Vice President of the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, California
Lori Whalen has worked in the nonprofit environmental education field for more than two decades and has served on the staff of the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach, California since 2003. As Vice President of the ENC, Lori oversees the organization's communications and marketing, education programs, volunteer programs, and horticulture operations, while also supporting fundraising, grant development, and strategic initiatives. Over the course of her career, Lori has helped develop and expand environmental education programs serving audiences from preschool through adulthood and has contributed to the growth of the ENC into a nationally recognized nature center serving more than 50,000 children and adults annually. She played a key role in the development of the ENC Nature Preschool and designed the native landscapes surrounding its LEED Platinum-certified campus and nature play areas, helping create spaces that invite children to build meaningful relationships with the natural world.
Prior to joining the ENC, Lori worked for The Nature Conservancy, the City of Huntington Beach, and the Orange County Department of Education, where she developed expertise in environmental interpretation, outdoor education, volunteer engagement, and public outreach. Lori holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a Master of Arts in Communications from California State University, Fullerton. She currently also serves on the board of the Orange County Chapter of the California Native Plant Society.
Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Nathaniel Lamm Scholarship Award for Excellence in Environmental Education (2002), the California State Senate Women Making a Difference Award (2012), and recognition by Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley at the 2026 Women Making a Difference Awards for her leadership in advancing environmental education and sustainability. Outside of work, Lori enjoys hiking, camping, reading nature writing, traveling, experiencing live music, practicing yoga, gardening with California native plants, and spending time with her dog, Sully. She believes deeply in the power of nature centers to inspire wonder, foster stewardship, and help people develop lifelong connections with the natural world.