

Mission & People
People need trees and trees need people.
TreePeople is Southern California’s largest environmental movement whose mission is to inspire, engage and support people to take personal responsibility for the urban environment, making it safe, healthy, fun and sustainable and to share our process as a model for the world.
Leadership

Amanda Begley
Watershed Senior Program Manager

Daniel Berger
Executive Director of Operations

Eileen Garcia
Director of Community Forestry Strategic Partnerships & Operations

Kevin Gaston
Executive Director of TreePeople Land Trust

Manny Gonez
Director of Policy Initiatives

Alex Miller
Director of Marketing and Communications

Saxon Miller-Jones
Director of Development

Katie Mills
Director of Education & Outdoor Equity

David Pineda
Director of Operations and Grants

Thierry Rivard
Director of Mountain Forestry Strategic Partnerships & Operations

Yvette Rojas
Director of Administration & Park Operations

Marcos Trinidad
Senior Director of Forestry

Emily Tyrer
Director of Green Infrastructure
Forestry

Mario Dagonel
Senior Manager of Community Engagement

Loren Feder
Teams for Trees Program Manager

Mathieu Koontz
AmeriCorps Program Manager

Haley Marzolf
Forestry Administration Assistant

Libby Thomas
Forestry Administrator

Bryan Vejar
Senior Manager Arboricultural Training and Education

Talia Dotson
Community Organizing Senior Manager
Mountain Forestry

Ivan Castillo
Mountain Forestry Program Manager

Matthew Loftis
Mountain Forestry Senior Program Manager

Alex Turner
Mountain Forestry Senior Coordinator

Santos Amaya
Mountain Forestry Associate Program Manager

Stephanie Liu
Mountain Forestry Associate Program Manager

Ian Smith
Mountain Forestry Associate Program Manager

Max De Maria
Mountain Forestry Associate

Charles Spurr
Mountain Forestry Associate

Vicky Phan
Mountain Forestry Coordinator

Alyssa Walker
Mountain Forestry Senior Program Manager

Heather Turpin
Santa Clarita Community Organizer

Gil Lester
Forest Health Community Organizer
Community Forestry

Xiomara Duran
Forestry Associate Manager

Alyssa Carrillo
Community Organizer (San Fernando Valley)

Rose Liston
Community Forestry Coordinator

Alejandro Montes
Regional Manager (Inland Empire)

Marcia Castro
Community Forestry Manager (Inland Empire)

Rich Rivera
Community Forestry Associate (Inland Empire)

Alexandra Diaz
Community Forestry Coordinator (Inland Empire)

Viviana Rodriguez
Community Forestry Apprentice (Riverside)

Irma Barba
Community Forestry Apprentice (Riverside)

Kyle Kohlbrenner
Community Forestry Associate Manager (South Los Angeles)

Michelle Mendoza
Community Forestry Associate (South Los Angeles)

Ojani Casillas
Community Forestry Associate (South East Los Angeles)

Juan Cueto
Community Forestry Associate (South East Los Angeles)

Monica Pineda
Community Forestry Coordinator

Juan Vaca
Community Forestry Associate (South East Los Angeles)

Marcela Jaquez
Community Organizer (South East Los Angeles)

Francisco Vargas
Community Forestry Manager (San Gabriel Valley)

Jonathan Campos
Community Forestry Coordinator

Carmen Sanchez
Community Forestry Associate (San Gabriel Valley)

