R|FUTURE TEAM
TEAM
Tamara Roske, Acting Executive Director
Tamara Roske, a visionary leader with over three decades of experience, brings a wealth of knowledge to RFUTURE as Executive Director. Her expertise spans through various areas including environmental education, activism, and youth outreach. In 1992, she laid the foundation for change by establishing the Earth Guardian Community Resource Center, an accredited experiential learning high school in Maui. Recognizing the importance of global collaboration, Tamara also founded Earth Guardians, a cross-cultural youth-led environmental organization. At the heart of Tamara's journey lies a deep love for the Earth and a profound concern for the well-being of future generations. For an impressive 29 years, she wholeheartedly led Earth Guardians, providing unwavering support to tens of thousands of young individuals dedicated to protecting their communities against environmental and climate challenges in over 70 countries. Tamara's impact reverberates through her six children, each actively engaged in and inspired by the different generations of Earth Guardians.
Mark Schwaller, Founder/Lead Facilitator
RFUTURE founder Mark Files Schwaller began his journey in climate activism as a touring musician. Seeking to give audiences something more than the typical concert going experience, his Boston-based band, Melodeego, devised a bicycle powered sound system that amplified not only the band’s music, but also its message of sustainability and environmental responsibility. The events were energizing, literally and figuratively. Mark partnered with co-founder Bonnie Milner and Kelly Wohlford in developing and leading R|FUTURE songwriting, recording, and video programs for high school students, as well as Turn It Up!, a musical educational show that teaches children about energy and environmental responsibility. Mark is a unique and inspiring talent whose spirit shines brightest when he is working with young artists.
Bonnie Milner, Co-Founder/Program Director
Bonnie is a humanitarian, activist, and a Principle of Long View Entertainment where she has had significant success as a songwriter and music producer. Long View has contributed to over two hundred platinum selling records and has hosted and collaborated with multiple Grammy nominees and winners. Bonnie’s multiple award-winning program, Cool Kids Choir, has used the power of music to help children tell their stories and learn valuable life skills for the past 30 years. She is the Program Director of RFUTURE, bringing her strong operational skills to facilitate programs in both urban and rural school settings.
Kelly Wohlford, Assistant to the Executive Director/Facilitator
Kelly Wohlford, currently RFUTURE’s Assistant to the Executive Director, brings to the table over 30 years of creative and technical experience in the entertainment industry, the bulk of which was spent at world-class residential recording facility Long View Farm Studios in Central Massachusetts. As a staff engineer and producer there, Kelly worked on recording projects ranging from major label artists and regional bands to session work for Bose Corporation and an eclectic array of genres from heavy metal and jazz to folk and classic rock. She is the Chief Technical Director at New York’s Don’t Tell Mama, a venue famous for showcasing talented and diverse performers, ranging from Broadway hopefuls to seasoned professionals. RFUTURE is where all Kelly’s talents and skills come together to give young creators a voice and platform for change.
Kevin Salem, Opportunity Development
Kevin Salem’s career in music has not only earned him critical and commercial success, it has led him to a life of public service and activism. In addition to touring, recording, and producing with artists from yo la tengo to Emmylou Harris, he has used music to amplify the voices of youth, especially those affected by conflict and trauma. In 2010, he accompanied musician/activist Peter Yarrow on Operation Respect’s peacebuilding missions to create and record music with artists and students from both sides of some of the most deadly conflicts this world has seen. These efforts led him to Parkland, FL where he co-led songwriting workshops and recorded an album, The Parkland Project, with survivors of the 2018 shootings. He helped create a database of music to be used by activist movements to combat climate change, racism, mass incarceration, and gun violence. After recently serving seven years as a Board of Education Trustee and President in Upstate New York, Salem is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Psychology. He has served proudly as a mentor and producer for RFUTURE since 2021 and brings to this organization his inquisitive mind, community spirit, and dedication to inspiring and empowering youth.
Aspen Qualles, Media Spokesperson
Aspen Qualles founded and led a program in Highschool to create safe spaces for students of color in her racially-challenged community. She presented the program to 150 educators and administrators, highlighting the impact of racial aggression in the school district, ultimately leading to significant policy changes.
Growing up, Aspen recorded music and provided children's voiceovers beginning as early as age 5. She has also led workshops and songwriting sessions for RFUTURE. Aspen's involvement as a youth leader ensures that our organization stays in touch with the challenges of her generation. She now serves as the media spokesperson for RFUTURE.
Currently a freshman at Syracuse University, Aspen is attending as a leadership scholar and studying film and screenwriting.
