ALEJANDRA CHIESA, MLA MSc
Vice President

As the California State Director at Green Schoolyards America, Alejandra Chiesa oversees the organization’s expanding work in the State. She provides strategic leadership to develop and implement emerging and future programs with school districts, public agencies and non-profit partners, in collaborative efforts to bring the green schoolyard movement to scale.

Prior to joining Green Schoolyards America, Alejandra led the Bay Area Program at the Trust for Public Land (TPL) for over ten years, where she worked extensively with communities of color in the Bay Area to launch initiatives, secure funding, and develop parks and open spaces to advance park and health equity. She was instrumental in launching and implementing the Oakland Living Schoolyards Initiative, a partnership between the Oakland Unified School District, Green Schoolyards America and TPL, which is transforming asphalt playgrounds into green spaces for students and their communities.

Alejandra’s passion focuses on advancing green space equity and access to nature with the goal of improving health and climate resilience. She has twenty years of experience as a landscape architect and extensive experience working with school districts, public agencies, funders, non-profit partners and communities to develop and implement systems change and policies to achieve large and long lasting impacts in green space equity. Alejandra is originally from Uruguay and holds a dual Masters in Biology and Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan.

SHARON GAMSON DANKS,
MLA-MCP
CEO and Founder

Sharon Gamson Danks, MLA-MCP, is an environmental city planner, social entrepreneur, and author who has worked to build and shape the green schoolyard field for more than 20 years. She founded Green Schoolyards America in 2013 and leads the organization as its Chief Executive Officer. Over the last two decades, her career has focused on transforming school grounds into vibrant, nature-rich public spaces that engage the community and nurture children as they learn and play. Her work is grounded in ecological design, green infrastructure, and environmental policy and is driven by a sense of urgency to improve equitable access to green space and protect children from the increasing effects of climate change.

To create a paradigm shift in the way school grounds are designed, used, and managed, she convenes and leads large-scale collective impact initiatives that provide opportunities for organizations and institutions to collaborate. These efforts include co-founding and leading the International School Grounds Alliance, the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, and the California Schoolyard Forest System℠.

An accomplished schoolyard designer, researcher, and public speaker, Sharon has traveled the world to study hundreds of school grounds and share best practices. She is author of the award winning book Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation (New Village Press, 2010), and became an Ashoka Fellow in 2017. Prior to Green Schoolyards America, she was a co-founding Principal of Bay Tree Design. She holds master’s degrees in landscape architecture and city planning from UC Berkeley, a Professional Certificate in Natural Resource Management from UC San Diego Extension, and a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. She is the mother of two expert playground testers who are now off on adventures of their own.

AYESHA ERCELAWN, MES
Senior Program Manager and Education Specialist

Ayesha Ercelawn leads our education focused programming and ensures that GSA centers students and teachers in our work. She developed preK-12 education resources for the Schoolyard Forest System℠, is the project lead for the schoolyard forest pilot in Sacramento, California, and collaborates with the GSA team on its many projects to bring schoolyard forests to scale. She is passionate about the potential of living schoolyards to both connect children with nature and to have a positive impact on the environment.

Prior to joining Green Schoolyards America, Ayesha taught and developed outdoor environmental education curriculum in green schoolyards for more than twenty years, working in both private and public schools. She has also trained teachers through the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and the San Francisco Ecoliteracy Conferences. Her work also appears in the publications Asphalt to Ecosystems: Design Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation (Sharon Danks, 2010), the Living Schoolyards Activity Guide (GSA, 2018), and in the International School Grounds Month Activity Guide (ISGA, 2018).

Ayesha obtained her B.A. from Smith College and pursued a master’s degree in Ecosystem Science and Management from the Yale School of the Environment—an ecosystem perspective continues to deeply inform her thinking.

Outside her work with Green Schoolyards America, Ayesha volunteers with a local habitat restoration project and teaches adult field botany classes. As a long time naturalist, she is usually to be found pursuing her own sense of wonder—whether rambling on local trails or investigating life in her garden.

ERICA FINE, EdM
Associate Director, Development and Communications

As the Associate Director of Development and Communications, Erica Fine oversees grants, new donor cultivation, and external communications. She also provides strategic support for programs, operations, and organizational development. She previously worked for Green Schoolyards America as one of the organization's first employees and played a critical role in developing the curriculum for the Principals' Institute and publishing the 2018 editions of the Living Schoolyards Activity Guides.

