About Us

Managing Director of Freshwater Accountability Project

Leatra Harper received her graduate degree in Organization Development from Bowling Green State University and her undergraduate degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Toledo. Harper is a certified Success Unlimited Network life coach and author of Energetic Coaching; Being and Doing with Spirit. Harper has worked as adjunct faculty teaching business classes and has a corporate background as project manager for large government contracts. She has been a long-time environmental and child advocate and is currently the Managing Director for a statewide nonprofit called FreshWater Accountability Project, dedicated to protecting and preserving Ohio’s fresh air and water for future generations in the face of fracking, the planned petrochemical buildout on the Ohio River, and climate change.

Dr. Randi Pokladnik was born and raised in the Ohio Valley. She earned an associate degree in Environmental Engineering, a BA in Chemistry, and an MA and Ph.D. in Environmental Studies. She is a retired research chemist and teacher. Dr. Pokladnik is an active writer and a member of FaCT, a faith-based organization educating people about fracking and climate change. She is also a volunteer teacher for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and a volunteer for Save Ohio Parks. She has received several environmental awards, including the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition’s Fracktivist of the Year. Dr. Pokladnik has been an environmental activist in the Ohio River Valley for over 50 years. She resides with her husband in an eco-log home on Tappan Lake.

 Kate Cutlip has resided in the Ohio Valley for over a decade, moving here in 2012 from Northern Virginia, where she was raised. Even as a child, Kate enjoyed nature and advocated to protect the environment. This lifelong passion led her to return to school and she earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from West Liberty University in 2022. Interest in environmental remediation and applied microbiology led her to pursue a Master of Science in Biology at West Liberty University. Her thesis focuses on watershed management and the impacts of mine drainage on freshwater microbial communities and stream functionality. Hands-on work experience and education have assisted Kate in providing outreach and education to many residents about local water quality and environmental issues. Her passion to protect the environment is fueled by the interest and support of our local communities. The overwhelming desire for improvement is proof that change is possible.