ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky., Nov. 10, 2023 – The Kentucky Association for Environmental Education (KAEE) has announced the appointment of two new members to their board of directors. David Logsdon, an Environmental Educator/Naturalist with Pathfinders of Perry County, and Louis Ross, Manager of Environmental Education and Research Center for Kentucky State University, were elected by KAEE membership earlier this year, and their term officially began during the Excellence in EE Awards Luncheon on Friday, Sept. 15 at the Cave Area Conference Center in Cave City.
“We are excited to welcome David and Louis to our board of directors,” said Ashley Hoffman, Executive Director of KAEE. “They each bring a wealth of experience in environmental education and will undoubtedly be a huge asset to our team.”
In his capacity at Pathfinders of Perry County, Logsdon serves a diverse audience in rural and suburban areas, often navigating the intricacies of economic diversity within his community. His outreach spans various demographics, ranging from upper-middle to lower-upper-class individuals who share a passion for outdoor recreation to lower-income students in local schools.
Logsdon serves as a board member at Pathfinders of Perry County, where he actively contributes to the organization's mission and vision. Additionally, his credentials include being a Kentucky Master Naturalist, a Certified Interpretive Guide recognized by the National Association of Interpretation (NAI), and a Facilitator Trainer for various environmental education programs, including Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Project WET, and the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence.
An area of interest for Logsdon includes strengthening the network of environmental education providers. “Who I am as a human is very much a result of environmental educators and interpreters,” Logsdon said. “My childhood is filled with meaningful encounters with natural phenomena that taught me to care deeply about the world around me. As a father of three wonderful boys, I feel a great need to pour back into the EE community that served me so that my children and the rest of my community can be impacted in the same way that I was. Our region has been historically under-served and under-represented in the EE community and my hope is that my [board] membership could correct this historical deficit.”
Ross’s professional journey spans various educational sectors, including PreK-12, postsecondary education and cooperative extension. His outreach efforts cover the entire state of Kentucky, allowing him to engage with diverse audiences, from K-12 youth to university students and professionals in the fields of education, land management and environmental science.
Ross serves as a member of the Safety Committee at Kentucky State University and represents the institution in the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition (KSEC) and Kentucky Organization of Field Stations (KOFS), and is a member of KOFS.
Areas of interest for Ross include equipping schools and educators to nurture environmentally literate students and green career-ready graduates, and fostering an equitable, just, inclusive and accessible environmental education community. “My interest in serving as a member of this board centers on my devotion to environmental education,” Ross said. “I am honored to sit on this board. I have enjoyed my time on action teams in KAEE because of the fantastic people and the work we get done when we work together.”
The KAEE Board of Directors work together to increase environmental knowledge and community engagement in Kentucky through the power of environmental education. New board members are elected each fall at the annual KAEE conference and join a core team of KAEE representatives from across Kentucky. Board members serve two years as they work to provide strong leadership for the organization and improve environmental education efforts throughout the state.
To learn more about KAEE, visit www.kaee.org.