Naamal De Silva
Founder
Naamal works at the intersections between people and the environment.
Naamal was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. When she was six, at the very start of the civil war in Sri Lanka, she and her mother moved to Washington D.C. She began her journey through the DC Public School system and her mother began a graduate degree at George Washington University. When she was eight, inspired by urban gardening and nature documentaries on PBS, Naamal decided that her future career would include animals and nature. A few years later, on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, she was amazed to learn how much there was to do to save the earth. She was overwhelmed, but excited about helping.
Naamal majored in Biology and Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College, after considering both history and religion. Volunteering with the Chester Residents for Quality Living enabled her to understand how poverty compounds environmental hazards. A senior seminar in behavioral ecology led to a project studying the complex relationships between mahouts and domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka. She then completed a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management at Yale University’s School of the Environment. After graduating, Naamal worked for over eight years at Conservation International, most recently as director of conservation priorities and outreach. She traveled to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, China, Australia, Botswana, New Caledonia, Japan, and many other countries to help people identify the species and places in most urgent need of conservation. She visited stunningly beautiful places, understood the vast scale of environmental problems, and wished she saw more diversity within the leadership of environmental organizations. She decided focusing on education would be the best way to help.
Naamal then completed a doctorate at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, where she studied the role of place, partnerships, and policy in shaping environmental education in public and public charter schools in DC. During this time, she also held several roles at the university and currently teaches a capstone seminar for the Sustainability Minor called Community Engaged Research to Promote Environmental Justice. Naamal served for two years as co-president of the volunteer-driven DC Environmental Education Consortium, focusing on organizational strategy and on updating the vision. Over the past few years, Naamal supported clients with strategic planning and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through Mayla and through the firm of Bernuth & Williamson.
You can find Naamal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Founder
Naamal works at the intersections between people and the environment.
Naamal was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka. When she was six, at the very start of the civil war in Sri Lanka, she and her mother moved to Washington D.C. She began her journey through the DC Public School system and her mother began a graduate degree at George Washington University. When she was eight, inspired by urban gardening and nature documentaries on PBS, Naamal decided that her future career would include animals and nature. A few years later, on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, she was amazed to learn how much there was to do to save the earth. She was overwhelmed, but excited about helping.
Naamal majored in Biology and Environmental Studies at Swarthmore College, after considering both history and religion. Volunteering with the Chester Residents for Quality Living enabled her to understand how poverty compounds environmental hazards. A senior seminar in behavioral ecology led to a project studying the complex relationships between mahouts and domesticated elephants in Sri Lanka. She then completed a Master’s Degree in Environmental Management at Yale University’s School of the Environment. After graduating, Naamal worked for over eight years at Conservation International, most recently as director of conservation priorities and outreach. She traveled to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, China, Australia, Botswana, New Caledonia, Japan, and many other countries to help people identify the species and places in most urgent need of conservation. She visited stunningly beautiful places, understood the vast scale of environmental problems, and wished she saw more diversity within the leadership of environmental organizations. She decided focusing on education would be the best way to help.
Naamal then completed a doctorate at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, where she studied the role of place, partnerships, and policy in shaping environmental education in public and public charter schools in DC. During this time, she also held several roles at the university and currently teaches a capstone seminar for the Sustainability Minor called Community Engaged Research to Promote Environmental Justice. Naamal served for two years as co-president of the volunteer-driven DC Environmental Education Consortium, focusing on organizational strategy and on updating the vision. Over the past few years, Naamal supported clients with strategic planning and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion through Mayla and through the firm of Bernuth & Williamson.
You can find Naamal on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Mayla: Partners and Advisers
Gabrielle Roffe is the Manager of Equity and Community Engagement at Chesapeake Conservancy where she works in partnership with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network to promote inclusive stewardship in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Gabrielle leads initiatives focused on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice for the Conservancy. Prior to working at the Chesapeake Conservancy, Gabrielle worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service building urban partnerships and community engagement programs in Kansas City and Denver as well as with the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Gabrielle has expertise in the areas of partnership and capacity building, community engagement, and creative place-making. She takes a multidisciplinary and intersectional approach to environmental issues and community outreach through nature, art, and storytelling to authentically build community.
For fifteen years, Dr. Danielle Bierzynski has worked in the field of education. Her expertise includes adult learning, reflective practice, theories of learning, and diversity. Danielle has held roles in local government, specifically the District of Columbia Public Schools, at non-profit organizations, and at for-profit companies. She has designed and facilitated professional development and has led cross-team research initiatives to provide resources specific to client needs. Currently, Danielle is expanding her consulting practice, developing learning opportunities, and coaching teachers in schools. Her goal is to promote best practices in adult learning and to facilitate engaging, hands-on learning experiences that allow adults to apply theory directly to practice. Recent consulting projects include working with the State of Maryland to facilitate root-causes analyses with priority schools as part of their strategic planning to improve academic achievement. She also teaches at George Washington University and the University of Virginia. She has taught courses on theories of human development, as well as on diversity and its impact on schools and organizations. Danielle has a Doctorate in Education from George Washington University, a Master's degree in Teaching from Brooklyn College, and a Bachelor's degree in Literature from American University.
May Curry is an independent graphic designer who spent the past decade as a founding Principal and Art Director for Spark Design. She provides pro-bono graphic design for Mayla and supports creative partnerships.
Vaughn Perry is the equitable development manager at the 11th Street Bridge Park, co-founder of Happy Ours, which builds and strengthens community through food, family, fellowship, service and fun. He is also an educator, preacher, and coach. Vaughn supports strategy and outreach.
William Crosse is a deputy director of evaluation and research at the Rainforest Alliance, where he collaboratively designs, manages, and evaluates conservation and development projects. He is also a photographer of weddings, people, and distant places. Billy supports storytelling, photography, and impact measurement.