Current Board Members

The UAA is a volunteer-run organization led by the UAA Board of Directors.

We currently have four committees (Webinars, Communications, Regional Networks, and Mentorship) in addition to our Executive Team (President, Vice President, and Treasurer).

Kendra Held
President
2021 Udall Scholar (Environment)

Kendra Held was born and raised in Minnesota and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2022. During her senior year, she studied abroad in Sweden, where she enjoyed traveling to other countries on long weekends. In September 2022, she moved to Telluride, Colorado, for an AmeriCorps VISTA position and now serves as the Climate Action Coordinator for an environmental sustainability nonprofit. In this role, she facilitates and supports climate action implementation across seven municipalities and three counties in Southwest Colorado.

Outside of work, Kendra enjoys skiing, swimming, walking, practicing yoga, reading, playing board games, cooking, and having insightful conversations. She is currently learning Spanish and has also explored creative pursuits such as ceramics and silk dyeing.

Grace Fox
Vice President, Communications Director
2021 Udall Scholar (Native Policy) and 2023 Native American Congressional Intern

Grace Fox is from Edmond, Oklahoma, and is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. She graduated from Columbia University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Ethnicity and Race Studies, with a focus on Indigenous Studies. In 2024, she earned her Master of Public Policy from the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

Grace currently serves as a Senior Researcher and Tribal Healthcare Policy Analyst at the University of Oklahoma’s Native Nations Center for Tribal Policy Research. Her work focuses on conducting research and developing policy recommendations aimed at improving cancer outcomes in Native American communities.

Outside of her professional life, Grace enjoys bartending, playing tennis, traveling, crafting, doom-scrolling, and spending time with her beloved dogs, Hotch and Watson.

Audrey Cho
Secretary, Mentorship & Webinars Co-Director
2022 Udall Scholar (Environment)

Audrey Cho is a graduate of UC Davis, where she earned her degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. After a summer spent planning events for the Udall Alumni Board, traveling to Japan and Alaska, and enjoying time with family, she began working in Sacramento as a fellow in the California executive branch. Her work spans Tribal and environmental justice issues, legislative advocacy, and water resource policy, with a focus on the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta region.

As her fellowship concludes in August, Audrey is exploring next steps and considering whether to pursue law school or graduate studies. She is excited to return to the Udall Alumni Board for a second year and deeply values the community that has taken root within it.

Zachary Billot
Treasurer, Mentorship, & Webinars Co-Director
2023 Udall Scholar (Environment)

Zachary Billot was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, and earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He currently works with the San Diego Bird Alliance through the California Climate Action Corps, where his work aligns with his passion for wildlife policy and conservation.

Zachary was selected as a Marshall Scholar and will begin graduate studies this fall at the University of Edinburgh, where he will pursue degrees in Environmental Protection and Environmental Politics—an academic intersection that reflects his commitment to environmental justice and policy.

Outside of work, he enjoys birding (he ranks in the top 50 in his county for species observed), hiking, and playing violin in his local community orchestra.

Torre Lavelle
Regional Networks Director, Mentorship Co-Director
2015 Udall Scholar (Environment)

Torre Lavelle grew up in Georgia and earned a degree in Ecology from the University of Georgia. After graduating, she spent a year working with The Nature Conservancy’s China office before relocating to New York City, where she worked at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and helped launch the Columbia Climate School as a member of its founding team. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Yale University.

Outside of her academic and professional work, Torre volunteers with the Girl Scouts and enjoys participating in a book club—always on the lookout for new recommendations.

Hogan Dwyer
2018 Honorable Mention

Hogan Dwyer grew up in New Jersey and earned a degree in Environmental Studies and Philosophy from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. He currently lives in Maine and works for Efficiency Maine, a state agency where he manages programs that promote electric vehicle adoption.

An avid road biker and trail runner, Hogan is often found in the pool while recovering from one injury or another. Outside of his active pursuits, he enjoys crafting epic salads, hosting a philosophy book club, and traveling frequently to visit friends and family.

Kyle Gatdula Dahilig

Regional Networks Co-Director

2022 Udall Scholar (Environment)

Kyle Gatdula Dahilig (he/him) is a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis, where he researches how islands are leveraging environmental governance structures to implement climate change adaptation. He earned his B.S. in Integrative Biology from the University of Guam in 2023.

Kyle’s commitment to environmental stewardship is grounded in both his love for the natural sciences and his belief that environmental protection is inherently interdisciplinary. As an educator, researcher, and advocate, he is dedicated to serving frontline communities—like his own—that are most impacted by climate change.

Outside of his academic work, Kyle enjoys hiking, gardening, and lifting weights at the gym.