Our Team
Bethany Davis Noll
Executive Director
Bethany Davis Noll is an expert in administrative and environmental law and an experienced litigator. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU Law and co-chair of the Environmental Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association.
Read MoreJessica Bell
Deputy Director
Jessica Bell is an experienced attorney dedicated to promoting the public interest in the environmental and energy sectors. She previously served as the Clean Energy Attorney at the Center, focusing on energy law issues at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and on state energy policy matters.
Read MoreRachel Ramirez-Guest
Staff Attorney
Rachel Ramirez-Guest is an attorney with experience in environmental law and policy, including issues of environmental justice and municipal environmental compliance.
Read MoreMadeline Collins
Clean Energy Attorney
Madeline Collins is an attorney with litigation experience, an LLM in Environmental Law, and a dedication to serving the public interest. She previously worked as Assistant District Attorney with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office.
Read MoreAleksandra “Sasha” George Ruiz
Legal Fellow for Environmental Justice*
Sasha George Ruiz is an environmental justice and civil rights attorney with experience in federal clean air act enforcement, hazardous waste act compliance, and community-based justice work.
Mohamed Oday
Operations Manager
Mohamed Oday is an environmental professional with an interest in environmental justice and policy. In his role he helps manage the weekly report, litigation tracking, the budget, fundraising, and other day-to-day operations.
Carlos E. Minaya Arnao
Communications Manager
Carlos E. Minaya Arnao is a public health specialist and environmental conservationist. He joins the Center from the bay area in California, where he worked for Mission Neighborhood Health Center leading their community outreach and patient enrollment department.
Read MoreTiernaur Anderson
Senior Communications & Digital Specialist
Tiernaur Anderson is is a climate communications professional with an interest in making climate action more accessible for people at all levels of awareness and engagement. In her role she produces the biweekly newsletter, manages the Center’s AG Actions database and other online tools, designs Center reports and web resources, and assists in research for projects and reports.
Read MoreJasmine Elbekraoui
Communications & Program Assistant
Jasmine Elbekraoui has a background in environmental science with an interest in environmental policy and research. Prior to joining the Center she worked for a student advocacy group, and played a crucial role in advocating for various campaigns and teaching college students how to be effective advocates in their community. At the Center, Jasmine works with the communication and operations team and assist with day-to-day tasks.
Students Working With Us
Meet the students working with the Center as research assistants and interns this semester.
Georgia Rock
Georgia Rock is a second-year student at NYU Law. She is co-chair of the Public Interest Law Student Association and a staff editor on the Environmental Law Journal.

Tatiana Zapata
Tatiana Zapata is a part-time student at St. John’s University School of Law and serves as the Vice President of the school’s Environmental Law Society; she is also a student member of the NYCBA Committee on Environmental Law. Tatiana is a first-generation law student and first-generation Colombian immigrant dedicated to advocating on behalf of historically marginalized communities.

Joseph Colarusso
Joseph is an undergraduate student at New York University pursing a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He has a specific interest in pursuing a career in environmental law immediately after graduation. He has interned at various law firms, gaining experience in many diverse areas. At the Center, he helps maintain the AG Actions Database.

Ana Oropeza
Ana Oropeza is an undergraduate student at Columbia University, majoring in Film and Media Studies with a concentration in Business Management. She is a Program Assistant at Columbia’s Institute of Latin American Studies. As a rising professional, Ana shares a strong interest and commitment to the community of domestic and international scholars within and beyond her university. She has been a liaison between Columbia and other institutions, served as one of the Mexican Students Association’s Secretaries of Community Engagement, been a mentor to incoming and international students at the School of General Studies, and is an administrative support coordinator at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs. At the Center, Ana assists with media, marketing, and fundraising research.
Past Leadership
David J. Hayes
Past Executive Director
David J. Hayes was the State Impact Center’s executive director from August 2017 through January 2021, when he left the Center to serve in the Biden administration as Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy, a role he filled until late 2022.
Elizabeth Johnson Klein
Past Deputy Director
Elizabeth Johnson Klein was the State Impact Center’s deputy director from August 2017 through January 2021. Klein now serves in the Biden administration as Senior Counselor to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
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