National Board of Directors
Tara Brown-Selders
President
In March 2023, Tara Brown-Selders joined EcoWomen as it aligns with her passion for encouraging women to embrace careers that will have a positive environmental impact and to connect with other co-minded professionals.
Tara’s unique career path is one she has forged herself.
After her green wedding in 2008, Tara founded a small business offering recycling collection services to companies and affluent communities in the Houston area.
In 2018, Tara returned to the commercial title insurance industry after closing her small business and joined the renewable energy team in various roles.
Tara joined Kensington Vanguard National Land Services in May of 2022 and has been instrumental in building their Energy Division. By combining Tara's passion for renewable energy with her love of entrepreneurship and her knowledge of title insurance, she has created a successful division in a short period of time.
In 2024, Tara will graduate from the University of Houston Clear Lake’s Master of Business Administration program with a focus on Environmental Management as furthering her education is something she cherishes.
When she has downtime, Tara enjoys spending time with family which includes her mother, husband, daughter, and rescue dog. She also enjoys relaxing on the beach or at a park on a nice Houston day and traveling whenever possible.
Rebecca Justus
Vice President
Rebecca joined the EcoWomen Board in May 2022 and she has been a member of the EcoWomen community since 2021. She served as the Chair of the Communications Committee until March 2025, when she was elected to the role of Vice President. Rebecca works to center and amplify the work and voices of those who have been marginalized and underrepresented in the environmental movement, such as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ leaders.
Rebecca has over a decade of experience working with organizations domestically and globally to advance racial and gender equity, environmental justice, and human rights. As an International Equity & Inclusion Coach and Consultant, she supports leaders across the world to better understand and address racism, bias, and discrimination while advocating for equity and inclusion.
She is also the Creator of Reproductive Autonomy, a website that provides reliable, trustworthy information to enable all people to make informed reproductive decisions for themselves and to advocate for and support others in their reproductive decisions.
Rebecca holds a MA in Human Rights from the University of Sussex and a BA in International Relations from Boston University. She currently resides in New Zealand.
Noelle Paige
Treasurer​
Noelle joined the National Board of EcoWomen in April of 2022, serving as Secretary in 2023 and now Treasurer, bringing her passion for sustainability and mentorship.
Noelle earned her Bachelor of Urban Planning & Public Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Master of Public Administration from DePaul University.
After a transient career as professional ballet dancer, she now works in solar energy development and serves as the Vice President of Project Development for Onyx Renewable Partners headquartered in New York, New York.
Noelle guest lectures for DePaul University and volunteers as a Chapter Leader for the DC DePaul University Alumni Committee. Noelle currently lives in Washington. D.C, is an active-duty Army spouse and cat mom of two.
Victoria Xiong-Gnandt
Board Member
Victoria's background is deeply rooted in a childhood shaped by sustainable living principles instilled by her immigrant parents. This upbringing laid the foundation for her educational pursuits, culminating in a diverse academic background including a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, an MFA in Creative Writing, and a JD degree. Her professional trajectory reflects her passion for environmental stewardship and mentoring.
In her current role as a People Partner at Prenuvo, Victoria leverages her HR experience to lead people processes and organizational development. Victoria's dedication to environmental causes is not only evident in her personal life but also in her professional endeavors, where she continuously seeks opportunities to integrate sustainability practices into organizational frameworks. Her commitment to mentoring and fostering sustainable practices underscores her aspiration to create a more environmentally conscious and equitable world.
Theresa Martinez
Board Member
Theresa is a seasoned global strategy and operations leader with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a proven ability to drive growth through developing and executing impactful strategies, cultivation and management of impactful partnerships, forward thinking ways to solve for opportunities, and optimizing organizational performance. Theresa is known for her ability to assemble high-performing teams, foster cross-system collaboration, and consistently deliver innovative solutions. With notable achievements including pioneering go-to-market models, driving global infrastructure investments, leading organizational transformations, and expanding patient access and revenue, Theresa has made significant contributions to her field. She is also recognized for her advocacy and policy leadership, particularly evidenced by her instrumental role in the successful signing of the Philippine Cancer Bill in 2019. Theresa’s career highlights include successful global product launches, strategic partnerships development, championing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and developing people and talent, marking her as a visionary leader in the industry.
Marina Kalika
Board Member
With over 30 years of experience in high-tech, marketing, and product strategy, Marina is a seasoned executive who excels in delivering impactful business results and creating significant customer value. At Microsoft, she led the global industry and field marketing team for the Nuance Enterprise division, providing cutting-edge omni-channel customer experience (CX) solutions powered by generative and conversational AI, cloud computing, and security and biometrics.
She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science, and an Executive MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, reflecting a strong foundation in both technical and business disciplines. Known for a track record of developing and executing business strategies and campaign tactics, Marina has directly contributed to revenue growth and profitability. Passionate about fostering growth and innovation in the AI-powered CX domain, she is dedicated to empowering customers and partners to succeed in their digital transformation journeys.