2013 Member Bios - Arkansas

Erin Anderson is spending her Energy Corps service with the Arkansas Boston Mountain Solid Waste program. Born and raised in Minnesota, she recently graduated from Carleton College with a major in Environmental Studies and a Spanish language minor. Erin declared Environmental Studies as her major in 2010 and began doing environmental education with a program called Kids for Conservation. Through this initiative, she taught 5th graders a weekly, hour-long conservation lesson. Erin is very excited for her term of service with Arkansas Energy Corps and looks forward to incorporating her love for the environment and education into her work.

Elana Harrison is a recent graduate of Hendrix college with a major in International Relations and a Minor in German. She discovered a love for environmental policy while working with the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. She also worked as an intern with the Arkansas Public Policy Panel, where she tracked environmental, energy, and water-related policy during the 2013 session. Eland will be placed at the University of Arkansas's Applied Sustainability Center, working on creating Energy Scorecards for municipalities around the state. She will work with eight cities in Arkansas to assist with strategic energy planning as well as energy outreach and education.

Parker Higgs graduated from the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2009 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He minored in Math and German. He then went on to work as a project engineer for three years at Pinnacle Foods in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Parker will be working with the community services division of the City of Fayetteville, focusing on energy conservation education and implementing weatherization techniques.

Brittny Horn is a senior at the University of Arkansas studying Sociology, Anthropology, and Sustainability. Brittny has worked with non-profits for the last eight years and is currently involved with several organizations that focus on social and environmental justice. Brittny started Changing Gears in the Spring of 2012.

Mallory Jenkins is serving at the University of Arkansas Office for Sustainability. Born and raised in North Alabama, she graduated from Auburn University in Environmental Design with a Sustainability minor. She is an artist and musician passionate about the environment and people. Mallory is working towards LEED accreditation and will be participating in Campus Conservation Nationals and RecycleMania. Her main duties will be educating about energy usage and conservation, including conducting energy audits at the fraternity and sorority houses.

Kenny Lackey was born and raised on the Virginian peninsula, he took an early interest in the environment through the farmland and Chesapeake waterways and frequent trips to the Blue Ridge Mountains. After graduate studies in Boston focusing on Philosophy and Theology, he volunteered on a Pennsylvania farm that altered the course of his life and his relationship to the natural world. Within a year, he transitioned to life as a full-time farmer. After one season apprenticing in New York, Kenny moved to Arkansas to work as a farm education volunteer with Heifer Ranch. Kenny is thrilled to join Energy Corps with a shared vision of sustainable living, environmental awareness, and community engagement.

Ben Maddox is a Fayetteville native and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2011 where he specialized in the political economy of international relations. He will serve with the Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling division, where his primary responsibilities include environmental education, public outreach, and program development. He will work to increase waste diversion and recycling participation through targeting underserved portions of the population, particularly apartment residents and businesses. This is Ben's second Americorps position after previously serving with the U.S. Forest Service in Southern California.

Rob Moore is from Army bases nationwide and has spent his time post college doing his best to live the life of a sustainable vagabond. He has worked in sustainable agriculture and education with Heifer International in Arkansas, has done green construction in Florida, and took a winter off to snowboard in California. He graduated from Rollins with a B.A. in philosophy and religion and is looking forward to starting a part time masters in philosophy at the University of Arkansas in the spring. Rob is working through Energy Corps with the Washington County Department of Environmental Education and Recycling and is especially excited to work with public schools to decrease waste, increase recycling, and introduce composting. When he's not working, you can find Rob working on his bicycles (usually without success), building goat shelters, and attempting to start folk bands.

Jodi Nimmo is currently an undergrad at the University of Arkansas studying Sociology, Sustainability and Gender Studies. She is the lead organizer of a student group on campus and an active volunteer at Tri Cycle community farms as well as with other non-profits in her community. Jodi will be working with the Illinois River Watershed Partnership to build rain gardens in the watershed community and educating the community about the importance of keeping water clean.

Nina Prater grew up in Vermont, but relocated to balmy Cedarville, Arkansas in 2007. She lives with her husband and daughter on Cedar Creek Farm, raising animals sustainably and humanely. In 2012, she received her master's degree in Soil Science from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She is currently serving as an Energy Corps member with the City of Fayetteville Solid Waste and Recycling Division, and is excited to help Fayetteville meet its recycling goals!

Scharmel Roussel is returning for a second year of service as an Energy Corps member. She was a founding member of Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light in 2009. In 2012, she served the organization as Outreach Coordinator and will continue in that role in 2013. Arkansas Interfaith Power and Light focuses on energy efficiency improvements at houses of worship and community service buildings in low-income areas. Another focusis increasing awareness levels of energy conservation and other environmental issues at schools, summer camps, youth groups, and adult groups. Scharmel serves on the Steering Committee for the Creation Care Conference in April, 2013 at St. Margaret Episcopal Church in Little Rock.