About Us
The Environmental Education Exchange was founded in the spring of 1991 in response to the growing demand for environmental education programs in schools K-12 nationwide. E3 has grown to a full-time staff of six professionals with a diverse range of backgrounds, skills, and areas of expertise. Additionally, E3 employs over 25 part-time outreach presenters, as well as specialized support staff. At E3, we believe in collaboration, and solicit team feedback, ideas, and suggestions at all stages of project development. Together our goal is to enhance the quality and effectiveness of environmental education, leading students and adults to greater participation in current environmental and societal issues.
Staff Overview
Neil Markowitz, Executive Director
Neil has been actively involved as a professional environmental educator for over 30 years. With an undergraduate degree from Rutgers University, and a Master of Science from the University of Michigan, he has successfully taught graduate level coursework, and managed educational projects for a wide range of agencies and organizations. For two years in the mid-1980’s, he lived in Australia while on the faculty at Deakin University in the College of Education. In 1991 he co-founded the Environmental Education Exchange, dedicated to promoting the development of environmental education in the U.S. and Mexico. As the Executive Director for this organization, Neil is responsible for program administration (fund raising, finance, project management, curriculum materials design, and strategic planning initiatives), and keeps an active involvement in program development and implementation. Neil has been closely involved in the administration of grant and contractually based educational programs and planning efforts ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budgetary constraints.
Jeremy Markowitz, Deputy Director
Jeremy Markowitz has been working for the Exchange for over a decade managing projects and creating digital media. His work includes developing digital presentation materials to accompany in-school programming, producing educational videos, and managing the logistics of program giveaway materials. Notably, he designed and built a multi-screen visual journey and full length historical documentary for the Juan Bautista De Anza Visitors Center, for the National Park Service, in Martinez, California. Jeremy previously worked as an Interpretive Technology Technician for Cleveland Metroparks in Ohio, developing interactive electronic exhibits, producing educational videos, and designing audio visual systems. Jeremy has a Bachelor of Science from Kent State University where he worked extensively with the award-winning student media television station TV2, hiring and managing a staff of 150 students, producing news, sports, and entertainment broadcast television programs.
Debbie Gevirtzman, SENIOR Programs MANAGER
Debbie was an active middle school science and math teacher in Tucson for over 15 years before joining the Exchange staff in 2002. She received a Bachelor of Arts cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in Geology and a Master of Science from the University of California, Davis, also in Geology. She also holds a Secondary Teaching Certification from the University of Arizona. Debbie is responsible for the coordination of a team of seven classroom presenters who conduct about 1,200 elementary and middle school education outreach programs on water, recycling, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. In addition, Debbie assists in the design and development of classroom presentations, educational curricula, and training workshops.
Adam Kingery, Programs Manager
Adam Kingery was a classroom teacher in Arizona for 13 years before joining the Exchange as an outreach presenter in 2016. For many of those years, Adam’s students benefitted from the programs offered by E3. Adam holds a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and has an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona, as well as a teaching certificate from Prescott College. He manages the logistics and teams of energy presenters for the Safety Land elementary program, Bright Students middle school program, the Renewable Students high school energy program, and the Home Energizer Workshop for both Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services. Adam also oversees the Salt River Project's Powering Our Future and Renewable Students renewable energy programs, and recycling and water programs for the Town of Queen Creek. Adam collaborates on curriculum revisions and new program development.
Owen Daly-Forseth, Assistant Programs Manager
Owen is returning to the Environmental Education Exchange after spending two years as an Training and Education Coordinator with the Training Department of the Superior Court in Pima County. Prior to working with the courts, Owen was an Outreach Presenter for E3 for three years, completing over 500 presentations for Exploring the Anza Trail, Safety Land, Riders and Walkers, Talking Trash in Tucson, Bright Students, and Home Energy Workshops. Along with being a Presenter, Owen assisted with numerous multimedia projects including the eJourney, Sweetwater Wetlands iBook, Stormwater PSAs, and pre-visit media for classroom presentations. Owen relocated to Tucson from New York/New Jersey after completing his Bachelor’s in Communication from Monmouth University in 2016.
Oscar balloveras, Events and Outreach Coordinator
Oscar Balloveras studied existential philosophy and childhood development at SUNY Geneseo. Shortly after completing his undergraduate degree, Oscar discovered a love for service roles and explored the world of fine dining by working directly under renowned chefs and farmers in the Bay Area. He transitioned to the education sector in 2018 when he began working as a special education resource para for SFUSD. Upon moving to Tucson in 2022, he was thrilled to make his debut at E3 as an Energy and Water Presenter, delivering hundreds of Bright Students, SafetyLand, and Climate Change presentations in Tucson, Nogales, and Kingman. Currently, Oscar works scheduling energy programs in Phoenix, overseeing mail order conservation kit fulfillment, and managing special outreach events in Tucson.
In remembrance of Pepe Marcos-Iga
Pepe Marcos-Iga worked on staff at the Environmental Education Exchange from 2002 - 2014. Pepe was a core member of the E3 team throughout those years as the International Programs Manager. He worked extensively on training programs along the US - Mexico border as well as spearheading professional development efforts in collaboration with the North American Environmental Education Association, serving as President for over 6 years. Pepe used his unflagging sense of humor, keen intelligence, and consistent drive to further broaden the message of environmental education in North America and throughout the globe on his many international travels. He was a dedicated co-worker, held in high esteem by his colleagues at E3 and became a deeply reliable friend to us all. He will be deeply missed and always remembered.
Outreach Presenters
Every school day, our enthusiastic and engaging outreach presenters are in classrooms across Arizona presenting programs on a diverse range of environmental and social topics. For more information on the programs they conduct, explore our Outreach section.
Conservation Division
Trica Oshant Hawkins, Director, Conservation Division
Trica has over 25 years experience developing and presenting environmental education programs and brings her expertise in the environmental sciences as well as her extensive experience in K-12 classroom education to the Exchange's Conservation Division. After receiving a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources from the University of Arizona, Trica guided natural history and diving expeditions in Mexico. She left the Southwest for three years to serve as Education Specialist for Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. Returning to her desert home, she worked as a field biologist before envisioning and co-founding the Environmental Education Exchange in 1991. As former Education Director and current Director of the Conservation Division for the Exchange, Trica oversees all program and materials development, teacher training workshops, and strategic planning efforts.
Board of Directors
Francis Morgan, President
Founder - ReadingTeacher.com
Susan Randolf, Vice President
Teacher (retired) - Tucson Unified School District
Sariya Jarasviroj Brown
CEO - Circo Vino
Richard "Fe" Tom
Principal, Lead Designer - The Architecture Company
Don Tempkin
Retired Physician
James B. Glover, Ph.D.
James "Jim" Glover is a biologist with graduate degrees from Marshall University (W.V.) and the University of Louisville (K.Y.). As a graduate student and later as a professor he taught courses in environmental science, limnology, cellular and molecular biology, and a variety of other courses related to the biological sciences. For the majority of his career he worked for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) managing programs related to surface water quality monitoring, assessment, and protection. His work there exposed him to a variety of programs related to environmental education and he believes strongly in the promotion of environmental literacy. While in SC he also served as adjunct professor in the departments of Toxicology and Entomology, both at Clemson University, and in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. In 2017 Jim retired from DHEC and relocated to his wife's childhood home of Tucson Arizona. He is currently attempting to learn more about the desert southwest, to include the natural and human history of the beautiful state of Arizona.
Hugh Rose (IN memoriAm)
Founding Board Member E3
Corporate Executive (retired) - Cummins Diesel
