Staff Bios
Cassie Carroll - Executive Director
Cassie Carroll is from Northbrook, Illinois, and first came to the Champaign-Urbana community as a Natural Resources and Environmental Science student at the U of I in 2004. As an undergraduate, she became involved with Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) and with the University YMCA. In her last year or undergrad, Cassie co-founded Community Organized Recycling Efforts, or C.O.R.E., dedicated to improving recycling awareness in the C-U community. Through C.O.R.E., the idea for a Green Business Association in Champaign-Urbana was born, and Cassie decided to stay in the community to work on this effort with Mara and Anthony. Her mission is to make an impact in a community through increasing sustainability and environmental awareness, and impact people’s lives in the process. Through the IGBA, she looks forward to reaching above and beyond this goal. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, softball, painting, and live concerts.
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost
Mara Eisenstein - Director of Public Engagement and Special Programs
Mara has been coming down to Champaign-Urbana from the Chicago area since birth for Illini football games, but after graduating from the University of Illinois has decided to remain in the community to establish the IGBA. She is a graduate of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and has a passion for the study and real-world application of environmental issues. She has actively participated in several environmental student organizations while still a student and is proud to have led the first Environmental Chairs Coalition in the University’s Greek system in 2009. Mara hopes to make the IGBA a successful and lasting organization that will have considerable impact on local Illinois communities. She loves that the IGBA has allowed her to have many interactions with other community members.
“Stewardship of the environment is a domain where all reflective persons can surely find common ground… An enduring environmental ethic will aim to preserve not only the health and freedom of our species, but access to the world in which the human spirit was born.” -E. O. Wilson
Anthony Santarelli - Director of Program Development
Anthony grew up in Champaign and currently resides in Urbana. He attends the University of Illinois and is working towards a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy. Starting with the organization C.O.R.E. in 2008, Anthony has since been very active in efforts to make Champaign-Urbana a more sustainable community. He has experienced many meetings with community members and students and sees vast potential for C-U to become a hub and model for many environmental projects. With the IGBA, he hopes to extend this potential throughout all of Illinois. Anthony enjoys biking and cooking, but not at the same time.
“But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing… only the person who risks can be free.” -Leo Buscaglia