On October 18, 2025 from 1-3 PM, PEECnic, our annual membership meeting to which the community is invited to come, will be held as an opportunity for members to vote for the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s 2025 Board of Directors. Learn more about the prospective board members and current board members seeking re-election below.
PEEC Board of Directors consists of seven to eleven individuals elected by the general membership. Board members are elected to two-year terms and may serve up to three consecutive terms. Officers are elected by the Board.
Currently there are eight members: Kristen Dors, Galen Gisler, Janet Griego, Robin Gurule, Bonnie Klamm, Eduardo Santiago, Nan Sauer and Simone Schmidt. Galen Gisler will be departing from the board in October after completing his third term.
With the proposed full slate, PEEC’s Board of Directors would consist of ten members. The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that you vote FOR the election of each of the nominees below.
Jonathan Creel
Prospective Board Member
A native of the Florida panhandle, Jonathan discovered the American West during college and never looked back. After earning his bachelor’s in history and master’s in public history from the University of West Florida, Jonathan began his career with the National Park Service, serving as an interpretive ranger at Yellowstone National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and Grand Canyon National Park. He eventually made his way to Los Alamos to design exhibits for the Los Alamos Nature Center and develop programs for the Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Later, he continued his environmental education career as the Executive Director of the Ogden Nature Center in Utah. Currently, Jonathan leads the Manhattan Project National Historical Park at Los Alamos National Laboratory. When he’s not at work, he spends his time hiking, cross-country skiing, and exploring the outdoors. However, you’ll rarely see him without his binoculars because birding is his passion!
Katie Weeks
Prospective Board Member
Katie’s love for nature was born in the mountains and oceans of O’ahu, Hawaii and was nurtured by Girl Scout camps and family National Park trips. She attended Kalamazoo College for her B.A. in Environmental Studies, and later the University of North Carolina Wilmington for her M.S. in Environmental Studies and Education. She moved to Los Alamos with her husband in 2017 and began working at the Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe. She is currently the Director of Community Education for Audubon Southwest, overseeing the environmental education programs in both New Mexico and Arizona. Katie also serves on the executive board of the Santa Fe Community Educators Network, volunteers with Little Forest Playschool, and was roped into being a Daisy troop leader for her kindergartener. Katie is kept busy by her two young kids who love the PEEC treehouse, but occasionally she gets to sneak away to enjoy the bird room.
Lauren Winchester
Prospective Board Member
Lauren grew up on Colorado’s Front Range, spending her free time wading up the creek, perfecting her “running straight downhill in the forest” technique, and paying close attention to plants and birds around her. She has a B.A. in Communications and German, has spent 8 years in a wide variety of nonprofit roles, and currently manages grants for a nonprofit focused on ending youth homelessness. Lauren and her partner moved to Los Alamos in 2022 and quickly found ways to plug in at PEEC. Lauren likes spending most of her free time outside on foot, bike, or skis and likes helping other people take the next step towards spending more time outside, whether that’s securing the right gear, drumming up the courage for the next objective, or planning their nutrition. On multi-day trips, her pack includes sour candy, classic trail mix, multiple hat options, and a good book.
Janet Griego
Current Board Member
Janet Griego is originally from Dixon, a rural Northern New Mexico community. Her father shared his love of the outdoors with his family, taking them camping, hiking, and fishing, all the while instilling a deep regard for nature and the environment. In 1995, she and her family moved to Los Alamos where her husband worked for LANL while Janet worked as a surgical pathologist and medical director with Pathology Associates of Albuquerque. After retirement, Janet began volunteering in Los Alamos (including at PEEC) and in neighboring communities. She enjoys running, gardening, hiking, and baking. Janet joined the board in October 2021.
Robin Gurule
Current Board Member
Robin grew up in a small town in Arizona, spending her afternoons hiking in the Sonoran Desert. Summers were filled with backpacking in the Washington Cascades and working in her cousins’ apple orchards. She learned realistic bird carving from a friend and pursued it as a vocation for a decade. After earning her accounting degree and CPA from Northern Arizona University, Robin had a long career at Los Alamos National Laboratory, starting in Accounts Payable and retiring in 2018. Now, she enjoys birding, hiking, backpacking, rafting, organic gardening, and folk music and dance, serving as treasurer for the Folk Music and Dance Society Board since 2018. Robin joined the Board in November 2024.