For nearly two decades, Naamal has worked for the environment, blending conservation, education, and inclusion to solve problems related to vision, strategy, and changes in direction. Naamal founded Mayla, using storytelling, partnerships, and events to celebrate and support the diversity of people who protect nature; she has held several roles at George Washington University, including managing an environmental justice grant program and performing a cross-university strategic analysis for sustainability. Earlier in her career, she spent nine years at Conservation International helping people identify places and species in most urgent need of conservation. She has worked extensively with IUCN, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the Conservation Leadership Programme, the Alliance of Zero Extinction, BirdLife International, and governments and nonprofits, especially in Asia and the Pacific Islands. Naamal has a Doctorate in Education from George Washington University, a Master’s degree in Environmental Management from the Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies from Swarthmore College. Formerly co-president of the DC Environmental Education Consortium, she continues to serve on the executive committee. She is a graduate of the DC Public School system and was born in Sri Lanka.