Student Conservation Association Welcomes New Board Members & Board Leadership

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Student Conservation Association (SCA) today announced the appointments of three new board members and leadership positions. These appointments will help support the nonprofit’s mission to build the next generation of conservation leaders.

“We are excited to announce our new board member appointments and board leadership. Their wealth of experience and unwavering commitment to conservation will be invaluable as we work diligently to nurture the next generation of conservation leaders,” said Lidia Soto-Harmon, SCA president and CEO. “Together, we will continue to drive impactful initiatives that safeguard our environment for future generations and the communities we serve.”

The SCA Board of Directors unanimously elected D. Lena Hickman-Miott as its next Board Chair. Hickman-Miott succeeds Gail Carmody, who will remain on the board. Hickman-Miott is a leader in the technology industry, providing enterprise-level strategic consulting services to Fortune 500 companies. Among her many accomplishments, she broke new ground as the executive director of Federal Systems at Cisco, paving the way for broader representation at the executive level.

The SCA Board of Directors also unanimously elected Bryan Arroyo as Vice Chair. Arroyo, who recently retired after a leadership career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, served as a Deputy Director for the agency and held several Assistant Director positions. In these capacities, he oversaw the Service’s work in endangered species, fisheries, and habitat conservation, as well as coordinated domestic and international efforts to protect, restore, and enhance the world’s diverse wildlife and habitats. The board also elected Karen Wawrzaszek as Secretary and re-elected Steve Howell as Treasurer.

The SCA is advised by a Board of Directors comprised of accomplished professionals from both public and private sectors. These individuals are dedicated to the responsible stewardship of our natural environment and committed to mentoring future conservation leaders. Beginning their terms on April 1, 2025, each board member may serve up to two three-year terms. The three new members are:

Stan Austin, National Park Service Regional Director – Southeast Region (Retired)
While National Park Service Regional Director of Southeast Region, Austin oversaw an expanded footprint of 73 parks spanning 4 million acres with nearly 69 million visitors contributing more than $6 billion annually to local economies. Austin also served two years as regional director of the NPS Lower Colorado Basin, Columbia-Pacific Northwest, California-Great Basin and Pacific Islands region. Austin began his National Park Service career at Gateway National Recreation Area as an interpretive park ranger, resource management specialist and law enforcement ranger. He later served as deputy superintendent of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, superintendent of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah/Arizona, acting deputy superintendent at Yosemite National Park in California and superintendent at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio.

Micah Hoffman​, Behavior Health Medical Director, AllMed Healthcare Management
Micah Hoffman is an adult psychiatrist who continues to engage in patient care with a focus on quality improvement. He also serves as an expert in litigation defense matters. His work focuses on advancing mental health services through innovative treatment strategies.

Deidra Goodwin, Sierra Club Military Outdoors Campaign Strategist​ & SCA Alumni Council Chair
A proud SCA alum, Goodwin will be transitioning from a remote role with Sierra Club Military Outdoors as a Campaign Strategist to begin a PhD in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management at Penn State in the fall. Her research will focus on the role of informal outdoor experiences in navigating climate grief. Goodwin’s work focuses on developing reflective and emotionally fluent leaders and advocates in, for, and through the outdoors. Goodwin will serve on the board in their capacity as SCA Alum Council Chair.