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Roald Hazelhoff,
Education Advisor
Roald Hazelhoff is the Founder and Executive Director for the Southern Environmental Center (SEC), formerly housed at Birmingham-Southern College (BSC), for over 30 years (1993-2024). The Center built support and awareness to model green initiatives on campus and in surrounding Birmingham communities. Under Roald’s leadership, over $5 million in capital campaign funds were secured since 1996 to construct SEC’s award-winning facilities on BSC’s campus, the largest educational facility of its kind in Alabama. SEC secured an additional $3.9 million between 2008-2023 to transform Turkey Creek Nature Preserve from a local dumping site into a regional destination for 130,000 visitors per year. SEC provided on-site STEMM programming for schools, maintained hiking/mountain bike trails, and helped protect federally endangered species of Vermilion and Rush darter fish. In 2024, Roald started the new Birmingham Urban Watershed STEMM Initiative (BUWSI), modeled after BSC’s award-winning STEMMing the Tide initiative, to incorporate environmental justice and climate change themes into science modules for 11 Birmingham City schools located within the Village Creek watershed. He has worked on a number of advisory boards in a variety of key organizations around the greater Birmingham area, including the Sustainable City Commission for the City of Birmingham, Jones Valley Urban Farm, and UAB’s School of Public Health. Roald’s tireless commitment to environmental stewardship has been recognized by the White House, the Birmingham Business Journal, and Mercedes Benz.

Riley Ann Yager,
Communications & Outreach Manager
Riley is a Birmingham-based scientist and engineer with a background in civil engineering, physics, environmental research, and sustainability. She earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering and Physics and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Her doctoral research focused on developing greenhouse gas (GHG) conversion systems for environmental and space applications.
Riley brings her technical background to environmental advocacy through community engagement, education, and the development of practical sustainability initiatives. At the Alabama Environmental Council (AEC), she supports outreach, partnerships, and environmental projects involving water conservation, green infrastructure, and emerging environmental technologies. She is passionate about making science accessible and connection research, communities, and organizations to create meaningful environmental change across Alabama.
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