Amber Burgess
She/her/hers
Central Washington University, Event and Hospitality Management and Digital Marketing
Amber is an undergraduate student who hopes to pursue a career in event planning and venue management after graduation. In her free time she loves to read and watch movies, spend time with her family, and cuddle her kitten, Junebug.
“I chose to intern with Front and Centered because I wanted to gain experience working with non-profit community organizations. The opportunity to help plan the 2023 members’ summit was perfect for career experience and resume building. I was able to gain experience in a bunch of different fields and meet a lot of amazing people that I now look up to. Thank you for this opportunity to grow as an individual and a professional.”
Joy Ihuka
She/her/hers
Central Washington University, Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
Joy is a graduate student from Nigeria. She enjoys observing sunsets, admiring vegetation, and appreciating the natural environment.
“I am passionate about lending a helping hand to others and dedicating my time to the causes I am passionate about, including environmental and climate justice. This is why I am thrilled to intern with Front and Centered. I hope to contribute meaningfully to their great work, as I firmly believe in the power of collective action to bring about positive change.”
Daaniya Iyaz
She/her/hers
University of Washington, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences
Daaniya has spent most of her life in the Pacific Northwest, and she has seen how climate change affects the places she calls home. This drove her passion for climate resilience planning and community engagement, leading her to an internship at Front and Centered in 2022 where she focused on researching the health outcomes of potential policies relating to transportation and energy justice. Her passion also led to her current job as an Extreme Heat Mitigation Strategy Specialist for King County, where she works on climate preparedness projects for local communities. Her prior work experience focused on the impacts of climate stressors on health, environmental and social justice, water filtration in low-resource areas, and social entrepreneurship.
“Throughout my internship, I saw the stark disparities present in BIPOC, rural, and immigrant communities, and these environmental justice considerations inform how I conduct my work in local government and how I discuss these issues in my personal life. Overall, I saw the importance of prioritizing environmental and social justice more upstream in the system (especially in policy and program development), and it helped inspire my career choice in local government.”
Lexie McCoy
She/her/hers
Central Washington University, Environmental Science Policy
Lexie is an undergraduate student studying environmental science policy and entrepreneurship. She hopes to one day start businesses rooted in environmentalism. She enjoys rock climbing, biking, guitar, and musicals.
“I am excited to intern with Front and Centered and gain skills in logistics and event planning. I am passionate about environmental intersectionality. Front and Centered will help me build the skills for me start my own eco-business in the future.”
Betty Mittelstädt
She/her/hers
Central Washington University, Cultural and Environmental Resource Management
Betty is a graduate student originally from Germany. One of her favorite things to do is to go out on a hike as well as travel, explore, and try out delicious foods. Due to her love of being out in nature, she wants to work towards fighting climate change and protecting our environment.
“I’m excited about interning with Front and Centered due to their commitment to frontline communities in the climate movement. I’m particularly eager to enhance my skills in professional communication, effective social media marketing, and community engagement. I aim to learn how to creatively communicate with diverse audiences while contributing to Front and Centered’s mission for positive change.”
Maiko Patschke
She/her/hers
University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
Maiko started as a Co-equitable Governance Intern while completing her Master of Public Administration degree. As an intern, she provided research assistance to Front and Centered staff and members of Washington’s Environmental Justice Council, focusing on best practices for implementing environmental justice policies in state agencies. She also evaluated agency progress on implementation of the HEAL Act, which eventually culminated in Front and Centered’s HEAL Progress Report. After graduating in June of 2023, she continues to work in an expanded role to support the organization’s HEAL Act portfolio.
Juliette Randazza
She/her/hers
Environmental and Climate Justice Research Fellow
Languages: English
Juliette joined Front and Centered as a Research Fellow, assisting in integrating evidence-based work and data analysis into programs, policies, and capacity building. Her background lies in environmental public health, disaster resilience, and policy analysis, and she applied all these skills while working with communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, climbing, and exploring the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.
David Reedy
He/him/his
University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
Annalise Stein
She/her/hers
University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy and Governance
Annalise received her Master of Public Administration degree in June of 2023. During her program, she obtained the Harrison Environmental Fellowship with Front and Centered. In her internship, she worked on transportation and mobility justice and energy justice projects. For transportation and mobility justice, she assisted the creation of a white paper detailing equitable access for Washington state residents, particularly those who have disabilities. In her work with energy justice, Annalise researched energy system benefits and burdens across the United States to examine statewide policies that supported low-income customers.
“The staff at Front and Centered are amazing. I genuinely enjoyed my time working with them and getting to know about them on a personal level in the office. Interning with Front and Centered provided me with an inside look into advocacy from the ground up, specifically including community engagement and outreach.”
