Who We Are:

Real Mama, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that was founded by a group of four women, two of whom serve as the Board of Directors. As mothers and professionals, we women wanted to share our growing knowledge of environmental issues and the relationship between such issues and children’s health and wellness.

Cornelia Mazzan

Cornelia Mazzan is President of Real Mama, Inc. Growing up, Cornelia spent a few weeks each summer at a family cottage in Vermont where she found peace and wonder in the outside world, fostering her awareness of nature. A summer day might have included swimming in the pond, fishing off the floating wooden bridge, taking walks or just sketching or reading in the tall grass.

Cornelia received her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine & Studio Arts from Montclair State University in New Jersey and worked in various art-related jobs before learning web design and moving to Washington, DC, to work on National Geographic’s website staff. There she met her husband, Alan, and they moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for two years, then back to the DC area following job opportunities with the internet.

After the birth of their now six-year-old daughter, the Mazzans returned to their home state of New Jersey. They continue to explore the beaches, rivers and woods of Monmouth County, NJ, where they now live. In addition to her duties for Real Mama, Inc., Cornelia is a member of the Holistic Moms Network and also enjoys teaching yoga to children and families, helping them to find that peace and wonder both in themselves and in the natural world.

Kirstin McPolin

Kirstin McPolin is Vice-President of Real Mama, Inc. Kirstin’s interest in the environment began during family sailing trips to Maine, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard. Her appreciation for the outdoors continued through her school years with her participation in activities such as hiking, camping, and skiing.

She attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine and received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Psychology and minors in Environmental Studies and Education. Kirstin continued her focus on the environment and graduated from Vermont Law School, one of the nation’s premier environmental law schools, with a Juris Doctor and a Masters of Studies in Environmental Law. After graduate school, Kirstin worked in Washington, D.C. for three years as Counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public works with responsibility for solid, hazardous, toxic, and nuclear waste issues and as Counsel in the Solicitor’s Office of the Department of Interior with responsibility for hydro power dam re-licensing, irrigation rate cases, and related policy matters.

Kirstin eventually moved to the Jersey Shore where she worked for a year as policy analyst at a local environmental nonprofit that focused on ocean advocacy. Recently she has worked as an independent consultant doing research and legal writing on climate change for a firm in D.C. and electronic discovery for a company in Manhattan. In addition to her consulting and duties for Real Mama, Inc., Kirstin, along with her husband, is busy taking care of her ten year old Labrador/Golden retriever mix, her 2 daughters (6 and 1) and her 3 year old son.

Kari (Jermansen) Martin

Kari (Jermansen) Martin is the Outreach and Communications Coordinator of Real Mama, Inc. Kari’s interest in the environment began at an early age with summers spent in South Seaside Park, NJ.

Kari pursued her interest in the environment and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alfred University, in Alfred, New York, with a dual major in Environmental Science and Political Science. She received her Master of Science degree with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Democratic Processes from the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, NY. In her graduate studies, Kari focused on environmental policy, public participation, and community conflict resolution. A summer internship with Clean Ocean Action provided the basis for her Master’s thesis.

Kari worked as Outreach Director and Policy Communications Director for Clean Ocean Action from 2001-2009. In those positions, Kari developed issue-action campaigns, created and organized public education initiatives, implemented citizen action activities, developed and assisted with technical documents, created publications, factsheets, and newsletters, responded to questions regarding issues of citizen concern, and coordinated volunteers. Also, Kari communicated with elected officials at all levels of government, various organizations, and citizens of all ages.

Kari is now a full-time mother. Kari, her husband Joe, and their eight month old daughter Astri live in Monmouth County, NJ ,with their two cats, and enjoy hiking, biking, music, and traveling, and participating in local environmental groups and activities. The Martins are also the founders of the Friends of Pews Creek and active with the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council.

Camille Lofaro Sowinski

Camille Lofaro Sowinski serves as Environmental Curriculum Specialist of Real Mama, Inc. Camille attended the University of California, Los Angeles where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. After living in the polluted air of Los Angeles for several years, Camille packed up her black lab, Kira, and set out for law school in the bucolic green mountains of Vermont where she attended, along with Kirstin, Vermont Law School. While there, Camille focused her studies on environmental law, earned a Juris Doctor and met her husband, Michael.

After graduating law school, Camille moved to Washington, D.C. and began working in the non-profit sector for the Smithsonian Institution. Currently, Camille resides in San Diego, California and, in addition to her duties for Real Mama, Inc., works part-time as a fundraiser for Scripps Health Foundation. She and her husband have two children, Sophia and Luca.

Organizational Affiliations

Green America (formerly Co-op America) is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, provides the economic strategies, organizing power and practical tools for businesses and individuals to address today’s social and environmental problems.

While many environmental organizations choose to fight important political and legal battles, Green America is the leading force in educating and empowering our nation’s people and businesses to make significant improvements through the economic system.