We are a global movement of educators and change agents who believe that a flourishing, sustainable world begins with our students and schools.

Staff and Facilitators

Agile network of global systems thinking professionals

Board of Directors and Advisors

Supporting sustainability education to make the world better

Certified Practioners and Educators

A global team of educators

Board of Directors

Compass Education is generously supported by an international network of business leaders, school directors, educators and sustainability experts who provide guidance in all aspects of organizational development, professional quality and subject matter expertise.

Compass Education owes our name and foundational tool to the visionary sustainability leader and systems thinker, Alan Atkisson and the work that he and his colleagues initiated, improved and continue to develop in the field of systems thinking.

Alan AtKisson

Founding Innovator

Alan AtKisson

Founding Innovator

Alan AtKisson is an author, musician, and longtime advocate for sustainable development. He has been working professionally in sustainable development since 1988 and has been recognized internationally as a pioneering innovator and thought-leader in the field. He is the developer of the Sustainability Compass, our namesake systems thinking tool. Alan is also a public official and currently serves as Assistant Director-General of Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, where he leads the Department of Partnership and Innovation.

Board of Directors

Robert Steele

Founder/President Board of Directors, Compass Education. Founder Systainability Asia

Robert Steele

Founder/President Board of Directors, Compass Education. Founder Systainability Asia

Robert is a teacher, trainer and group process facilitator who values collaboration, partnerships, and working on a team-based strengths model. He enjoys working with inspiring and passionate people, especially educators and youth. Since 2004, Robert’s passion and focus has been systems thinking, and helping people learn to use systems thinking tools and approaches in education (classrooms and school management) and in the corporate world. Robert is an “expert generalist” with deep knowledge in the fields of education, environmental management, energy efficiency, organisational change and leadership, CSR, sustainability and sustainable development, green economy, social enterprise development, indicator development and systems thinking. Drawing on his skill in systems thinking and bringing together many disciplines, he has developed a highly effective consulting and capacity building practice for those who seek successful change strategies with tangible results. Robert is the founder and director of Systainability Asia, a regional consulting and training firm working with UN agencies, national governments, NGOs, universities and schools, and private sector companies throughout the East Asia region. He is also a Senior Associate of AtKisson Group, Faculty of VISIS Academy, and team leader for Compass Education since its inception in 2009.

Email:[email protected]

Lara Johnson

Director of Development, Rocky Mountain Institute

Lara Johnson

Director of Development, Rocky Mountain Institute

Lara is successful at building programs and leading teams in diverse environments. She offers experience in strategic planning, philanthropic grant management, fund raising, sustainable business and research. She has developed and implemented strategies for international foundations, coached and supervised staff, coordinated international conferences and programs, managed regulatory affairs and quality assurance for research, and founded an international fair trade business. Committed to working with passion and integrity, Lara leads with vision demonstrating a track record of executing on goals.

Email:[email protected]

Taylor Steele

Board Member

Kate O'Connell

International Trainer, Coach, Consultant and Speaker

Kate O'Connell

International Trainer, Coach, Consultant and Speaker

Kate O'Connell is a seasoned educator, leader, coach, and speaker with nearly 3 decades of experience in education and sustainability. Her experience includes working with a wide variety of populations, including more than 30 schools across 12 countries and 4 continents. When coaching, she uses her expertise in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Coaching, systems thinking, and change management to promote growth for good. She is recognized as a knowledgeable International Baccalaureate and Compass Education expert. She also leads workshops for Trust-Based Observations and enjoys speaking at conferences and events. Kate holds a BA in Elementary Education, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and a certificate in Management and Leadership from Harvard Business School. She shares her passions and dedication by volunteering to sit on the Board of Compass Education, the AmCham Women's Steering Committee, and the AmCham CSR Committee. Her mission is to help leaders, executives, and educators think systematically to achieve better results and create more compassionate and sustainable systems.

Email:[email protected]

Advisors

Indira Santos Aznar

Education Manager, CONACYT (Mexico)

Indira Santos Aznar

Education Manager, CONACYT (Mexico)

Indira Santos Aznar is a passionate educator with 20 years experience in Non-profit leadership and environmental education. She is a founding director of the Entreamigos Community Education Center, a recognized Environmental Education Training Center in Mexico and is currently the Education Manager for CONACYT ( The National Council of Science and Technology), directing the flagship program SEMILLAS, a national education program to empower a return to natural farming methods and indigenous practices.

Email:[email protected]

Glades Castro Perreras

Director Circo de los Ninos, Educacion Social

Glades Castro Perreras

Director Circo de los Ninos, Educacion Social

Glades Castro Perreras is a 20 year advocate for social programs that support wholistic education and the development of the diverse intelligences of every child. Currently she serves as Director of Circo de los Ninos, a social education program initiated by Cirque du Soleil founder Gilles St. Croix. She is a founding member and director of the Escuela del Mundo education project and was the Executive Director of the Vietnam Youth Development Center in San Francisco, California. She is the recipient of an EMMY Award for the Best Documentary for Cultural Programming about Cambodian youth refugees.

