Meet the Native Team
Nell Achtmeyer
VICE PRESIDENT, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERYNell came to Native with a background in business development, project management, and implementing sustainability strategies for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Nell is passionate about innovative financial solutions and partnerships that fund projects to scale regenerative agriculture practices, sustainable forest management, and broader solutions to mitigate climate change. As VP, Project Development and Delivery, Nell is responsible for Native's project portfolio from sourcing to delivery. She directs Native's talented team of technical and project-focused professionals to deliver on Native's climate action goals. Nell is originally from Boston and first moved to Vermont to earn her B.A. from Middlebury College. She also holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and an MELP from Vermont Law School. She is excited to be back in New England after several years living and working on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Kieran Avery
DIRECTOR, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND ORIGINATIONKieran was born and raised in Kenya. Along with his family, he spent many of his holidays as a child on safari in northern Kenya developing a deep passion and understanding of the area – its people, their cultures, and the wildlife. Having studied Veterinary Science in the UK – where he also practiced as a vet surgeon for 4 years specializing in dairy and beef work – Kieran always hoped to return home to Kenya to use his veterinary skills to benefit both the livestock belonging to pastoral communities, and the wildlife which lives alongside them.
Kieran has been working in northern Kenya since 2017 and joined the Native team in 2022. He is a qualified pilot, which is invaluable when working in the remote north Kenya landscape. His role at Native is to oversee the operations of the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project (NKRCP) – to ensure that the project implementation strategy is efficient and progressive, to provide technical support to the communities involved, and to secure positive carbon sequestration within this unique area. Kieran is also involved in scouting potential project sites within the East African landscape. He hopes to bring big impact to these areas by introducing novel ways of approaching the issues at hand – scalability and sustainability are key.
Jonny Bearcub Stiffarm
DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTJonny, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Nation, is the business development manager for Native. She brings a wealth of experience in negotiation, small business development, contracts, and leadership. She served in Mayor Wellington Webb's administration as the deputy director of the Mayor's Office of Contract Compliance for both the city and Denver International Airport and as his Native American Indian liaison to the local, regional, and national Indian Nation entities. She received her undergraduate from Brigham Young University and a juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota School of Law.
Jeff Bernicke
PRESIDENTJeff Bernicke, President & CEO of Native, has over 25 years of experience building and leading teams in the development and financing of renewable energy, emission reduction, and impact projects and programs. At Native, Jeff has driven the expansion of its Help Build program to provide corporate clients with strategically valuable portfolios of Help Build projects, including renewable, carbon mitigation, clean water, and ecosystem services projects. Prior to joining Native, Mr. Bernicke led the portfolio development and strategy for Greenhouse Gas Services (a joint venture between General Electric and AES Corp) and was a senior member of the executive team for DTE Energy Resources. Earlier in his career, he advised companies in the cleantech sector and worked as a strategy consultant to large corporations across several industry sectors. Jeff holds an M.B.A. with Highest Distinction and an M.S. in Resource Ecology from the University of Michigan and B.S. degrees in Business and Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Eleanor Campbell
SENIOR DIRECTOR, CARBON SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTEleanor came into Native with a passion for interdisciplinary collaboration focused on the challenge of: how do we bring good science and high quality methods to climate change mitigation solutions, at scale? At Native she is a technical lead, responsible for helping advance the science, technical development, and design of Native's projects. She was on the academic path before making a diversion into industry, majoring in ecology at Dartmouth College, receiving a Master's in natural resources at University of Vermont, then a PhD in ecology from Colorado State University, before working for a few years as a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire and as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Campinas in Brazil. Her academic work focused on the potential for changes in agricultural management practices to reduce or sequester greenhouse gas emissions using tools like process-based soil biogeochemical modeling (primarily DayCent and DNDC). She took the leap into industry in 2019, starting off as Director of Soil Carbon Science, and later acting as Lead Architect for Sustainability Science, at Indigo Ag.
Jess Chaplin
DIRECTOR, PARTNERSHIPSJess is a Director at Native, responsible for strategic engagement with key project partners and specific workstreams to ensure the long term success of the projects she works with. Jess has spent the last five years focusing on project and policy development and optimisation, recognising the key role these play in climate adaptation, and the potential for nature based solutions to generate long term, sustainable income for communities and conservation.
Prior to joining Native, Jess worked for a number of INGO’s and small private companies over seven years in East Africa providing technical programme management and development and growth strategies, and before this for NM Rothschild in London on strategic portfolio management as an investment advisor for non-profit clients. Jess holds a BSc Hons in Geography (University of Bristol, United Kingdom) and is based in northern Kenya.
Samantha Cohen
MANAGER, DATA AND ANALYTICSSam’s passion for conservation and economic solutions to climate change led her to Native where she supports projects through data-driven analysis. Trained as an economist with a background in public policy research, Sam previously worked in government and nonprofits on issues at the nexus of agriculture and the environment. Sam brings her skillset to Native where she analyzes and standardizes project activities through all stages of development to maximize impact for climate action and sustainable development.
