Meet Our Team
At Growing Gardens, we nourish a culture of inclusiveness.
To cultivate a team that feels deeply rooted in their work, we strive to empower and employ past program participants, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ community members first.
We know through experience that diverse ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that yields truly meaningful results.
Explore Our Staff Directory!
Growing Gardens is proud to employ over 50 Oregonians (and growing!)
Use the handy links below to navigate our staff directory by program.
Executive Director
JASON SKIPTON
With a diverse background in agriculture and community garden education programs particularly in Central America and experience in the Peace Corp, Jason leads the team at Growing Gardens by providing leadership, resources, training and oversight for all staff. (Pronouns: he/him)
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Lisa Nishimura
BUSINESS MANAGER
Lisa (she/her) manages the business and finance side of Growing Gardens and joined in late 2022 after ten years in retail buying and planning. She is excited to be able to combine her business background with her passion for sharing food with her community. Her interests include baking and cooking for family and friends, growing veggies, practicing yoga, and biking around town.
*日本語を話す*
(I speak Japanese)
Jack Nakashima
CULTURE AND OPERATIONS MANAGER
Jacklyn "Jack" Nakashima (she/her) is a community connector, organizer, and hospitality professional. Although she has spent a decade in Portland, Chicago will always be her home and have her heart. She has spent over 14 years working in every aspect of a restaurant while more recently, Jaclyn’s main focus has been fundraising in the form of social justice centered bake sales and free community events. She hopes to uplift and center the BIPOC communities while also creating space for joy, art, healing, and as always, good food.
Dashiell Hock
FINANCE COORDINATOR
GRANTS COORDINATOR
Dash is originally from Eugene, Oregon and has lived in Portland for the past seven years, working in various capacities for many of your favorite food-related businesses. His love for food and passion for food justice has guided him to Growing Gardens, where he hopes to help strengthen our local food system and end systemic hunger.
Rachel Powers
GRANTS MANAGER
Rachel is a writer with a deep interest in regenerative food systems, food justice, and community-led change. With 15 years of storytelling experience in copywriting, marketing, fundraising, and communications, Rachel works with all program leaders and teams to manage grants and secure funding for Growing Gardens projects. She is inspired by Growing Gardens’ creative, respectful, and collaborative approach to social justice action.
Bee Thornbrooke
COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Bee brings a wealth of strategic consulting and project management experience to the team at Growing Gardens. With expertise in planning, launching, and scaling online education platforms in the alternative healthcare sector, Bee is thrilled to combine their skills and personal passion for fundraising as our new Development Manager.
Thuy Pham
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Thuy Pham (Twee-Fam), founder of the Vietnamese vegan restaurant Mama Dút, has taken on a new role as Development Manager at Growing Gardens. After gaining national recognition, including being featured on Netflix's *Street Food* and becoming a James Beard Award semi-finalist, Thuy has shifted her focus from food service to food sovereignty. At Growing Gardens, she continues her mission of building community by supporting programs that promote equitable access to gardening and education, using her passion for nourishing people to help create a healthier, more sustainable food system.
About Home Gardens
Home & Community Gardens
We believe that growing your own food is a transformative experience that connects us to our land, ourselves, and to each other. To cultivate a healthy and more equitable Oregon, our Home Gardens program pairs qualifying participants with neighborhood garden advisors who provide education, resources, and three years of peer-to-peer mentorship free of charge.
Antonio Rodriguez
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY MANAGER
Antonio joined the Growing Huertos program in 2014 and quickly became one of the program’s most dedicated volunteers, helping with installations and site visits, hosting workshops, and mentoring new gardeners. He has a great passion for agriculture and community education.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Angel Hammon
HOME GARDENS
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Angel (she/her) is thrilled to be working with Growing Gardens at the intersection of gardening and community health and wellness. As Operations Manager for the Home Gardens Program, she gets to work with partner gardens and farmers to extend the benefits of gardening and fresh produce to the community. She enjoys tending to her herb garden and baking (experimenting) in the kitchen with friends.
