CLEARING Board of Directors
Dana Utroske
My journey into sustainability education began during my undergraduate studies at Grinnell College, where I majored in Sociology and Education. Inspired by summers as a Park Ranger and a semester in Costa Rica focused on sustainable development, I deepened my commitment to environmental education. This passion led me to earn a Master’s in Educational Leadership & Policy with a focus on Sustainability Education at Portland State University. As a graduate assistant, I developed a garden-based science curriculum funded by the National Science Foundation, honing my skills in curriculum design and experiential learning. With over a decade of experience in sustainability education, I am dedicated to empowering educators through impactful resources that integrate ecological stewardship into diverse learning environments, particularly within the unique context of the Pacific Northwest.
Jane Tesner Kleiner
Jane Tesner Kleiner is a Registered Landscape Architect (RLA), ecologist and environmental educator with over 25 years of experience in design, project management and program coordination. She loves working with schools and communitiy partners to create spaces and programs to get kids outside, connecting with nature.
Stephen Allen
(E3 Washington Liaison)
A dedicated education professional with a local academic background and a passion for public service. I earned a Bachelor’s degree in U.S. History and Environmental Policy and later a Master’s in Education both from Gonzaga University, I have continued my passion for education by demonstrating a commitment to academic excellence and a multidisciplinary approach to education throughout the community. My focus is developing and promoting outdoor learning, conservation education and career/technical educational programs.
Caz Lockwood
Caz Swank has recently attained a Masters in Leadership for Sustainability Education at Portland State University. Prior to that she completed a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability, also at PSU. Caz’s previous career was in event production, mostly in a freelance capacity, producing events around the world. Before moving to Portland in 2017, Caz resided in the UK where she was born and lived most of her life between rural North Yorkshire and London.
Her early years on farms and in the country instilled a passion for the outdoors, which continues here in Oregon as she loves to explore the City and state on foot, bike and by camper van. She believes passionately in giving young people the opportunity to build connections to and understanding of our natural world.
Staff
Larry Beutler
Editor and Publisher
Larry has worked with the environmental education community in the Pacific Northwest for many years as the editor and publisher of CLEARING and, more recently, as the editor and publisher of the Honoring Our Rivers art and poetry anthology. He is a past-President of the Environmental Education Association of Oregon, coordinating two EEAO statewide conferences. He has worked with numerous state, regional, and international organizations, including the International Clematis Society (IClS). He has operated out of a variety of locations, including Portland State University, the John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center at Clackamas Community College, and his home office in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland. In addition to working as a freelance editor, graphic designer and publisher, he currently works as a soccer coach at Reed College in Portland and as a production assistant for the OSU Extension and Experiment Station in Corvallis and Ontario OR, He is fighting a losing battle to keep his golf handicap from rising any higher.