John E. Reeder, MA, Executive Director, was appointed in March 2025. He leads national efforts to improve indoor air quality, eliminate toxic exposures, and promote safe, resilient school environments for children nationwide. Before joining HS Network, Reeder served as Vice President for Federal Affairs with the Environmental Working Group, a leading national environmental advocacy organization. Reeder’s career is deeply rooted in public service, including over 30 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where he held career Senior Executive Service positions including Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Congressional Affairs, and head of the cleanup program for federal Superfund sites. Following his government service, he taught environmental policy and conducted research on emerging environmental challenges as an Executive-in-Residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs. Prior to attending college, Reeder deployed overseas with the U.S. military and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He later earned a B.S. in applied economics from the University of Minnesota, and an M.A. in public affairs from the University’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Nancy Vorsanger, MA, Development, has worked in writing, editing, and fundraising for more than 30 years, with a focus on environmental and health issues. She has a BA from Williams College and an MA from Columbia University. She has worked with Healthy Schools Network for more than fifteen years.
Jeff Jones, Communications and NYS Policy, is an Albany-based consultant, strategist and advocate for environment and health, clean energy, progressive labor groups and causes. He is a founding board member of Healthy Schools Network and has served as its state policy consultant for over ten years. He also serves on the boards of WE ACT for Environmental Justice, the Capitol District chapter of the New York League of Conservation Voters and John Brown Lives!
Claire Barnett, MBA, Senior Adviser, is the founder and former Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Network. Under her leadership, Healthy Schools Network established its Information and Referral service for parents and others focused on protecting children’s environmental health and learning. Also established: the national Coalition for Healthier Schools; a collaboration on chemical policy reform in schools; NewsSlice, an online news service for the healthy schools community; National Healthy Schools Day, a day to encourage healthier facilities; and National Healthy Schools Hero Awards.
In 2017, she received the William K. Reilly Award from American University School of Public Affairs for Environmental Leadership, and the American Public Health Association’s David P. Rall Award for contributions to public health through science-based advocacy. The Network has received awards from US EPA for IAQ; a Green Apple Award from the Collaborative for High Performance Schools; a National Partner Award from Green Seal; and recognition from New Orleans’ Walter A Cohen Alumni Association for saving the historic African American high school from demolition post-Katrina. In 2025, Barnett received the Mount Holyoke College Alum Association Achievement Award for instituting sweeping policy changes in New York and nationally. She received her BA (psychology) from Mount Holyoke College and MBA (health systems) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She lives in upstate New York; her two sons and their families are in Colorado.
Joel D. Scheraga, PhD, Senior Advisor for School Resilience, is a nationally and internationally recognized authority on the risks that climate change poses to public health, the environment, and the economy. He served as the Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation in the Office of Policy within the Office of the Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2010 through 2024. In this role, he led development of EPA’s Climate Adaptation Framework to integrate climate considerations into the agency’s programs, policies, and operations. Joel played a key role in shaping the government-wide National Climate Resilience Frameworkand earlier the federal Climate Action Plan. Joel was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and was honored with a Presidential Rank Award as a member of the federal Senior Executive Service. His decades of work emphasize preparing schools, communities, and vulnerable populations for climate-related disruptions while protecting health, particularly for children and those in underserved communities. Joel received an A.B. degree in geology-mathematics/physics from Brown University in 1976, an M.A. in economics from Brown University in 1979, and a Ph.D. in economics from Brown University in 1981. Prior to joining EPA, Joel was an Assistant Professor of Economics at Rutgers University from 1981-1987, and a Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at Princeton University from 1985-1986.
Wayne Higdon, 25th Hour Accounting Solutions, Bookkeeping
InihAbasi Sunday, BA, MS (candidate), Research is a graduate student at Georgetown University pursuing a Master of Science degree in Environmental Metrology and Policy. Originally from Chesterfield Township, New Jersey, in the Greater Philadelphia area, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Environmental Sciences with a minor in Biology from Boston University in May 2024. His professional experiences include internships with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Built Environment Plus, and a Graduate Teaching Assistant position at Georgetown University. A member of the Society of Toxicology and a volunteer with the American Heart Association, he has served the public interest by advancing public health through community engagement and advocacy.