Isabel Cruz
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Inner Northeast Portland Area
Isabel joined the Home Gardens program in 2005 and quickly became one of its biggest supporters. She loves growing her own food at home, raising chickens, and spending time with her plants. She is a teacher for Oregon’s Food Bank’s Siembra La Cena (Seed to Supper) garden education course and a Promotor de Salud (Health Promoter). She has led many classes on growing your own vegetables, nutritional health, and healthy cooking. She is fluent in both English and Spanish.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Ceci Orozco
Washington County Coordinator
Washington County
Ceci (Ella/she/her) is a lifelong learner, mother, mover, facilitator of holistic learning experiences, and bilingual educator. Currently, she is in her third year of a master’s program in Sustainability Education and Leadership at Portland State University. Ceci is from la Tierra del mariachi y el agave: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Her Mexican roots and family traditions have drawn her closer to connecting with nature’s abundance, beauty, and teachings. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2015, Ceci received her certification as a yoga instructor, and years later she completed a 300-hour Ayurveda Clinical Foundations certificate. She has taught yoga and meditation in Spanish to the Latino community in town and is excited to combine her passion for holistic wellness with the healing and liberatory power that growing our own food brings to our personal and collective lives. Ceci enjoys exploring the great outdoors of the PNW, playing racquetball, traveling, and engaging in rituals of self-care.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Camilo Centeno
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
North Portland Area
Camilo’s roots began in Colima, Mexico where he was born. As a child, he worked in the fields and later came to the United States. Camilo’s passions include helping families with limited resources, being involved in his community and spending time with his family and three children.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Carolina Barroso
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
North Clackamas County Area
Carolina, she/her, is a proactive Community Organizer at Growing Gardens, known for her positive, creative attitude and strong communication skills. She values teamwork and collaboration.
Advocating for women's independence, Carolina believes women should engage in farming, nurturing the land, and harvesting fruits and vegetables, alongside entrepreneurship and traditional roles.
Her role at Growing Gardens has honed her teaching skills, empowering gardeners to understand planting and harvesting, fostering sustainability. She aims to expand the program, inviting more to experience the joy of cultivating the earth.
Being connected with nature brings Carolina immense happiness. As a health promotion specialist, she considers herself a catalyst for change, working with her gardeners toward economic, environmental, and social transformations for a more sustainable planet.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Cat Ayala
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Southeast Portland Area
Kathy Berry
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Gresham Neighborhood
Kathy (she/her) started out volunteering as a parent in an afterschool class taught by Growing Gardens when her daughter was in elementary school over 10 years ago. She then envisioned a garden transforming that same school. She was involved in that transformation process by getting garden beds built and teaching a garden class. She grew as the garden grew — evolving from a volunteer into a garden educator and now a Growing Gardens staff member. She loves teaching health and nutrition, watching young individuals thrive in a growing environment and being part of an organization that supports so many communities and is teaching life skills.
Angelica Cortes
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY COORDINATOR
East Portland and Gresham Area
Angelica Cortes Mejia was born in Mexico and has lived in Portland for 12 years. Her favorite part of her role is helping people in her community grow and sustain their own source of vegetables and fruits. Her favorite part about having her garden is sharing what she harvests with her neighbors and building strong community relations through food. (Pronouns: she/her)
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Shireen Duke
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Northeast Area
Shireen is a 5th generation Oregonian who loves to get outside to grow collard greens and fresh tomatoes. She is also an accomplished dancer (Line Dancing and Chicago Steppin). Shireen has been involved with Growing Gardens since 2013. She started as a Home Gardens Program participant, then a Garden Mentor, and now serves on the Board of Directors.
Lacey Shirahama
HOME GARDENS
PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR
Cascadia Health
Lacey has over 10 years of experience working with youth facing mental and behavioral health challenges and is working toward becoming a Registered Horticulture Therapist to continue to provide this support through the medium of plants. She currently co-facilitates garden groups with Cascadia Health with goals around building community, learning about edible plants and exploring ways to interact with nature. Outside of work, she can be found playing trivia, doing jigsaw puzzles or hiking with her dog, Rye.
Romanet Leiva
HOME GARDENS
PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR
Providence Milwaukie
Roma, a social work advocate, studied agriculture in Santiago, Chile. Her path began in sustainable gardening workshops, igniting a passion for community and environmental connection. Post-university, she explored enology, quality control, and seed labs before moving to the U.S. as an import fruit inspector.