Sam holds an M.S. and a B.S. in Economics from KU Leuven and American University, respectively. Sam grew up in Vermont and enjoyed living in Washington, DC, and Belgium before landing in Southern California. While not at work, you can find her surfing, hiking with her two dogs, or snapping photographs.
Tejas Dinesh
ANALYST, MARKET STRATEGY & ENGAGEMENTTejas serves as a Market Strategy and Engagement Analyst at Native, where his responsibilities include building partnerships with carbon project funders, keeping abreast of the latest trends in the carbon markets, and evaluating the quality of and market demand for new carbon projects across Native's domestic and international portfolio.
Prior to joining Native, Tejas was an ESG and Sustainability consultant at Deloitte, where he helped clients navigate sustainability reporting requirements, climate risk assessments, emissions calculations, decarbonization strategies, and sustainable/climate finance markets. Tejas has also held positions at the US Agency for International Development, Environment America, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Tejas holds a BS in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alabama. In his free time, he likes to travel, read, exercise, and eat copious amounts of ice cream.
Emily Gaynor
DIRECTOR, PEOPLE & CULTUREEmily joins the Native team with a background in social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, and sustainable business, and has worked with CPG companies, Certified B Corporations, and national and international nonprofits. She is passionate about making businesses into sustainable and collaborative organizations for all stakeholders, and knows people are the most valuable asset to enduring sustainability. Emily strives to bring this to life in her work through engagement, education, and iteration. Emily holds a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MA from SIT Graduate Institute.
Mike Green
DIRECTOR, CARBON MARKETSMike Joins the Native team as an expert on carbon market policy and with a background in project development. Over the past 10 years, Mike has dedicated his work to advancing ambitious climate policies at the local, federal and international level. As the Climate and Energy Director for the American Sustainable Business Network, Mike worked closely with their leading brands to support winning advocacy campaigns. Previously, Mike served as the Executive Director of Climate XChange, a Boston based organization focused on providing research and technical support for the development of carbon pricing policies and market development. As the Director of Carbon Markets, Mike leads the origination of opportunities for Native to acquire credits from, or otherwise meaningfully support, climate action projects of distinction that align with Native’s strategy and complement our active project portfolio. Working with our partners, Mike provides insights to the full Native team on overall market trends and opportunities.
Kevin Hackett
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKET STRATEGY & ENGAGEMENTKevin has been with Native since 2007 developing a strong sense of the carbon market and its trends and trajectory. Kevin has held numerous roles engaging with all aspects of Native’s business. As the VP of Market Strategy and Engagement, Kevin is responsible for understanding the current carbon market landscape and anticipating its future evolutions in order to align market needs with Native’s portfolio strategy and investment decisions. Kevin is a graduate of Champlain College. When he is not working, Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
Gabriela Jorge
SENIOR MANAGER, PROJECT ORIGINATION AND DEVELOPMENTGabriela has a B.S. degree in Forest Engineering from the University of São Paulo, Brazil, and a certificate in Wetland Science and Management from the University of Washington. She joined the carbon market world in 2011, and has developed carbon projects of various types, including REDD+, Afforestation/Reforestation, Biomass, Biogas, Wind Farms, Small Hydropower Plants, and others.
Gabriela brings to Native her experience and passion for creating sustainable solutions and promoting positive social impact. Before joining the team, Gabriela worked for an international traveling high school, helping spark interest among students to science, environment, and social issues while traveling the world. She also co-founded a local environmental non-profit and started and ran her own commercial flooring business in Oregon, where she resides.
She enjoys kiteboarding, mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, and taking off in her camper van to explore the outdoors around the Pacific Northwest.
Meredith Kielman
MANAGER, ACCOUNTING OPERATIONSMeredith joins Native as the Business Administrator. Born and raised in Australia, Meredith moved to the US in 2010 and has ended up in Vermont after stints in Texas and Colorado. With previous administrative experience in Office Management and IT, Meredith specializes in prioritization, multi-tasking and enjoys streamlining systems for efficiency. Meredith enjoys engaging in all aspects of the business to help set colleagues up for success. While not at work Meredith enjoys spending time with her family, fundraising for the 52 Kids Foundation, traveling, hiking, and finding watering holes.
Sara Klausner
BUSINESS SUPPORT GENERALIST
Claire Lafave
MANAGER, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & ORIGINATIONClaire comes to Native with experience developing sustainability strategies for CPG companies, real asset investment firms, and nonprofits focused on nature-based solutions. She is passionate about investing in farmers and natural resource managers to help them transition to regenerative and climate-friendly practices. Claire grew up in Washington DC, spending summers with her grandparents in Vermont. She holds a B.A. in English and Environmental Studies from Williams College and an M.B.A. and Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Environment. In her free time, Claire loves to hike, rock climb, practice yoga, and garden.
Kirsten McKnight
SENIOR DIRECTOR, GLOBAL ORIGINATIONSince joining Native in 2011, Kirsten has diverse experience in originating, designing, developing, managing, and selling catalytic climate action projects in the voluntary carbon market. In recent years, her focus has been on project origination and development to build Native's portfolio of high integrity projects.
Prior to Native, Kirsten taught high school science and studied biology at the University of Montana. She brings her love of teaching and Montana grasslands ecosystems to the job every day.
