Erica graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with degrees in Philosophy and Political Science. After graduating, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study sustainable development and urban growth in Beijing China around the 2008 Olympics.

After working as a field organizer on multiple political campaigns, she later moved to Charlotte, NC and worked as the Community Coordinator for the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation where she handled membership recruitment and community organizing before taking on her role as Regional Conservation Organizer for the Sierra Club. Erica works closely with volunteers on the Sierra Club's Cool Cities program to help move Charlotte ahead as a Clean Energy Leader in the Southeast. The programs she is currently organizing with the Sierra Club include a weatherization program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity's Critical Repair Division, education and outreach programs on energy efficiency, Children and Nature Programs, work on the Federal Climate initiatives of the Sierra Club, and much more.