Our Team.

Co-President

Kathleen is a  senior at Hathaway Brown school and a co-presidents of Shaker Youth LEEDs. Over the years, she has been interested in learning more about sustainability and is delighted to become part of a team that is able to educate others about the importance and application of sustainable practices in communities.  In her free time, she enjoys dancing, cooking, editing videos/music, and playing piano.

Co-President

Sophy Gao is a junior at Hathaway Brown and a co-president of Shaker Youth LEEDs. She hopes to contribute to the international climate movement with a strong local impact and has experience overseeing a sustainable construction process by interning with AM Higley in 2020. In her free time, she enjoys creating and designing stickers with her business, sofeistudio.

Team Member

Ava is a junior at Hathaway Brown school. This is her first year in Shaker Youth LEEDs. Ava has a passion for sustainable fashion and small businesses. She is the president of her school’s sustainability club and on the executive team for the HB Boutique, a group that supports and organizes events for small businesses in and around HB. In her free time, Ava enjoys creating digital art, baking, and playing the flute.

Team Member

Natalie is a Freshman at Shaker Heights High School and joined Shaker Youth LEEDs at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year. She has always enjoyed learning about sustainability and practicing it with her family but is even more excited to be able to share it with her community through SYLEEDs. In her free time, Natalie loves drawing, hiking, and taking care of her many plants.

Team Member

Genevieve is a sophomore at Hathaway Brown School and this is her first year being a part of Shaker Youth LEEDs. She has always had a passion for environmental and social justice and is thrilled to be able to raise awareness in the community through SYLEEDs. In her free time she loves to read and bake, along with running track and cross country.

Team Member

Fanon is a Junior at University School and this is his first year being a part of Shaker Youth LEEDs. He has always wanted to find some way to not only give back to the community, but also give back to his environment. In his free time he loves to hike, plant fruits and vegetables, and compete in Track and Field.

Team Member

Faculty Advisor from Hathaway Brown School

Torrey directs the Fellowships in Sustainability at Hathaway Brown School.  She helped start Shaker Youth LEEDs in 2019 as a way to get students involved with the city’s sustainability work.  A firm believer in the importance of both individual action and system level change, Torrey also leads the Cleveland Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.  Some of the things Torrey loves about living in Shaker are its bikeability/walkability and the parks where she and her dog are out and about in all weather. 

Shaker Sustainability Council Representative

Shanna is a member of the Shaker Heights Sustainability Committee and advisor to Shaker Youth LEEDs. She works for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and has a Master’s in public health, specifically, climate change impacts on human health. In her spare time she loves to walk her dog around Shaker, play soccer and tennis, run, and bike with her husband.