Anna Berzins Forkner

Anna Berzins Forkner spent her childhood in Oregon. In 2001 she moved to L.A., where she majored in Urban and Environmental Policy at Occidental College. While earning her BA, she participated in a sustainable development program that focused on biodiversity, conservation and development in Costa Rica through the School for Field Studies. She was also awarded a Mellon Grant that funded an internship in Peru with the National Reserve of Lake Titicaca. Anna graduated summa cum laude and with Institutional Honors in 2004. In the summer of 2009, Anna transitioned back into academia by enrolling in an environmental design studio at the Northern China University of Technology in Beijing. She then earned her MPhil in Planning, Growth and Regeneration from the University of Cambridge. After returning to the US, Anna started work at the Natural Resources Defense Council in Santa Monica, with a specific focus on green strategies for controlling stormwater. After having three sons and taking some time off from the workforce, Anna became Head of Business Development for LadyBugOut, a start-up with emergency bugout bags for children ages 3-12. She also served on the regional board of NatureBridge, an organization that offers hands-on environmental education programs for children in grades 4-12. In 2021, Anna and her husband relocated their family to Boulder, Colorado. She continues to serve on the Leadership Advisory Board for the Vista Del Mar organization in Los Angeles, a non- profit that offers a range of programs for disadvantaged youths and families. Anna is also involved with her sons’ school, serving both as a Board Trustee and Co-President of Boulder Country Day’s Parent & Teacher Organization. Recently, Anna accepted a part-time position as International Programs Coordinator for the Aspect Foundation, and is helping to bring high school students from more than 50 nations to study and live in Colorado.