Steering Committee

The purpose of the SEN Steering Committee is to support the mission and needs of the Southern Energy Network (SEN) by providing advisement, guidance, promotion, policy oversight, and leadership for the organization.

Current SEN Steering Committee Members:

Criosanna Allred: Criosanna is a senior at Spartanburg Day School in South Carolina. She joined the steering committee in January 2011 and is excited to develop other high school leaders in the Southern Energy Network’s (SEN) grassroots base. After attending a weeklong training program held by SEN this past summer, she has become passionate about the potential of effective organizing trainings to empower young people across the region.

Ian Karra: Ian is currently a sophomore at the University of Georgia, studying in Economics and Ecology and working as a lab assistant in the Odum School of Ecology. He joined the steering committee in January 2011 and currently serves as the Financial Chair. He first got involved with SEN as a high school student in 2008 and also currently sits on the steering committee for the Georgia chapter of SEN, Georgia Youth for Energy Solutions. Ian works to foster a new sense of community among youth climate activists in the Southeast. He is very interested in developing SEN into a more field-based organization where support for individual campus's and community's victories inspire and motivate broader, sweeping changes on the state and regional levels. 

Dylan Layfield: Dylan is a senior at the University of Georgia, studying Forestry and Ecology, and works as a lab assistant in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. He joined the committee in January 2011 and serves as the Fundraising Chair. Dylan is incredibly passionate about solving the climate crisis through developing clean, renewable energy.

Curtis McLeod: Curtis is a real estate accountant in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Oglethorpe University in 2009 with an Accounting degree. He has served on the committee for over a year, and he is passionate about increasing the internal efficiency of SEN as well as the effectiveness of our campaigns.

Jessica Okaty: Jessica joined the committee in January 2011 and is a graduate student at Florida International University, working towards a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies. She is a Co-Facilitator of the Steering Committee, and serves as the State Chapter Accountability representative.  She is excited about the critical role SEN plays in the broader youth climate movement.

Katie Parrish: Katie is the Florida Organizer for Oceana. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2010 with a degree in Political Science & Legal Studies. She joined the committee in January 2010 and is interested in the administrative and financial aspects of non-profit management.

Matthew Roberts: Matthew is a freshman at Rhodes College in Tennessee where he currently serves as the president of the campus environmental group, Green Rhodes. He has served on the steering committee since December 2007 and was co-facilitator for two terms. Matthew also coordinated SEN’S South Carolina network, the Palmetto Environmental Action Coalition for two years. He is currently employed as the Senior Field Sales Manager and Assistant Manager at Vector Marketing. He believes that combating dirty energy and environmental injustice are paramount to the preservation of sustainable life on our planet. Over the years, his main focuses have been anti-mountain-top removal coal mining work, community empowerment, and training new leaders in the youth climate movement

Nikki Swartwood: Nikki serves as the Special Events Coordinator for the steering committee, and has been a member since January 2010. She is currently a student at the University of Tennesee studying Biochemistry, Cellular & Molecular Biology, German Studies, Religious Studies, and Mathematics. She loves SEN’s ability to inspire and develop youth leaders.

Rio Tazewell: Rio is one of the Co-Facilitators of the steering committee and has served as a member for one year. He currently works as the Education and Outreach Director at the Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy, and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is actively interested in building connections between diverse organizations working on sustainability.