Priscila Papias
Community Forestry Coordinator

Idelfonso Villarreal
Community Forestry Associate

Charlene Williams
Community Forestry Apprentice

Jack Smith
Community Forestry Manager - Urban Parks
Nursery

Katie Aymar
Nursery & Restoration Specialist
Education
Youth Leadership

Rebecca Saltsman
Youth Leadership Senior Manager

Savannah Ackerman
Youth Leadership Program Manager

Trisha Herrera
Youth Leadership Coordinator

Kylie Lesko
Youth Leadership Coordinator

Laura Hegstetter
School Outreach Coordinator
Outdoor Equity

Maria Adame
Outdoor Equity Senior Manager

Zoë Temple
Eco Opportunities Program Manager

Cesar Hernandez
Outdoor Equity Coordinator

Jazmin Quezada
Outdoor Equity Program Manager

Shoshana Ambartsumyan
Outdoor Equity Lead Educator

Garrett Gray
Outdoor Equity Educator

Abigail Gonzalez
Outdoor Equity Educator

Dina Khatib
Outdoor Equity Educator

Olivia Bailey
Outdoor Equity Coordinator

Hillary Lefkowitz
Outdoor Equity Coordinator

Jessica Martinez
Outdoor Equity Coordinator

Carissa Donahoo
Outdoor Equity Strategic Operations Manager
Green Infrastructure

Bertilla Baudiniere
Design Principal

Michelle Bagnato
School Greening Senior Project Manager

Eric Wilson
Green Infrastructure Program Manager

Edward Saloj
Green Infrastructure Coordinator
Policy & Research

Dustin Herrmann
Principal Scientist

Alejandro Fabian
Policy and Research Associate

Mary Hillemeier
Policy & Research Senior Coordinator

Igor Bronz
Policy & Research Senior Coordinator

Peter Massey
Water Equity Programs Project Manager
Marketing & Communications

Edgar Iriarte
Web & Technology Manager

Adam Thomas
Events & Community Partnerships Manager

Zoie Matthew
Digital Marketing Manager

Bliss Parsons
Senior Graphic Designer

Cez Cruz
Jr Graphic Designer
Operations & Grants

Chuck Mills
Senior Grants Administrator

Brenna Humann
Grant Writer

Marylu Issaevitch
Grant Accountant
Development

Lucy Yoshioka
Development Associate

Sammy Glazer
Development Program Coordinator

Brielle Cruz Vega
Corporate and Foundation Relations Manager
Administration & Park Operations

Loyda Ramos
Administrative Services Partner

Julio Tzoc
Facilities Maintenance Manager

Mario Melgarejo
Human Resources Assistant

Nathan Bock
Grounds Manager

Eduardo Moreno Ambriz
Park Operations Assistant
TreePeople Land Trust

Mark Fiege
TreePeople Land Trust Restoration Project Manager

Nick Handman
TreePeople Land Trust Stewardship Manager

Manny Gomez
TreePeople Land Trust Restoration Specialist

Dan Berman
Stewardship Coordinator

German Chiuz
Stewardship Technician
Board of Directors
Philip Boesch, Esq.
Board of Directors, Chair, Boesch Law Group
Noah Perch-Ahern
Vice Chair, Partner at Greenberg Glusker Environmental Department
John D. Bunzel, CFP®
First Vice President | Financial Advisor | Global Sports and Entertainment Director, Certified Financial Planner™ Insurance Planning Director THE 310 GROUP Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Ruth Y. Goldway
Treasurer, The Honorable Ruth Goldway, retired chairman | US Postal Regulatory Commission
Edgar G. Dymally
Secretary, Senior Environmental Specialist | Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
J. Lee Braly
Board Member, Principal | i2i Consulting
Laurie Benenson
Board Member, Writer, Editor, Filmmaker
Beth Burnam
Board Member, Co- President and Founding Member of the North Topanga Canyon Fire Safe Council
Susan W. Drake
Board Member, Co-Owner Casa Automotive Group
Dr. Jonathan Fielding
Board Member, Professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Author
Karin Fielding
Board Member, Public Health Advocate
Jonathan Friedland
Board Member, Octagonal Hall LLC
Nancy Helsley
Board Member, Retired Public School Teacher
Dr. Lee Kats
Board Member, Professor of Biology, Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Initiatives
Jered Lindsay
Board Member, Senior Attorney, Environmental Section, Southern California Edison Law Dept.
Robert Llorens
Board Member, EVP & Chief Credit Officer Cal Private Bank
Sara Rutherford Nichols
Board Member
Josephine Powe
Board Member, Environmental Lawyer
William Quicksilver
Board Member, Manatt, Sr. Partner, Chief Executive Officer, Managing Partner Emeritus
Mindy Rothstein Mann
Board Member
Keith Terasaki
Board Member, Interventional Radiologist at the Kaiser Hospital, Chairman of the Terasaki Family Foundation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Wesley Health Clinics
Sam Whiting
Board Member, Director, Boeing Global Engagement
Ira Ziering
Board Member, Entrepreneur, Ziering France Co.
David Zucker
Board Member, Writer, Director, Producer
Founder

Andy Lipkis
Founder, TreePeople
Our Core Values
At TreePeople, we are....

Enthusiastic
Sparking joy is at the core of everything we do. Our work is fun, hopeful, and uplifting. We spread our passion to others and support them to change the world for the better.

Welcoming
We foster kindness and a culture that welcomes everyone. We center diverse voices to further environmental justice and equity in the communities we serve. Everyone has a place in our movement; we are all TreePeople.

Respectful
We actively listen to gain understanding and are courteous and mindful in our interactions with others. We show respect to the spaces where we work, to the people and cultures we work with, and to the history that precedes us.

Harmonious
We prioritize collaboration. We do this within the organization and the communities we serve. We are at our best when we work together and actively step up when one of us needs support.

Committed
We ensure the longevity of our work through lasting and meaningful commitment to the spaces and the communities we engage with. We strive to exemplify our mission not only through our words but through our actions. We are dedicated to learning and innovating as we strive towards a greener future for us all.
Join Our Newsletter
Stay up to date with TreePeople’s newsletter. Find out about upcoming events, announcements, jobs, and other opportunities to get involved!
By submitting, you are agreeing to receive TreePeople related news and occasional communications, and agreeing to our Privacy Policy.