Elizabeth joined ClearWater in the spring of 2024 as the Executive Director. As leader of ClearWater Conservancy, Elizabeth works with the staff, the board, and the community to protect and conserve natural resources and habitats.
Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from James Madison University, a master’s degree in agronomy from the University of Georgia, and a doctorate in biogeography from the Pennsylvania State University. Elizabeth’s work experience includes hydrologic modeling, water rights negotiation, public high school education, and wildlife conservation planning for state fish and wildlife agencies.
Elizabeth is a watercolor artist and loves outdoor adventure. She lives in Boalsburg with her husband, Doug Henry, and two children.
Olivia helps to coordinate ClearWater’s outreach and education efforts through our Centred Outdoors Program. She seeks to empower individuals and communities in the outdoor space and teaches the importance of environmental conservation through a variety of free, guided programs in the Centre Region.
Originally from Southwest Pennsylvania, Olivia has lived in Centre County since starting school at Penn State in 2014. She graduated in 2018 with her Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. Her passion for connecting our health to the natural world has carved a unique career path where she has gained experience in environmental education, early childhood education, public programming, community building, and outdoor recreation programming.
In her free time, she enjoys gardening, connecting with loved ones, and exploring the Earth’s beauty on foot, bike, or boat.
Dave Gantz represents ClearWater Conservancy as the Centred Outdoors Assistant Program Coordinator, with the goal of introducing and connecting individuals and communities with the natural world.
With extensive experience in outdoor advocacy, education and recreation, Dave supports the Centred Outdoors mission of promoting a community that continually visits, enjoys, and cares for our natural assets. Dave first moved to Centre County after earning his B.S. degree in Biology from Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg in 2004 and has since lived throughout the country working with organizations including the Montana Conservation Seedling Nursery, Patagonia, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Appalachian Outdoors, Purple Lizard Maps, Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council, and Penn State University.
Having explored thousands of miles on foot throughout the country, Dave is thrilled to be back “home” in Central Pennsylvania with his family to foster community relationships while enjoying the wonderful spaces of our region.
Katie served as an Americorps member, Outings and Events Assistant for ClearWater Conservancy from Feb. 2020 – August 2021 where she assisted with Centred Outdoors outings, event planning, and communications. She returns bringing her marketing, design, communications, community engagement, arts, conservation, and recreation experience to the role.
She has earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (now PennWest). Her art background brought a lot of marketing, writing, creative problem solving, and collaboration experience as well as working with community members on projects.
She is so happy to be back in her home of Pennsylvania connected again to the land and community of central Pennsylvania. In her spare time, she enjoys making candles, painting landscapes, hiking, kayaking, meeting new people, and exploring new places.
Leah started as ClearWater’s Social Media and Communications Intern and now is our Communications Specialist, supporting ClearWater and Centred Outdoors in building a strong online presence and compelling digital narratives about conservation.
Growing up in a small town in Western New York gave Leah a deep appreciation for the outdoors and close-knit communities. As a recent graduate of Penn State with a degree in Public Relations, she’s passionate about using strategic communication to create meaningful impact when it comes to amplifying environmental initiatives.
Throughout college, she sought experiences that combined digital storytelling with community engagement. At Penn State, Leah served as a communications intern for the Ross Student Farm to develop and implement campaigns promoting student involvement, food security, and sustainable agriculture. She also served as webmaster for the Penn State Outing Club, leading the design of a new website and maintaining an engaging social media presence for outdoor enthusiasts.
In her free time, you can find Leah hiking, reading, climbing, biking, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Elena Lloyd is the Guided Outing Assistant for Centred Outdoors during the spring season. She is a Centre County native who is passionate about all of the joys that can be found in wild spaces. Elena has long loved the beautiful local forests and wild areas of the region, and enjoys spending free time hiking, mountain biking, and meandering. She studied art at Parsons School of Design and received a BFA in Illustration, though after college her interests pivoted towards small-scale agriculture and worked at a few vegetable farms throughout New England.
She is excited to be a part of this program because of her passion for protecting the beauty of our natural resources and inspiring others to find ways to relate to nature and value the ecosystems around us. She looks forward to helping people in our community connect to their local natural habitats through art, movement, and fellowship. When not in the woods, Elena can be found at home gardening, drawing, and tinkering on her motorcycle.