Her heart leaned towards community work, leading her to become a Garden of Giving coordinator. For two years, Roma has created spaces for the Latin community to embrace sustainability and healthy living, honoring nature as Pachamama. She collaborates with the Community Teaching Kitchen of Providence Hospital Milwaukie, organizing volunteer events, garden parties, and workshops on diabetes education and urban gardening.
Each activity reflects Roma's commitment to cultivating plants and community. Her drive to expand the program and amplify the garden's impact fuels her work, making her a vital advocate for a healthier, sustainable future.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Erika Winters
HOME GARDENS
PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR
Cascadia Health
Erika Winters (she/her) has been digging up soil success for 30 years! From home gardens to small-farm food production, farm and garden retail to commercial consulting, to teaching the Urban Farm course at U of O, Erika is passionate about growing healthy soil and food for our communities. After earning her professional registration as a horticultural therapist, Erika joined the Growing Gardens team as a partnership coordinator with Cascadia Behavioral Health. She co-leads activities at group homes for people living with mental illness, developmental disabilities, addiction, and houselessness. She cares deeply about increasing access to gardens, providing garden education for health, and promoting life skills, wellbeing, and empowerment through meaningful activities.
Tami Clenard
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Cully/Parkrose
Tami is a resident of Sumner, a small neighborhood in between Cully and Parkrose, the neighborhood that she serves. After moving here in 2015 she started gardening in the Helensview Community Garden. Shortly thereafter Growing Gardens supported her as a gardener through our Home Gardens program. In September 2023 she became a community organizer for Cully/Parkrose neighborhoods. She is very excited to be a part of this amazing organization and looks forward to working with other qualifying interested gardeners. Let’s turn lawns into food for everyone.
Lindsay Oberlander
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
North Clackamas County
Lindsay (She/They) is an educator and food justice advocate who is excited to be a part of the Home Gardens team serving as a Community Organizer in North Clackamas County. They are passionate about the healing power of communing with land and access to nutritious food for all. They feel grateful to be able to meet others in the community through the process of sharing the joy and abundance that comes with a home garden. In their free time, they enjoy tending to their own vegetable garden and spending as much time outside as possible, whether that's biking, camping, or hiking, with their two dogs.
About Youth Grow
School Gardens
The Youth Grow program collaborates with twelve Portland public schools to provide learning gardens, hands-on education opportunities, and comprehensive lesson plans in both English and Spanish. We are proud to offer comprehensive training and certificates for school garden educators and act as a resource hub for educators worldwide.
Amoreena Guerrero
YOUTH GROW
DIRECTOR
As the Youth Grow Coordinator/Educator, Amoreena supports other garden coordinators and educators create successful and engaging garden-based programs for many schools and their students. Working with other adults to expand opportunities for students to learn outside is her number one professional goal. She comes to Youth Grow with a Master’s degree in Education and 15 years of teaching experience, both indoors and out. When she’s not out in school gardens, you might find her with her family, or at the dojo teaching a weekly Ki-Aikido children’s class. (Pronouns: she/her)
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Kimberly Deras
YOUTH GROW
MANAGER
Kim was born in Hood River, OR where her family moved to from Durango, Mexico. She grew up picking fruit in the Hood River Valley until moving to Portland 14 years ago to study Biology at Portland State University. She has experience in formal and informal education, community engagement, and bilingual program development- among other things. She is excited to support our Youth Grow team in fostering the connections children make between their natural world, the food they eat, and their personal identities.
Outside of work you can find Kim dancing, cooking, or hanging out in nature.
Betsy Lattig
YOUTH GROW
LEAD EDUCATOR
Faubion School
Betsy Lattig was born in Portland, and spent half of her childhood growing up in the rugged beauty of the Oregon coast. Betsy is a passionate educator, sparking joy for learning in both children and adults. She has spent the past 15 years teaching art, ecology, and gardening in the Portland area. Beyond her love of children and education, Betsy also enjoys gardening, painting, hanging out with her lovely teenage boys, and spending time with friends and family in nature. (Pronouns: she/her)
Kathy Berry
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
Davis/Glenfair Schools
Kathy (she/her) started out volunteering as a parent in an afterschool class taught by Growing Gardens when her daughter was in elementary school over 10 years ago. She then envisioned a garden transforming that same school. She was involved in that transformation process by getting garden beds built and teaching a garden class. She grew as the garden grew — evolving from a volunteer into a garden educator and now a Growing Gardens staff member. She loves teaching health and nutrition, watching young individuals thrive in a growing environment and being part of an organization that supports so many communities and is teaching life skills.
