Past Staff and Collaborators

Alanna Kinnebrew

Alanna is passionate about utilizing her scientific background in engineering to bridge the gap between science and policy in an effort to foster change for the next generation. As Project Manager at IB Environmental, Alanna has a true passion for improving the natural environment and addressing social issues related to climate change and environmental injustice. Before stepping into her current role at IB Environmental, Alanna received her Master’s in Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Delaware in 2019. There she was able to conduct research on various topics focusing on renewable energy and climate change mitigation tactics. Before pursuing her Master’s degree, Alanna worked with Discover Financial Services for several years. She graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 2011. While at Howard, Alanna worked as a Financial Analyst Intern with the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees District Council 33. Alanna joined IB Environmental in 2020.

Amir Abdelnaby

Amir is eager to be a part of creating a sustainable future with his multidisciplinary approach and diverse background. He thrives when using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods to solve a problem. Amir has traveled to over 23 countries, and has lived in three. He has a passion for finding unique sustainability practices from each place he lives or visits. Before stepping into his role at IB Environmental, Amir received his M.S. in Environment & Resource Management from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. There he conducted research on the obstacles preventing a global standard for solar farm site-selection criteria. He received his B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University in Global & International Studies with a specialization in Health & The Environment, along with a certificate in Business Fundamentals. Amir's specific Bachelor's program allowed him to take courses from various departments, which further strengthened his multidisciplinary approach.

Ke Jack Ding

Jack believes that greater happiness is achieved by helping more people. He leverages his skills and experience in the field of environmental engineering/science to help people and the environment co-exist sustainably and in harmony. He is passionate about using data analytics, GIS, in-silico modeling, and other tools to study and address social-environmental issues such as drinking water quality and affordability. Before joining IB Environmental, Jack was a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University. Jack is also an external investigator of the Drinking Water Justice Lab at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment. Jack got his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 2020. His research interests include optimization of Food-Energy-Water resources management, impact assessment of climate policies on the natural and built environment, risk analyses of extreme climate events, environmental justice, and spatial-temporal analysis of drinking water quality and violations in the U.S. Jack joined IB Environmental in 2022.

Jonathan Betts

Jonathan has a passion for environmental justice and data-driven solutions. This led him to complete a Master’s in Geosciences from Georgia State University in 2019, where he studied the societal influences of water and how they have shaped the modern world. At GSU he also obtained a professional certificate in Geographic Information Systems, joining water-related issues with data visualization and analysis with a career goal of affecting equitable policy change. He continued this work at the Atlanta Regional Commission, working with Neighborhood Nexus on data visualization projects aimed at equitable urban planning projects in the greater Metro Atlanta area. Jonathan joined IB Environmental in 2021.

Marion Flint

Marion is a senior at Campbell High School, enrolled in their International Baccalaureate program. As a student, she is actively involved in sports and also holds the role of Executive Board Member of the school’s student government. In this role, Marion has been responsible for the publicity of all school events and programs through social media and in-person advertising throughout the school. This position equipped her well to work on social media for IB Environmental.

Marion and a few of her classmates started Study with a Spartan, where they tutor students at Smyrna Elementary School on an as-needed basis. In addition, she is involved in the Beta Club, National Honors Society, and Water Project. The Water Project, in particular, marked a turning point in her equity awareness and her wanting to focus on ways to provide safe drinking water to those in need.

Naajia Ahmed

Naajia received a Bachelor’s in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of Georgia in 2017. She pursued this degree due to her passion for climate change mitigation and the intersection of the environment with economics, in which environmental sustainability is measured as a key part of bottom line-based decisions made by businesses and government organizations. In obtaining her degree, she gained knowledge of not only the many pressing environmental challenges we face and innovative solutions to address those but more importantly their economic impact on the bottom line. Naajia’s career goal is to create healthy and resilient communities in which all forms of life are able to thrive. She believes this will be achieved by leveraging strategic partnerships and creating research and data-backed solutions that are feasible, effective, and applicable to organizations across all industries and markets. She has since worked for several corporations, consultancies, and nonprofit organizations pushing for sustainable, equitable change.

Andrew Nelson

As communities see an increasing need for equitable resource management and climate change adaptation strategies, the sphere of public policy plays a pivotal role in facilitating these transitions.  It is a focus on these environmental and resource management policies that Andrew Nelson brings to IB Environmental. He brings with him a background in environmental and public education, having spent 5 seasons working as a Wilderness Guide and 3 years serving as a 1st Grade Teaching Assistant at a public elementary school in North Carolina. His work in environmental education exposed him to mechanisms of land use and resource management that impacted his work on a near-daily basis, providing first-hand examples of how policy shapes human activity. With a passion for both the environment and healthy community development, Andrew seeks to aid IB Environmental in its mission to increase the appreciation for water resources and promote sound environmental policy through research, education, and action.