Sophia Twichell joined FRW as its executive director in 2004. Sophie has developed a rich array of programs at FRW focused on environmental education for adults and older youth, with particular emphasis on science, art and nature and outreach to traditionally underserved communities.  Prior to joining FRW, Sophie managed international conservation programs for The Field Museum and served as assistant director for the Lake Michigan Federation, now known as the Alliance for the Great Lakes.  Sophie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 with degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Latin American Studies.  She received her J.D. with honors and a certificate in Environmental & Energy Law from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1996.  She serves on the boards of the Lake Forest Garden Club, Lake Forest Open Lands and Nature’s Edge. An enthusiastic birder and gardener, Sophie lives in Lake Bluff with her husband and three children.  Her two boys enjoy hiking the woods at night during Ryerson’s Halloween Hikes, and her young daughter adores visiting Ryerson’s farm animals.

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Julia Kemerer is FRW’s Administrative Coordinator.  She joined the staff of FRW in 2006 and oversees the administrative elements of our programs, including bookkeeping, database management and more.  Julia also brings to FRW a wealth of art management skills including past curatorial and artifact collection management experience and a passion for the creation process. Also a mixed media artist, Julia sculpts with found objects, fabric, wood, and clay and paints in oil and watercolor.  Julia attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and holds a degree in Art History from the University of Illinois at Chicago.  Her artwork has been shown in several area galleries and can also be found online.  Julia lives in Gages Lake with her husband, Mark, and their daughter, Zoe.

Marcela Alva coordinates FRW’s Latino outreach initiative.  Since 2012, she has organized guided bilingual nature hikes, as well as FRW’s participation in cultural festivals around Lake County. Through these programs, Alva invites our region’s Latino residents to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits that time in nature provides. 

Marcela is certified as a State and No Child Left Behind Paraprofessional educator, and is an experienced bilingual educator from Mexico.   She graduated from the Instituto Miguel Angel in Mexico City with a degree in education.  She is certified in special education focused on learning disabilities by the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. With more than 20 years of experience in education, Marcela has developed a wide range of educational programs in Mexico for schools, television and radio, including for children with special needs.

Before moving to the US, Marcela owned a successful catering business in Mexico, where she also enjoyed teaching culinary workshops.  Marcela lives in Buffalo Grove with her husband and son.  In her free time, she enjoys observing birds and exploring Lake County’s vast network of forest preserves.