Kelley Smith
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
Kelley grew up on the East Coast and moved to Portland for graduate school. While studying Nutrition at National University of Natural Medicine, she fell in love with gardening and wanted to connect the two. After interning with FoodWaves and Wild Lilac, she knew she wanted to be a part of the Farm to School initiative. She loves exploring and hiking but also spends a good amount of time indoors cooking, reading, and making crafts. After serving 2 years with FoodCorps and officially joining the GG team in 2021, she is so excited to share her passion with early childhood and elementary school kids teaching them about nutrition, cooking and nature!
Allison Yoder
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
Allison, who is originally from the Midwest, is an avid home gardener who also enjoys baking, hiking, and going to concerts with her partner. She has a Master’s degree in Social Work from PSU, and has worked in a variety of social services settings over the last 10 years, most recently managing a youth mentoring program serving elementary-school students in Gresham and Rockwood. Allison‘s love of gardening and enthusiasm for the outdoors inspired her to become a Master Gardener volunteer in 2019, and she recently completed the Seed to Supper facilitator training.
Corey Pierson
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
David Douglas High School
Corey has benefited from school garden programs as a student since he was in 2nd grade. Now, after moving from Maryland to Portland, finishing college, and learning about food systems and farming through an internship at a local orchard, he is excited to bring those special experiences to a new generation of high schoolers! In his free time, he loves to hike and snowboard on Mt. Hood, cooks new recipes, tries desperately to grow houseplants, and writes electronic and classical music.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
*日本語を話す*
(I speak Japanese)
Matt Laughter
YOUTH GROW LEAD COORDINATOR
Davis / Glenfair Schools
Matt has been an elementary school educator and after-school program coordinator in East Portland since 2008. In past years, he has supported the Hunger Relief programs in both the Reynolds and David Douglas School Districts. In 2022, he had the opportunity to take on the garden coordinator role for Davis and Glenfair Elementary. Between the two sites he manages roughly 30 garden beds, teaches gardening classes, offers parent cooking classes, serves garden produce in the cafeteria, and coordinates volunteer events. He looks to grow a community that cherishes and supports the garden spaces for the next generation of students and educators.
Angeles Martinez
YOUTH GROW COORDINATOR & BILINGUAL EDUCATOR
Powell Butte School
Coming from Puebla Mexico, Angeles’s first language is Spanish but has lived in the United States for the past 19 years. She loves children and being out in nature, admiring flowers, planting fruits and vegetables, and the like. Combining these two loves makes her an excellent community organizer for our Powell Butte neighborhood. She loves helping others become more self-sufficient through gardening and appreciating nature.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Cat Ayala
YOUTH GROW COORDINATOR & EDUCATOR
Kelly Elementary School
Lindsey Gohd
YOUTH GROW COORDINATOR & EDUCATOR
Whitman Elementary School
Lindsey (they/them) studied soil ecology and sustainable agriculture in their Masters degree program in Chicago. They deepened their knowledge of food and agriculture while working as a farm manager, and have enjoyed sharing their knowledge of the natural world as a nature educator. Lindsey is originally from New Jersey and while moving around the country, they have enjoyed creating community around their Jewish heritage and in their queer and trans community. They are thrilled to continue building community around food and nature with Growing Gardens, and hope to bring many smiling faces to their gardens. Outside of gardening, Lindsey enjoys going camping in mossy forests and around coastal tide pools, foraging for mushrooms, and playing saxophone at home.
Carla Manuel
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
Carla is in her second year with FoodCorps as the Growing Gardens Service Member at Scott Elementary in Portland. With a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and management in hand, her career evolved from corporate settings to leading K-12 students in culinary and garden lessons. She has over three decades of industry experience that ranges from school and community settings to luxury hotel properties. She has managed kitchens for corporations, opened and managed kitchens for small business startups, led local non-profit events, and instructed intercity youth. She is excited to contribute to supporting rising youth leaders in culinary, garden and building community strength. Striving for nourishment, equity and racial & social justice are intrinsic values for her. Working with the FoodCorps and Youth Grow familia dedicated to the same aspirations is super exciting!
