate a sustainable environment and economy that benefits all members of our community. Claire is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and social impact. Prior to joining Sustain Dane, she worked as the Community Services Manager for the City of Madison Parks Division. In that role, she facilitated partnerships with public and private organizations, managed community facilities, and implemented the Connecting Children to Nature Initiative. Claire also worked on local community and economic development in Washington, DC for 10 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Oxford University. She grew up in Madison, WI. Reach out to Claire about strategic partnerships, your thoughts on sustainability opportunities and challenges, and any other questions related to Sustain Dane overall

Lorenza Zebell

Program Manager

Lorenza (she/her) develops and manages programs at Sustain Dane including our Accelerate Sustainability workshops, one-on-one assistance, and tracking of our partner’s sustainable impacts. She believes taking sustainable actions large and small can create a more secure, fair, and prosperous future for our community and beyond. Lorenza was a dedicated volunteer with Sustain Dane for years before accepting this position. She holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Operations and Sustainability. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane she ran WSUM 91.7 FM Madison’s student radio station. Reach out to Lorenza for more information on engaging with sustainability at your organization.

Lucia Hunt

Development & Partnerships Manager

As the Development & Partnerships Manager at Sustain Dane, Lucia (she/her) leads membership outreach and engagement, grants, community partnerships, and program sponsorship. Previously, Lucia worked with REAP Food Group to promote a more equitable and interconnected local food system in South Central Wisconsin. Before that, she worked as a project manager for Epic Systems. Lucia holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Macalester College, and she is passionate about analyzing and engaging with the layered systems and actors that play into urban sustainability. Reach out to Lucia with questions related to membership, grants, donations, or sponsorships.

Maggie Radl

Communications Specialist

In her role as Communications Specialist, Maggie (she/her) aims to promote environmental conservation on all levels while continuing to uphold the vision of Sustain Dane. Maggie graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on Environmental Studies, Geography, and Chinese. Her prior environmental work at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies as well as her brief time interning on an organic farm in Shanghai helped solidify her passion for environment, and after teaching English in China post-graduation she is eager to help engage the community of Dane County in their mission of sustainability. In her free time you can always catch Maggie outside, whether it’s fishing Lake Wingra, pulling invasive plants at her neighborhood park, or soaking up the sun kayaking in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Reach out to Maggie for questions or information regarding Sustain Dane and Relay Network Communications.

Dyamond Overstreet

Program Director, Powerful Teen Leaders Summer Youth Employment Program

Dyamond Overstreet (she/her) has 14 years of experience serving BIPOC youth through work with students in Sun Prairie School District, Madison Metropolitan School District and in community-based settings. Overstreet is passionate about mentoring teens and engaging teens in positive community relations and career readiness. She has partnered with a variety of businesses, organizations, and outreach programs to bring meaningful leadership and education experiences to young people. Dyamond sees respect and patience as vital when communicating with youth and families, and emphasizes how rewarding and positive her work serving BIPOC, LGBTQ+, migrant, and low-income youth has been in her past experience. Through experience in graduation planning, work permit approvals, court mandated meetings for youth, data entry and more, Dyamond has built strong community relationships founded upon positive communication of school, organization, and family engagement. Reach out to Dyamond with questions regarding the Powerful Teen Leaders Summer Program.

Valora Gutierrez

Efficiency Navigator & NOAH Outreach Specialist

Valora (she/her) engages directly with community members as the Efficiency Navigator and Natural Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) Outreach Specialist. She advocates for energy efficiency in low-income and workforce housing, in order to foster economic and environmental sustainability. With a holistic vision of environmentalism, she is committed to serving under-resourced residents of Dane County. Growing up in California, environmental justice issues are quite literally close to home for her. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she double majored in Environmental Studies and Geography with an emphasis in People-Environment Interaction Studies. While there, Valora was a Chancellor’s Scholar. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane, she researched habitat conservation and mitigation banking in UW-Madison’s Geography Department. More recently, she managed environmental health and safety campaigns within the Wisconsin Environment and WISPIRG nonprofit network. Reach out to Valora for questions about energy efficient home upgrades and how we can build a more equitable, resilient future.

