BEC Staff
Meet our small but mighty team of environmental educators and advocates!Consider becoming a member of BEC to help sustain the momentum of our grassroots organization.
Patrizia Hironimus
Executive Director
Patrizia (she/they) was born in Peru, and raised in occupied Kojomk’awi (Konkow) land in Northern California, so-called Oroville. She culminated her studies at UC Berkeley – their thesis combined Clinical Psychology, Medical Anthropology, and Political Science, as well as a minor in the Practice of Art. Previously, they managed the office of Butte County Supervisor Debra Lucero, working with Butte County department heads, local non-profits, constituents, and stakeholders on policy for food sovereignty. She’s also served on the Camp Fire Restoration Project Board of Directors, and is active with Butte County Local Food Network. Her areas of social activism include BIPOC equity, racial justice, agrovoltaics, trauma informed therapy, carbon-smart commodities, and seed banking. Patrizia and her pup Sassafras can be found surveying local aquifers this summer or at the farmers markets connecting with certified producers about key issues like drought & wildfire relief. Their passion is food, mutual aid and connecting innovative makers.
Miranda Kokoszka
Assistant Director
Miranda was born and raised in San Diego, California, where she spent much of her free time exploring the outdoors—whether at the beach, climbing trees, or off on a new adventure. In 2019, she relocated to Northern California to pursue her education and a new chapter in life. She earned a B.S. in Recreation, Hospitality, and Parks Management with an emphasis in Natural Resource Management from Chico State in 2021.
Miranda's career in urban forestry began during her undergraduate studies, when she served as the Urban Forest Coordinator Intern at BEC, organizing residential tree planting events. This experience ignited her passion for trees and advocacy for the environment. Today, Miranda is the Assistant Director, an ISA Certified Arborist, and is actively working toward her goal of becoming a professional Urban Forester.
California Climate Action Corps Fellows
Morgan Collings
Morgan (she/her) was born and raised in Victoria, Australia and moved to Chico in 2022. Before coming to BEC, she was a forestry corpsmember with the California Conservation Corps in Chico where she learned how to use a chainsaw, responded to emergencies such as floods and fires, and removed invasive species including star thistle at BCCER. She is a certified California Naturalist and completed the Utility Line Arborist Training program with Butte College. She joined BEC in 2023 hoping to find new ways to educate her community, especially young people, about food waste management. Morgan's dream is to become a Montessori teacher with a focus on outdoor education. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with children and be part of BEC's RARE program. In her free time, Morgan enjoys creating mixed media art using watercolors and colored pencils to create colorful, surreal pieces. And if you're wondering, she doesn't have an Australian accent unless she's very angry!
Emily McCabe
Emily (she/her) was born and raised in Durham, California. At a young age, she grew to love reading and writing, which led her to serve as Editor for the Yearbook and Newspaper in high school. She attended UC Berkeley for college, where she discovered a passion for the environment. Emily majored in Society and Environment, learning about climate change and sustainability. During undergrad, she worked for an environmental education nonprofit, Turning Green, where she led the Campus Representative Program. She also interned for Environment America, where she spent a summer advocating for climate policy in California. In her free time, Emily enjoys yoga, hiking, cooking, creating art, and of course, writing.
Madeline Mikles
Madeline Mikles was born and raised here, in Chico California. Escaping the heat, she moved up to the Pacific Northwest to attend Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, where she got her Bachelor's degree in Ecology and Organismal Biology. She came home after graduation and spent the next couple years tromping around the Sierra Nevadas, Cascades and Spain, working at a Floral Shop, studying herbalism and eventually finding her way into the Chico State University California Climate Action Corp in 2023. Working closely with the Butte County Local Food Network, she ran workshops in composting and gardening and worked on programs focused in local, organic food accessibility and sovereignty. Outside of the fellowship, Maddy loves to travel, hike, garden, listen to audiobooks and play games.
Valeria Cisneros
Valeria (she/they) hails from the ancestral lands of the Chumash people, now known as San Luis Obispo County. They moved to Chico in 2020 to pursue a BFA in Graphic Design and have been exploring their creative voice through crafting and music ever since. If you need a music playlist, feel free to reach out! A lifelong learner, Valeria actively engages with their community, absorbing knowledge and gifts from those around them. They plan to join CCAC to develop community-building skills and become a leader who fosters safe spaces for others to learn and grow, emphasizing empathy and acceptance without shame or judgment. Valeria’s passion for climate advocacy allows them to connect with both people and nature, enabling them to show up for themselves and others in the best way possible.