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OUR STAFF

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Abby Novinska-Lois

Executive Director

Abby received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a certificate in Environmental Studies from the UW- Madison, where she chaired various justice and sustainability organizations, such as REthink Wisconsin & Students for Social Welfare. After graduating, she worked to reduce pesticide use in Wisconsin agriculture and has multiple publications on pollinators and integrated pest management solutions. While working closely with growers around the state, she realized many barriers to scientific communication, which sometimes lead to significant health harms (i.e. pesticide exposure). Recognizing the health of the environment and her community were inseparable, she pursued a Graphic Design Certificate and became a Communications Specialist at the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network and an Outreach Specialist for the Global Health Institute. In 2020, Abby helped the Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action become a nonprofit and as our first Executive Director has led strategic plan development, working teams, programming, fundraising, communications, and more. She is also currently pursuing a master's degree in public health. In her free time, Abby loves painting, gardening, hiking, and camping.

Dawn Brintnall

Climate-Smart Program Coordinator

Dawn grew up on a farm in SE Wisconsin, where she witnessed firsthand the effects of climate change in agriculture. She earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, studying Conservation Biology and Zoology with a certificate in Environmental Studies. During the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, she served both as a nurse assistant and a Project Manager on an Infectious Disease team. She is an avid skier, climber, mountain biker, and trail runner in her current home of Red Lodge, Montana. She is currently a graduate student of Public Health at the University of Montana, and volunteers as a rural care EMT in her spare time. Her goal is to contribute to equitable healthcare access and play a role in standardizing the priority of environmental practices in healthcare. As the Climate-Smart Program Coordinator, Dawn meets with stakeholders, trains members for community action, and assists in the creation of green teams to help push Climate-Smart initiatives in Wisconsin’s healthcare systems.

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