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)
Iva Dubyak
CULTURE AND OPERATIONS MANAGER
As the Culture & Operations Manager, Iva supports the people and operations of Growing Gardens by listening to and centering the needs of staff. They are deeply inspired by their coworkers, the impact that they have on local food systems, and in collaboration with the communities we work with. Iva can often be found reading science fiction, studying trauma-informed approaches to massage therapy, or playing with their dogs by a body of water. (Pronouns: they/them)
*Govorim Hrvatski*
(I speak Croatian)
Dashiell Hock
FINANCE AND CULTURE 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
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Bio coming soon!
Jack Nakashima
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Jaclyn "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.
Home Gardens
Home Gardens Director
RASHAE BURNS
As a native Portlander, Rashae knows the city inside and out. She loves promoting health and gardening within the community. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, she has a vast knowledge of preventative care, chronic illness, and social determinants of health. Rashae started our program as a Home Gardens participant to foster a healthy lifestyle. She became a community organizer in the North Portland region in 2018 and has been instrumental in helping marginalized communities improve their lives through gardening. (Pronouns: she/they)
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)
Open Position
HOME GARDENS
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Portland Office
Now Hiring! Will it be you?
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)
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 Barroso started with Growing Gardens as a volunteer. She has been working as part of the team for about 2 years and feel so happy to interact with the plants with the earth. It makes her even happier because her family learns from what she learns at Growing Gardens. She feels happy to help her gardeners learn how to be happy with plants and give them love because if you have love for plants and animals you will have love for everyone!! She believes that by working with plants, you can end the stress of each person and help you live a happy life.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Karen Torres-Olguin
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
North and Inner North East Portland Area
Originally from Los Angeles, Karen moved to attend Portland State University where she earned her degree in Community Development. She began container gardening in her childhood apartment and has learned so much since then. Gardening has helped her feel connected with herself and the land she resides in. She feels fortunate to be able to combine her passion for gardening and community based work. In her free time she likes reading, baking and playing board games.
*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)
Gabi Villasenor
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY COORDINATOR
North Clackamas County Area
Gabi Villaseñor is an artist, avid gardener and advocate for the positive effects that can come from growing your own food, flowers and healthy habitats for other species. Originally from Southern California, Gabi has lived and gardened in the Pacific Northwest since 2007. Her art practice involves set design, ceramics and painting, each of which take inspiration from the natural world. She is currently enrolled in a Psychology program at PCC in hopes of becoming an art therapist, specializing in the nurturing and beneficial effects that our green environment and gardening has on our mental health. (Pronouns: she/her)
Shireen Duke
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY COORDINATOR
East County 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.
Open Position
HOME GARDENS
COMMUNITY COORDINATOR
Washington County Area
Hiring Soon! Will it be you?
Romanet Leiva
HOME GARDENS
PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR
Providence Milwaukie
Roma studied agricultural engineering in her home town Santiago, Chile where she conducted a variety of sustainable garden workshops for the local community. After leaving university, she explored different areas of the agricultural sector in Chile: Working in endemic and native plant nurseries, serving as a winemaking and yeast lab assistant, participating in seed laboratory research, and so much more than this! She's excited to join the team at Growing Gardens because teaching how to have a sustainable life and talking about plants is her passion.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Lauren Day
HOME GARDENS
PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR
Cascadia Health
New Hire! Bio Coming Soon!
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Youth Grow
Youth Grow Director
AMOREENA GUERRERO
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)
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)
Ceci Orozco
YOUTH GROW EDUCATOR
Lent School
Ceci is a lifelong learner, mother, mover, facilitator of embodied practices, and bilingual educator. Currently, she is studying a master’s degree in Sustainability Education and Leadership at PSU. 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. This has led her to share with students and her community earth-based practices and holistic education resources. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2015, Ceci received her certification as a yoga instructor, and years later she completed a 300hr Ayurveda Clinical Foundations certification. She has taught yoga and meditation in Spanish to the Latino community in town and is excited to combine her passion for movement and mindfulness with garden-based education. When she’s not in the classroom or the garden or at a yoga studio teaching, Ceci enjoys exploring the great outdoors of the PNW, playing racquetball, traveling, and engaging in rituals of self-care.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
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.
Kelly 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. New to the West coast, she loves exploring and hiking but also spends a good amount of time indoors cooking and reading. This is her first year serving with FoodCorps and she is so excited to share her passion with elementary school kids!
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, Angela’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
Carla Manuel
YOUTH GROW FOOD CORPS MEMBER
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)
Juan Cruz Padilla
YOUTH GROW
GARDEN COORDINATOR
Powell Butte Elementary School
Juan (He/Him) has lived in the PNW for 7 years. Since transplanting from Miami, FL he has walked the plant path, learning the names of the many plants and fungi who live here, becoming a permaculture designer, and most recently a school garden coordinator. Juan loves mountains, tennis (he’s a tennis pro), sharing food, learning history of ancient cultures, and writing. Gardening is his way of slowing down and remembering that the world is fully alive and aware. Juan believes in the ability that communities have to empower themselves through reclaiming our relationship to nature.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Yasmin Abduljalil
YOUTH GROW
ACTIVITY COORDINATOR
Lents SUN Garden Club
Baby Yasmín was inspired to grow her own when she would hear stories about her father’s farm in Harar, Ethiopia: *in Yasmín’s dad’s voice* “the sweetest, most juiciest mangoes!" And diving into the mystic Rumi poems about beautiful gardens. Working close to our soil is aligned with being closer to the Creator. She is passionate about us returning to our roots, of BIPOC communities having access to our given right to be in charge of our own foods! And guess what? We are sharing knowledge. We making it happen! Planting a seed whilst smoothly playing her funky jazzy flute with the flow of being a seamstress, danzante, big sister, and archer in training.
*Hablo Español*
(I speak Spanish)
Lettuce Grow
Lettuce Grow Director
RIMA GREEN
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 COORDINATOR AND INSTRUCTOR
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 COORDINATOR
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.
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.
