Staff Members
Melinda Hughes (She/Her), Executive Director
Marisa Caughlan (She/Her), Program, Equity, and Outreach Manager
Marisa Caughlan serves in the new TCAT role of Community Engagement and Equity Coordinator. She works with our volunteers, supporters, and community partners to expand opportunities to work on the climate crisis at the intersection of climate change and social justice.
Prior to joining TCAT, Marisa was the Racial Justice Program and Events Manager at the YWCA of Olympia. She's also served with the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, Mason County's Habitat for Humanity, and Thurston County's Election office. On the national level, she was a member of the AmeriCorps NCCC division that works on the frontlines of hurricane clean-up and wildfire support. Marisa holds a BA in history from St. Martins University and lives in Thurston County with her husband and daughter.
Alice Grendon (Name/They), Programs and Communications Manager
Alice is a graduate of Hampshire College where they double majored in Dance and Environmental Studies, and minored in Sustainable Agriculture. Alice has a background in agriculture, working for many years on organic farms and permaculture homesteads. Alice is a co-founder of the Sugar Shack Alliance and has spent the last 10 years involved in the climate justice movement as a facilitator, direct action trainer, and organizer, they bring this rich organizing and facilitation background to their work at TCAT. At TCAT Alice manages our website, the E-newsletter, our social media channels, the online calendar, planning and publicity for events, operates our Monthly Action Hours and so much more. Alice facilitates the Food and Agriculture Action Group as well as our work with Youth. Alice is also a modern/contemporary dancer making experiential performance pieces and dance films about living in the Anthropocene under the name Growing Wildhearted.
Carrie Ziegler (She/Her), Lead Artist and Community Engagement Extraordinaire
Carrie brings with her a wealth of creativity, organizing and facilitation skills, with a background in collaborative art. She loves working with all ages, from elementary school through seniors. Since joining TCAT as staff, Carrie facilitated The Chrysalis Project: Transforming Together and the Climate Justice Mural Project, both influential Art in Action Projects. She facilitates TCAT’s Transportation Action Group and is kicking off a new Art in Action group, focused on creating change through collaborative art. Check out Carrie’s artist website, www.CarrieZiegler.com to learn more about the variety of projects Carrie works on.