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Amber Roth
YOUTH GROW
GARDEN COORDINATOR
Scott Elementary
Amber (she/her) joined Growing Gardens in 2023 as the Garden Coordinator at Scott Elementary School. She is a passionate urban farmer who enjoys connecting with the community through food and gardening and sharing garden love with kids. As a climate justice advocate, she believes that sharing skills for growing food, farm sustainably, and supporting native ecology are important direct actions toward creating change for people and the planet. She is a native plant and pollinator enthusiast and enjoys consulting on and supporting native garden restoration projects. Amber has 2 decades of experience in event planning and design, and loves using these skills to create nature-focused events and experiences for her community! If she isn't digging in her garden or chasing around her 3 chickens, you can find Amber exploring nature, creating something artful, or cooking up delicious meals with her 2 kiddos and partner.
Cid Melo
YOUTH GROW
GARDEN COORDINATOR AND EDUCATOR
Powell Butte Elementary
Cid ( they/them) grew up in the Bay Area of California before attending Cal Poly Humboldt where they earned their degree in Sociology. With a decade's experience in Early Childhood Education and organic farming, Cid is passionate about growing food for the community and connecting students to the natural world they are already a part of. As a Garden Educator and Coordinator, Cid is eager to continue Youth Grow's work in providing ecological exploration and education to students, as well as learning right alongside them.
About Lettuce Grow
Correctional Facility Gardens
In partnership with the Department of Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, The Lettuce Grow program designs hands-on garden-based classes and workshops for Oregon Incarcerated students. The produce generated in our learning gardens supplements nutrition for incarcerated people on the inside and participants earn professional credentials and skills that aid their successful re-entry to society on the outside.
Rima Green
LETTUCE GROW
DIRECTOR
As a Native American, Rima has experienced both foster care and incarceration. After a 30-year career in high-tech, Rima returned to her first love, gardening and working with individuals caught up in the correctional system. Rima directs the Lettuce Grow program which provides garden education to inmates in correctional institutions and juvenile facilities throughout the state of Oregon. (Pronouns: she/her)
Kate Bildsten
LETTUCE GROW
EDUCATIONAL MANAGER AND MID VALLEY COORDINATOR
Years of farming and gardening throughout California led Kate to study horticulture at Oregon State University, always with an eye towards incorporating those skills and lessons towards criminal justice. She is invested in sharing the joys of spending time outside with plants. Her other interests include pottery, marine biology, backcountry exploring, foraging, and sewing. (pronouns: she/her)
Keoni Young
LETTUCE GROW
BLACK OUTREACH MANAGER
Keoni was born and raised in Portland Oregon, he is continuing his education in urban agriculture after completing Master Gardening training, upon release from incarceration, Keoni has strived to educate and create spaces and programs for African American youth and people of color. He is passionate,
caring, freethinking, and in love with the work he is doing with Growing Gardens, Black Futures Farm and the Black Food Sovereignty Council. He hopes to make urban farming a reality for intercity youth and those who have experienced incarceration and food insecurity.
Dashiell Hock
LETTUCE GROW EDUCATOR
Dash is originally from Eugene, Oregon and has lived in Portland for the past seven years, working in various capacities for many of your favorite food-related businesses. His love for food and passion for food justice has guided him to Growing Gardens, where he hopes to help strengthen our local food system and end systemic hunger.
Jordana Mendonça Valdés
GREENHOUSE PROJECT MANAGER
Jordana is a proud Brazilian who is passionate about how food can unite and engage people. Seeking more than a (boring) career in the Brazilian judicial system, she founded the "EcomAmor Institute" in Brazil (2016) and partnered with Growing Gardens in 2017/18. Jordana holds a master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from USC (2023) and feels grateful for the opportunity to work with amazing people to cultivate healthy and equitable communities.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Join Our Team
We're always on the lookout for passionate, motivated, and hard-working community leaders. Follow the link below to explore current employment opportunities at Growing Gardens.
