Connie O’Connor has been a SWCD Board Supervisor for six years. Connie is Director of Applied Learning for the Cincinnati Nature Center, where she has worked for the past 30 years. In her early days at the Nature Center, she wrote a business plan for its Nature Preschool, the first Land Management Plan, and helped design its Nature PlayScape. She has trained over 900 nature enthusiasts as a partner with Ohio State University’s Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist program. Currently she is developing a new “conservation civics” program, with the goal of encouraging positive relationships to help ensure a healthy environment, economy, and society.
Connie received her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Macalester College in St Paul and her Masters in Natural Resources from University of Wisconsin. She is a Certified Interpretive Planner with the National Association for Interpretation. She also serves on the Batavia Township Parks and Events Advisory Committee.
Connie has lived in Clermont County for 26 years and enjoys her home on three acres in Batavia, where she and her husband Tim “landscape for wildlife”. Together, they enjoy flying, motorcycling, camping, lindy hop dancing, and spending time with their red Australian Cattle Dog, Ruby. Connie is seeking her third term on the Board.
Kara Luggen is a dynamic environmental professional with over a decade of experience in public engagement, program development, sustainable education, and nonprofit leadership. She most recently served as the Community Engagement Manager for the Clermont County Park District, where she led a multifaceted team via transparency, accountability, and empathy. Her leadership drove major initiatives in branding, event coordination, volunteer programming, and inter-agency partnerships, significantly increasing community participation and visibility for the district.
Kara’s career reflects a deep commitment to environmental education and sustainability. Prior to her current role, she spent over five years at Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, where she progressed from Program Manager to Program Director. There, she designed and implemented comprehensive environmental curricula for K–12 students, universities, and community groups, and successfully transitioned the program to digital platforms during the pandemic. Her efforts raised over $100,000 annually and strengthened collaboration across government, nonprofit,
Kara holds a dual MA in International Affairs and Natural Resources & Sustainable Development from American University and the UN-Mandated University for Peace, as well as a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from UC Berkeley. She is a certified LEED Green Associate, fluent in Spanish, and trained in Project WET, WILD, and Learning Tree facilitation.
Her diverse skill set includes years abroad in Central America as a sustainability consulting and educational development work in Panama and Nicaragua. She has contributed to grassroots initiatives such as the Azuero Earth Project and Fundación Fénix, conducting stakeholder interviews, curriculum development, and environmental impact analysis. Additionally digital marketing, Adobe Creative Cloud, event planning, volunteer engagement, and data-driven decision-making. Whether through hands-on program execution or high-level strategy, Kara blends her passion for conservation with practical leadership to foster sustainable and inclusive communities.