Kirsten lives in Burlington, Vermont with her husband, two kids, and mutt from Montana.
Carter Morley
ANALYST, GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS
Kyle O'Keefe
MANAGER, ASSET MANAGEMENTAs an Asset Management Analyst, Kyle assists in Native's carbon offset projects in both the voluntary and compliance markets. With a focus on soil carbon, Kyle is responsible for the monitoring, validation and verification processes of projects in addition to risk assessment during initial project development phases.
Kyle was born and raised in NYC and received his B.S. in Earth Science with a focus on climate science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After working in the fields of geoengineering and environmental compliance, Kyle is excited to be in the carbon offset space. When Kyle isn’t analyzing and managing projects in Native’s portfolio, he enjoys exploring the outdoors, traveling to experience cultures and foods, and spending time with his partner, Olivia, and their fur family of two dogs and a cat.
Tara Povalish
MANAGER, NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS PROGRAM
Santiago Rico
ANALYST, ASSET MANAGEMENT
Erik Rieger
MANAGER, SOIL CARBON & LANDSCAPE SCIENCEAs a Soil Carbon Project Analyst, Erik helps assess, develop, and manage the technical aspects of Native’s soil carbon projects. Prior to joining Native, Erik conducted geospatial research for nonprofit organizations, led campaigns as a community organizer, and farmed for several years. He is passionate about fostering climate resilience through soil resources, conservation, and food systems.
Erik holds a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) and certificate in Geospatial Analysis from Duke University and a B.A. in Philosophy from Colorado College. Though he has called Wyoming and Colorado home, he is currently based in Maine. In his free time, Erik loves to climb, surf, run, garden, and bake bread.
Marites Seitz-Das
MANAGER, MARKET STRATEGY & ENGAGEMENTMarites is a Manager on Native's Market Strategy & Engagement team, where she works with companies looking to advance their climate action goals through impact investments in nature-based carbon solutions .
Prior to joining Native, Marites worked at Kearney as a strategy consulting associate, where she helped enterprise clients across several industry sectors build and implement strategies to solve their complex business problems, including cost coordination, global benchmarking, strategic sourcing, and operations transformation. Her passion to work in climate action started at Kearney through ESG project and business development work and carried over to her volunteerism with her hometown's local environmental advocacy NGO. As the Business Sustainability Officer of Tracy Earth Project, Marites worked closely with local stakeholders spanning both public and private sectors to build and execute on grassroots sustainability strategies that were closely integrated with the companies' profitability strategies.
Marites holds a BA from UCLA in History with a minor in English, and an MBA with a concentration in Data and Business Analytics from University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. Marites lives in Mountain View, California outside of San Francisco, with her husband Rohit and their dog Sherlock. In her free time Marites enjoys reading, writing, and any activity outdoors.
Tom Stoddard
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSELTom earned his JD, magna cum laude, from Boston University, where he served as an editor of the Law Review. He has provided legal advice and conducted business transactions at prominent law firms in Boston, MA and Manchester, NH and subsequently at Green Mountain Energy, where he focused on energy supply and regulatory and marketing compliance. In addition to managing Native’s legal and policy affairs, Tom helps lead the company’s origination and asset management teams, and helps the company and its business customers communicate effectively with stakeholders. With Native, Tom helped create the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance, an industry organization committed to promoting best practices. Tom co-founded Native with the firm belief that business can be good for the environment, and that we can all do well by doing good. Tom lives with his wife Stephanie, their son Ryan, and their dogs and cat on a farm bordering the Green Mountain National Forest, where he and his family raise chickens and got so tired of weeding they now support local farm stands. He is an enthusiastic fisherman, and enjoys crafting furniture in his barn woodshop.
Jack Tierney
ANALYST, GEOSPATIAL ANALYSISJack is a GIS Project Analyst who assists the team in developing and managing the technical aspects of Native's soil carbon projects. Prior to joining Native, he worked as an undergraduate researcher studying alpine tree species' resilience to climate change during college. In his professional career, Jack has worked as an environmental scientist, performing wetland delineation across the Midwest. He is committed to building resilient food systems, supporting Montana ranchers, and producing result-driven climate solutions.
Jack graduated from Montana State University with a major in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Spanish. Though originally from Minnesota, he is currently based in Montana. In his free time, Jack enjoys hiking, skiing, cooking, backpacking, and playing hockey.
Melissa White
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERMelissa serves as Native's inaugural Chief Financial Officer. She brings over 15 years of experience in energy and financial sectors to the company, holding roles in companies ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 firms. Melissa's involvement in the carbon markets dates back to 2012, when she managed Acciona Energy NA's renewable attributes portfolio. She joined Native in 2023 to lead all finance and accounting activities and to help grow its financial sophistication.
Prior to Native, Melissa was the CFO of Glidepath Power Solutions, a private equity-backed developer, owner and operator of renewable energy and battery storage projects. At Glidepath, Melissa built the accounting and finance functions and led $100M+ in financings.
Melissa received an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and earned Bachelor's degrees with honors in Finance and Spanish Literature from the University of Notre Dame.
Want to join us? Learn about career opportunities at Native.