TBI Staff Members

JENNIFER SMITH - Acting Executive Director

Long interested in both Russia and cultural influences on environmental issues, Jennifer graduated from the University of Vermont in 1999 with a double major in Russian language and Environmental Studies. A recipient of an IREX Young Leaders for Public Service Fellowship, Jennifer lived in Russia and studied environmental protection at Irkutsk State Technical University in 2001-2002. During her year in Irkutsk, she volunteered at Baikal Environmental Wave and led a summer ecology camp for local children. She has also taught environmental education for American middle school students in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Akron, Ohio), and worked for a year in Washington D.C. writing Environmental Impact Statements for a government contractor. In May 2004, she received an MS in Natural Resources and Environment and an MA in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Michigan.  Her graduate research focused on environmental perceptions and attitudes in the Lake Baikal region.  From late 2005 through the end of 2008, Jennifer was the Programs Director for TBI, managing all aspect of the Summer Environmental Exchange.  She has recently moved into the role of Acting Executive Director for the organization.

JON GREEN - SEE Program Coordinator

Jon joins TBI again after serving as the 2007 Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership staff member.  He is now taking on the role of SEE Program Coordinator, and will be responsible for the larger part of planning and execution of our SEE program, coordinating staff in both the US and Russia.  Jon grew up in New Hampshire, and he received his undergraduate degree in environmental and international studies from the Evergreen State College in 2005.  He has spent more than six months in the Baikal region since 2004, volunteering with the Great Baikal Trail Association and other local NGOs.  From this experience he has learned the basics of Russian and is conversant in the language.  Jon has also served as a full-time coordinator at Mountain Travel Sobek, where he arranged tours to Russia and other destinations around the world. Jon is an avid mountain climber, biker, hiker, and international traveler.  He is committed to the promotion of ecotourism and other sustainable activities in both the Baikal and Tahoe regions.

SARAH BOWERS - Assistant Program Coordinator, Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Member

Sarah recently moved to the South Lake Tahoe area from her hometown of Aberdeen Washington. Throughout high school she taught Outdoor Education at local YMCA camps throughout Washington and Oregon to 6th grade students. After graduating from Western Washington University with her BA in Human Services in 2006, she has enjoyed two years of teaching Outdoor Education at YMCA Camp Seymour, focusing on marine science, forest ecology, and sustainability classes. As Assistant Camp Director for 2008 summer camp where she was able to facilitate many outdoor adventures and classes for campers. She joins us after volunteering on the Tall Ship program, where she was a deckhand for the Lady Washington. When she isn't in the office you can find her backpacking, hiking, kayaking, or exploring her new home of Lake Tahoe. She is excited to have this opportunity to be of service to this program and learn about the Russian language and culture.

ELEONORA EREMCHENKO - Russia Program Coordinator (Irkutsk)

A TBI SEE participant in 2005, Elya works on-site at the Great Baikal Trail Association facility in Irkutsk as one of the two TBI SEE Russian Program Coordinators. She earned a degree in biology from Irkutsk State University in 1997 and is particularly interested in environmental education. She has participated in projects involving the re-introduction of endangered species and has worked on the construction of a Flora Nature Park at the Irkutsk Botanical Gardens, where she worked as an interpretive guide and educator leading tours, as well as school programs, about plants. An avid mountaineer, Elya has climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 meters, located in the western Caucasus mountains in Russia. Her hobbies include music, literature, and tourism.

ZHARGALMA ALYMBAEVA - Russia Program Coordinator (Ulan-Ude)

Also a TBI SEE participant in 2005, Zhargalma is a senior lecturer in the department of Botany at Buryat State University and the deputy to the head of the department. She has an undergraduate degree in biological-geography and has completed graduate work in the Botany department of Buryat State University. During her studies, Zhargalma distinguished herself through active participation in scientific research projects and won a number of scholarships and grants through her own university and national Russian funds. In 2005 she defended her doctoral candidate's dissertation in the fields of botany and ecology, which was entitled "Dispersion structure of the flora of the high alpine ecosystems of the Eastern Sayan and Khamar-Daban ranges." After her SEE participation in 2005, Zhargalma spearheaded efforts to develop the new TBI Alumni Association of Ulan-Ude.

OPEN - U.S. Program Chef

The 2008 SEE Program Chef position is open.