Itzcuauhtli Tepeyolohtli
RFUTURE’s Social Media Strategist, Itzcuauhtli Tepeyolohtli, is a dedicated activist and creative soul who has been at the forefront of the environmental and climate movement from an early age. Utilizing his talents as a performer and youth leader in collaboration with the Earth Guardians organization, Itzcuauhtli has shared his message of positivity and change on international platforms. Behind the scenes, his keen observational perspective has led to an interest in photography and film, contributing to the direction of visually compelling projects alongside diverse artists and mentors. Driven by a passionate desire to amplify the voices of the marginalized, Itzcuauhtli remains committed to spreading love and positivity to those in greatest need.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Carla Precht, Non-Profit Consultant
Carla Precht has been a leader of not-for-profit arts, and youth development organizations for children and families for over 40 years. Ms. Precht is recognized for her commitment to social and environmental justice issues and the arts. Ms. Precht is currently working as the Administrator of a Donor Advised Fund and is providing technical assistance to not-for-profits and a start-ups. Ms. Precht recently opened the first and only Bronx Children’s Museum to rave reviews as its founding ED where she raised more than $32 million; oversaw STEAM outreach programming for more than 15,000 children annually, secured a mobile museum bus and an historic building for the museum; led the development of interactive exhibits and its building to realize a stunning award-winning building. Ms. Precht served as Executive Director of Riverdale Neighborhood House for 10 years in the northwest Bronx where she dramatically increased the budget; revamped its development program; extended the reach of the agency; and revitalized its services for teens, seniors, families and young children. She was the Founding Executive Director of the first Horizons academic enrichment program in NYC for low-income children; spent five years as Deputy Director and then Acting Executive Director of Youth Action Program in East Harlem; and served for nine years as Community Service Director for Brooklyn Friends School. Ms. Precht worked with the Ford Foundation as a consultant;, helped launch the New Yankee Stadium Community Benefit Fund in 2019; and was a program officer at the Robert Bowne Foundation in the ‘80s. Ms. Precht has mentored numerous administrators and provided technical assistance to countless community-based organizations She began her career as an art teacher at Union Settlement House in East Harlem and completed a documentary film called Beauty Mark.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Xochimilca Activist and Artist
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez is an advocate, leader, activist, and hip hop artist. He has been on the front lines of the climate and environmental movement since the young age of 6. Named as one of TIME’s Next 100 in 2019, Xiuhtezcatl has felt called to change the narrative on what it means to be an activist from an early age. X has spoken multiple times at the UN, addressing the General Assembly and spoken on panels with the likes of Bernie Sanders, Van Jones, Shailene Woodley, Bill Mckibbens and Pharrell Williams.
Xiuhtezcatl has been a guest on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Real Time with Bill Maher. He has also been featured multiple times on PBS, Showtime, National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Upworthy, The Guardian, Vogue, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, CNN, MSNBC, HBO, Netflix, and VICE.
Xuihtezcatl is a published author, writing We Rise at age of 16 and Imaginary Borders at age18. We Rise has been used in classrooms and universities across the country. He has been on multiple best seller lists and received the Kirkus Prize for Imaginary Borders, “a hopeful, well-argued book on climate change written in a refreshing new voice.”
Xiuhtezcatl has a unique talent for connecting people through popular culture and sharing the message of his indigenous roots to better serve the planet and reimagine the future for his generation.
Emmanuelle Palikuca
Emmanuelle is Managing Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory at Alliance Advisors, where she leads the firm’s sustainability solutions. Emmanuelle is a senior ESG leader with a track record of partnering with executive leadership and boards of global companies to successfully develop and execute on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure, strategies, and performance goals. Emmanuelle is highly experienced at engaging with corporate issuers across all sectors on ESG materiality, ratings, and global framework alignment (SASB, TCFD, GRI, etc.) to manage changing investor expectations.
Prior to joining Alliance, Emmanuelle was a Group Manager on the Sustainability Advisory team at ISS Corporate Solutions (ICS), where she led a team of specialized ESG advisors and was instrumental in the growth of ICS’ client base and service offering. Emmanuelle has also worked closely with institutional investors to advance ESG engagements through previous roles on the climate team at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) and on the carbon asset risk team at Ceres.
Emmanuelle is a SASB FSA credential holder, is pursuing a certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy from the Yale Center for Business and the Environment and holds an M.S. in Sustainability Management from American University’s Kogod School of Business.
Paris Qualles, Writer/Producer
Paris spent more than 40 years in theater and writing professionally for film, television and video games. Among his many episodic television credits are China Beach, Equal Justice, Quantum Leap and Law & Order. Some of his television movies include The Tuskegee Airmen, The Rosa Parks Story and A Raisin in the Sun. Feature films include The Inkwell, Hannibal, Sadgwar, Liberty’s Children, Chevalier and Barbara Jordan. Multiple awards and honors include two Humanitas Prizes, Writers Guild Award, Image Award, two Christopher Awards; Black Reel Award, Emmy Nomination, Epiphany Prize Nomination, Three WGA Nominations, Three Humanitas Prize Nominations, Cable-Ace Nomination and four Image Award Nominations. Honors include a Trusteeship with the Humanitas Foundation, an Honorary Doctoral Degree from Rutgers College, Rutgers University, as well as inductions into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Long Branch High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.