Samantha Worden

Program Coordinator

Sam (she/her) was born in Madison and holds a bachelor’s degree from Butler University in Biology and Environmental Studies with a minor in Spanish. Previously she worked at Exact Sciences as a hydroponic farmer and implemented sustainability solutions within the culinary department. Sam’s role with Sustain Dane focuses on program/event coordination and implementation, such as the Sustainable Breakfast Series, Dane County All-Arounds, and volunteer opportunities. She also supports fund development through partnership and sponsorship/membership growth. Sam is passionate about food sustainability and circular economies. In her free time, Sam loves to spend time outdoors, play pickleball, and explore new restaurants in town. Reach out to Sam for questions about Sustain Dane programs.

Interns

Anna Jurena

Compost Intern

Anna (she/her) became a composting intern to prevent food waste, as that’s one of her biggest passions. She’s very excited to be working with Sustain Dane and contributing to a program dedicated to creating a positive environmental impact in her city. Another way that Anna is involved in the zero waste food movement is through her university’s organization, UW Slow Food. For this club, she helps cook weekly farm-to-table meals for the community at a “pay-what-you-can” price. On the weekends, she works at Wonderstate, which is a sustainable bakery and coffee shop. She is currently a full-time third-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and intends to graduate with degrees in Environmental Studies and French as well as a certificate in Sustainability.

Jeanne Welch

Compost Intern

Jeanne(she/her) discovered the connection between the health of an ecosystem and the equity and wellbeing of the community during her time in the Peace Corps as a forestry volunteer in Mali, West Africa. She is a systems thinker who enjoys working together at the intersection of health and the environment, and seeks local opportunities to make a positive and sustainable impact. Jeanne has a B.S. in Natural Resources from Michigan State and a Masters in Public Health Education/Outreach from University of Hawaii, Manoa. She believes each person’s story adds value to the wellbeing of the whole community. Jeanne finds renewal by singing in harmony with others, listening to nature, and appreciating the abundant gifts the Great Lakes Region has to offer.

Liv Wuethrich

Compost Intern

As an intern, Liv (she/her) has interests in sustainability and supporting her community through business and volunteerism. She recently graduated with a biology degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – she swears she’s not one of the Illinois drivers you might be thinking of ;)! An interest in sustainability emerged in college after learning about food systems and nonrenewable energy, as well as working with a soybean geneticist. Some important, personal goals for Liv are the desire to reduce her plastic usage and reuse items that no longer serve their primary purpose! When not testing products or collecting compost, Liv plays volleyball on a recreational team and is enjoying reading the Harry Potter series for the first time!

Chlo Baumbach

Compost Intern

Chlo (they/them) is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where they pursued a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and People-Environment Geography. Their passions lie in community based work surrounding issues of environmental injustices, food sovereignty, and equitable access to healthcare within minority communities. In their free time, Chlo enjoys arranging music for their college a cappella group, watching true crime documentaries, and playing with their calico kitty, Bia. Chlo is excited to be returning to Sustain Dane this summer and looks forward to seeing returning faces and meeting new ones!

Sophie Hammond

Compost Intern

Sophie Hammond (she/her) recently graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelor’s in biology and certificates in environmental studies and global health. After studying water quality and its impact on communities in Ecuador, she developed a passion for environmental justice and the connection between natural resources and community health. She has also worked for the DNR collecting road salt application data from across Wisconsin, with the goal of reducing its usage to protect our lakes and streams. Sophie plans to attend UW-Seattle for a master’s in environmental health science and aspires to help make Earth a cleaner, safer place. In her free time, she likes to connect with nature by hiking, kayaking, or camping and enjoys creating art, whether it be painting or making her own jewelry.

Job Opportunities

You can play a critical role in helping Sustain Dane achieve our vision of a thriving and connected community with a sustainable environment and economy we are proud to pass on to future generations. If there are no current open positions, feel free to reach out to hello@sustaindane.org with your resume for future opportunities.

Now hiring: Development & Partnerships Manager

The Development & Partnerships Manager oversees member relations, retention, recruitment and partnership outreach. This position also manages grants, fundraising campaigns, project management, and reporting. The Development & Partnership Manager supervises the Program Coordinator and Development Interns. The position works collaboratively with the Executive Director, staff team, Board of Directors, and external partners to develop and implement strategies to support Sustain Dane’s mission.

Read the full job description and learn how to apply here.