Email:[email protected]

Lister Hannah

Board Member and Retired International School Educator

Lister Hannah

Board Member and Retired International School Educator

For over 30 years, Lister, has headed leading international, independent and government schools globally and has for most of this time been involved with the International Baccalaureate. More recently he has chaired several international school management boards in South East Asia. Presently he is on an independent school board in Australia and he also chairs a STEM-related initiative. In the past, for many years, he was extensively involved in the accreditation (quality assurance) of schools world-wide and he currently advises schools internationally. Lister has always had a passion for educating for a sustainable future. He oversaw development of programs in this field in schools in the US, Germany, Tanzania, Thailand and Australia. He has served as a Trustee of the Jane Goodall Institute (UK) and helped launch Roots and Shoots in Europe, worked with implementing the Swedish-based The Natural Step in an Australian school, and was a co-founder of Compass Education in East Asia.

Rick Kahn

Senior Leadership Consultant, FMI

Rick Kahn

Senior Leadership Consultant, FMI

Rick Kahn is an Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant for FMI Consulting, working with some of the world's largest companies. Rick is an advocate and frequent facilitator for integrative community processes, especially relating to communication, sustainability and integration.

Email:[email protected]

Lisa Kensler

Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership, Auburn University

Lisa Kensler

Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership, Auburn University

Lisa A. W. Kensler is the Emily R. and Gerald S. Leischuck Endowed Professor of Educational Leadership, in the College of Education at Auburn University. Her original training in ecology continues to fuel her love of systems thinking and the challenges located at the intersection of human and nature’s systems, particularly as they appear in PK-12 schooling. She has engaged in learning and teaching about systems thinking and sustainability for more than two decades. Lisa’s research over the past decade has focused on green schools and the leadership and learning required for transforming schools into more socially just, ecologically healthy, and economically viable communities that engage intentionally with the global sustainability movement. She has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters related to democratic community, systems thinking, trust, teacher leadership, and whole school sustainability. In 2017, she and Cynthia Uline co-authored, Leadership for Green Schools: Sustainability for Our Children, Our Communities, and Our Planet. In 2018, the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) recognized Lisa as one of its “Hidden Figures - behind the scenes giants in the field whose work cannot be ignored.”

Email:[email protected]

Scott Edwards

Director, GPDM for Sustainability

Scott Edwards

Director, GPDM for Sustainability

Scott Edwards is a LEED Accredited Professional and director of GPDM for Sustainability, a regional consultancy that helps clients find environmentally, economically, and socially responsive solutions to their needs. Scott moved from Canada to Bangkok in 2001, and since then has lived in Phnom Penh Cambodia, Hanoi Vietnam, and Jakarta Indonesia. Arriving in South East Asia with a background in building design and sustainability, Scott’s involvement with international schools in the region has led to a growing interest in the relationships between sustainability, design and education. Scott has recently completed a Master of Science in Environmental Education & Interpretation from the University of Wisconsin, and has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Building Design & Construction from the Sustainable Design Institute at Boston Architectural College. Drawing on his experience with educators, his architectural training, and an understanding of education for sustainable development and systems thinking, Scott assists Schools with their efforts to develop holistic, whole-school approaches to the topic of sustainability. Scott is excited to be joining Compass Education in their work of empowering students, educators and learning leaders and fostering the development of a more resilient and sustainable society.

Email:[email protected]

Brian Johnson

Director, Sustainable Practice, Ashkin Group

Brian Johnson

Director, Sustainable Practice, Ashkin Group

Brian Johnson is a 30-year veteran of the Green and sustainability movements. He began his career leading the City of Santa Monica’s Green procurement and Green Cleaning efforts; was a lecturing professor at Loyola Marymount University in Westchester, Calif., teaching Environmental Science courses for undergraduates; and recently was Deputy Director at the California Environmental Protection Agency. During his accomplished career, Johnson has worked with custodial workers, business executives, and elected officials regarding a host of Green and sustainability projects. Brian is an enthusiastic outdoorsman, and perennial Californian. He often can be found working on projects to preserve public lands, when he is not at the beach surfing with his family.

We are a global movement of educators and change agents who believe that a flourishing, sustainable world begins with our students and schools.

Staff and Facilitators

Board of Directors and Advisors

Certified Practioners and Educators

Board of Directors

Alan AtKisson

Board of Directors

Robert Steele

Lara Johnson

Taylor Steele

Kate O'Connell

Advisors

Indira Santos Aznar

Glades Castro Perreras

Lister Hannah

Rick Kahn

Lisa Kensler

Scott Edwards

Brian Johnson

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