Staff
Katie Huffling
Executive DirectorKatie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN (she, her) is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and is the Executive Director the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Ms. Huffling works with nurses and national nursing organizations on a variety of environmental health issues including climate change, chemical policy, inclusion of environmental health into nursing education, and sustainable healthcare. Ms. Huffling has written numerous peer-reviewed articles on environmental health issues and was an editor of the recently released environmental health e-textbook “Environmental Health in Nursing” which won the 2017 AJN Book of the Year in Environmental Health.
Cara Cook
Deputy DirectorCara Cook, MS, RN, AHN-BC (she, her) is the Director of Programs for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Her work focuses on elevating climate and health as a national priority by engaging nursing organizations and individual nurses in climate and health advocacy, education, and practice change. Prior to joining ANHE, Cara was a Local Care Coordinator with Healthways-Sharecare, Inc., coordinating care for high-risk patients in partnership with their primary care physicians as part of an insurance-based Patient-Centered Medical Home program. She has experience in critical care nursing working in both medical and trauma intensive care. Cara holds a Master’s in Community/Public Health Nursing through the University of Maryland.
Milagros Elia
Program Manager, Climate & Clean Energy AdvocacyMilagros R. Elia, M.A, APRN, ANP-BC is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, an early-stage researcher
in the environmental impact of climate change on patient care, and the Program Manager of Climate and Clean Energy at the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. She co-chairs the national ANA Innovation Advisory Committee on Planetary and Global Health as well as the ANA-NY state chapter’s Climate & Health SIG.
Milagros is also a Fellow of the American Nurses Advocacy Institute in which she is focused on building
awareness and developing educational toolkits on the impact of climate change on patient care and
outcomes.
Hannah Noel
Director, Membership Engagement & Professional EducationHannah Noel, DNP, RN (she, her) is a public health nurse, Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) – Health Innovation and Leadership, and the Director of Member Engagement & Professional Education for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. She supports the organization’s staff and nurse members, who are working in communities around the world to promote healthy environments. Hannah directs the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of ANHE’s professional education programs including the Nurses Climate Challenge, School of Nursing Commitment, Nurses Drawdown, and the learning site and leads organizational initiatives designed to cultivate ANHE membership. Prior to joining ANHE, Hannah has worked in school nursing, cardiac/telemetry and research nursing. After participating in ANHE’s inaugural Environmental Health Nurse Fellowship program, Hannah continues to build relationships and work with local communities to better understand, prepare for, and mitigate the negative health effects of climate change and polluted air, soil, and water.
Jeremiah Headen
Fellowship Program DirectorJeremiah Headen (he, him, his) is the ANHE Fellowship Program Director. Originally from a small town in Northern Virginia, Jeremiah attended American University where he received a degree in political science. Since graduating, he consistently seeks out positions that advance equity for communities with high levels of disinvestment. He taught in DC Public Schools as a high school teacher, worked as the lead organizer of a political campaign, provided TA for organizers all across the country, and served as a facilitator for various leadership training programs for social change leaders. Prior to taking on this role, Jeremiah created a program with a team of consultants at the Rockwood Leadership Institute called the “Heart of Black Leadership” that provides a unique leadership training specifically designed for Black leaders working within the social justice movement in response to the summer of 2020. Outside of work, Jeremiah enjoys spending time with loved ones as well as writing and performing songs.
Sarah Bucic
Policy AnalystSarah Bucic, MSN, RN, PMHCNS-BC (she, her) is a Policy Analyst with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. In her work at ANHE, Sarah focuses on outreach to current administrative officials and legislators around ANHE’s climate policy initiatives. Sarah has been a RN since 2001 with her advocacy grounded in her local community. She formed a grassroots citizen air monitoring group in her fenceline community which performed independent air monitoring and has also worked on successful state level legislation centered on lead poisoning prevention in children. Sarah has taught undergraduate nursing students both in the classroom and in the community, holds a Master’s in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Post Master’s from University of Maryland in Community/Public Health Nursing.
Andrew Taw
Development CoordinatorAndrew Taw, MFA (he,him) is the Development Coordinator for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. He has worked in the nonprofit sector for over a decade and has served in development roles for the past seven years. He has worked with organizations with a wide range of service areas including climate, education, mental health, LGBT support, arts, and economic empowerment.
Austin Spence
Communications CoordinatorAustin Spence (he, him) is the Communications Coordinator at Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and supports the organization through developing pertinent and engaging content. He has spent his career helping nonprofits strengthen and grow their network of supporters through content creation, storytelling, and strategic marketing. Austin believes in the power of marketing and communications to instill positive and impactful change in our communities. He received a BA in Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the power and importance of language to create sustainable communities.
Erin Johnson
Pennsylvania Nurse OrganizerErin Johnson, MPH, MSN, RN (she, her) is a public health nurse, and Pennsylvania Nurse Organizer for the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments on the Advance Clean Trucks policy initiative. Ms. Johnson works with families of children with complex medical needs across 31 counties in Pennsylvania, supporting caregivers to navigate systems, obtain necessary resources, and advocate for themselves.
Ms. Johnson has taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses on topics related to environmental & human health, climate change & health, and public health. She has served on a variety of committees and developed initiatives related to urban sustainability, environmental health and policy. She holds an MSN, MPH and RN from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, including a semester abroad with the School for Field Studies on Sustainable Development.