
Creating an interconnected, Indigenous landscape of the future. This is Home.
Meet the Team
As a capacity building organization it is our goal to support our Tribal Nation members in ways that builds their capacity toward our vision of Tribal Nations leading the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that we all call home.

Melissa Ann Ehrenreich (she/hers)
Executive Director
Melissa Ann has three decades of experience in marine and terrestrial conservation at all levels working on strategy and policy development, philanthropic partnerships, capacity building, and community economic development that she is now sharing with Tribal Nations to build capacity to rematriate and care for ancestral lands and waters. She lives with her husband and three children in the Anacostia watershed and on the traditional hunting grounds of the Piscataway-Conoy. Her family dates back to the 1620s as colonizers of stolen Indigenous lands in what is now known as Virginia.

Hannah Goins (she/hers)
Sovereignty Specialist
Hannah Goins (Lumbee) work focuses on advancing Indigenous Peoples’ rights and strengthening the role of sovereignty in conservation and governance. She is particularly dedicated to ensuring that Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) is understood and upheld as a core standard for engagement with Tribal Nations.
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She approaches this work with a deep commitment to Indigenous self-determination and the belief that sovereignty is not only a legal principle, but also a living practice that guides stewardship, decision-making, and community well-being. Hannah’s background in law and Indigenous governance informs her approach, and she brings both analytical skill and a passion for building pathways that reflect Indigenous leadership in conservation.
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Hannah holds a J.D. and a Master of Professional Studies in Indigenous Governance from the University of Arizona and a B.A. in American Indian Studies from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She is a member of the North Carolina Bar.

Desiree Shelley (she/hers)
Indigenous Knowledge & GIS Specialist
Desiree is a citizen of the Monacan Indian Nation and a transdisciplinary researcher with professional experience in restoration ecology, forestry, agroecology, community education and applied geospatial analysis. She is pursuing a PhD in the School of Plant and Environmental Science at Virginia Tech. Her research explores the nexus between Indigenous cultural revitalization, food sovereignty and the application of historical Indigenous managed plant communities and land use practices in biocultural and ecological restoration, weaving Indigenous Knowledge alongside western data analysis.
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Desiree also dedicates her time to language revitalization, land protection and conservation in her community through her work with the Yesa:sahį Language Project and the Southwest Virginia Agrarian Commons. She is passionate about seedkeeping and native plants. She lives on a small farm and forest in Monacan/Tutelo ancestral homelands along the headwaters of the James River in Roanoke County with her husband and three kids.
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Kali Regula Lassiter (she/hers)
Administrative Specialist
Kali Regula Lassiter is an Administrative Specialist at the ICC, holding an MBA in Human Resource Management from Regent University. She previously served as the Administrative Coordinator at the Nansemond Indian Nation, where she honed her skills in organizational support, strategic planning, and communication. Now based in Pennsylvania, Kali is committed to enhancing operational efficiency and fostering team success through her expertise and proactive approach.

Anthony Vojtech
Inclusive Finance Coordinator
Anthony Vojtech (Northern Cheyenne) is the Inclusive Finance Coordinator and is based in Falls Church, Virginia. Anthony has experience working on various habitat conservation projects, and public health projects in tribal communities. Anthony also has experience supporting mitigation projects at Bonneville Power as well as supporting consultation and tribal engagement with John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.Anthony's work will help coordinate projects and partnerships to identify new values-aligned funding pathways for your Tribal Nations including the potential use of private ecosystem markets.




