In her role as Vice President for Education, Allison Mackley collaboratively plans and executes the strategic vision and project management for the education program at Berks Nature. Her work centers on the Berks Nature Preschool which educates students in the natural environment. She also leads the Education team which offers environmental education programs to Pre-K through adults.
Allison grew up on the Delaware River where she built a foundation for her love of the environment. She is an enthusiastic about connecting kids to nature as they navigate their ways through the global society. As a career educator, Allison was a middle school English teacher for fourteen years and a National Board Certified (NBCT) high school librarian, instructional technology coach, and K-12 department chair for fourteen years. Most recently, she was a Director for Curriculum Development at Elizabethtown College and continues her work in higher education as an adjunct professor.
She has served on several nonprofit boards and is honored to be on the ANCA Board. In addition, she is appointed to the Pennsylvania Department of Education Governor’s Advisory Council. Allison holds an undergraduate degree in Secondary English Education from Penn State University, an M.A. in Writing from Northeastern University, an M.L.I.S. from the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.S. in Educational Administration from the University of Scranton. Allison also earned a graduate certificate from the University of Pennsylvania Virtual Online Teaching (VOLT) program and holds a Pennsylvania Department of Education Online Instruction Program PK-12 Teaching Endorsement. Allison has an Environmental Education Outcomes professional development certificate from Cornell University and a professional development Nature-Based Teacher certification from the Eastern Region Association of Forest and Nature Schools.
Allison and her husband, Dale, enjoy camping, kayaking, and maintaining their property on the Swatara Creek as a certified wildlife habitat.