Prior to rejoining Green Schoolyards America, Erica worked at Thorne Nature Experience in Boulder, Colorado where she led the organization's marketing and communications and provided backbone support for E Movement, a collaborative initiative to advance the continuity, effectiveness, and access of environmental education in Boulder County. She also authored a first-of-its-kind research paper on best practices in family engagement for outdoor and environmental education providers and led the creation of new digital resources to help families and educators connect children and youth to nature at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a longtime outdoor educator and enthusiast, Erica is passionate about the health and well-being benefits of access to nature (of all kinds) and the climate and equity benefits of green schoolyards in particular. She believes in the power of collective impact and strives to be inclusive, collaborative, and to work at the level of system change. Erica holds a B.S. from Tufts University and a Masters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

SARAH MATSUMOTO
Director of Policy and Government Affairs

As Director of Policy and Government Affairs, Sarah Matsumoto works to advance equitable policies in environment, education and health. Through strategic partnerships with key officials, community leaders and partner organizations, she helps to build the collective power and impact of the Green Schoolyards movement. Sarah is excited to work to transform our systems so that they benefit children, communities and nature.

Sarah brings over 25 years of nonprofit advocacy, campaign and program management experience to her work at Green Schoolyards America. Most recently, she was the Organizing Director for the Sierra Club, working to build a multi-generational and multi-racial majority for environmental and climate justice. She has also served as the Deputy Director of the Endangered Species Coalition, a national coalition with over 400 scientific, educational, conservation, religious, sporting, business and community organizations. She helped launch Defenders of Wildlife’s State program, working with state legislators and partners to pass strong environmental laws and policies.

Sarah has a passion for connecting people with nature and engaging people in programs to protect the environment and public health. She believes deeply in nurturing transformational relationships, centering equity and justice and the building power through organizing and advocacy to change the world. Sarah is a graduate of Green Corps, a field school for environmental organizers and studied Anthropology at Pomona College, in Claremont, CA.

LAUREN McKENNA, MLA
Senior Program Manager

Lauren McKenna, MLA, is a Senior Program Manager at Green Schoolyards America. She graduated from the Master of Landscape Architecture program at Cal Poly Pomona in 2020. After studying natural science and studio arts at Loyola Marymount University (2011) and two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer, she worked in various Pacific Northwest locales, including GIS mapping with the City of Tacoma, environmental education with Islandwood, and community engagement at a botanical conservatory. She hopes to be an advocate for green space equity in underserved communities.

When not examining the confluence of ecology, spirituality, and environmental justice, you can find her writing haikus, wandering foothill trails in her hometown of Claremont, California, baking, or giving generous hugs (when it is safe to do so!).

RACHEL PRINGLE, MA
Vice President

As Vice President at Green Schoolyards America, Rachel oversees organizational operations and management in partnership with other senior leadership. Specifically, Rachel manages partnerships and programmatic growth and is currently overseeing Schoolyard Forest System expansion into Nevada and New Mexico. She is driven by the potential of organizations to make a positive difference for both children and the environment.

Prior to joining Green Schoolyards America, Rachel was the VP of Growth and Strategic Partnerships at Education Outside, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that brought science and environmental literacy to life in over 60 green schoolyards throughout the Bay Area. Rachel was instrumental in developing Education Outside’s AmeriCorps program and oversaw operations, field staff, program evaluation, and expansion activities. Rachel began her career as an educator in a public school garden classroom and led environmental education programming for students on our public lands with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Rachel has spent over 20 years in California, but was born and raised on a farm in Maine. She earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in conservation biology from the University of Pennsylvania and is co-author of How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers from Timber Press.

MIKAELA RANDOLPH, MPP
Associate Director, Regional Programs

Mikaela Randolph, MPP is the Associate Director of Regional Programs at Green Schoolyards America with a focus on advancing school greening in the L.A. region and beyond. She will use her extensive experience working within the L.A. region in partnership with schools and other agencies to support and develop school greening projects. 

Mikaela is a founding member of L.A.’s Living Schoolyard Coalition and currently serves on Los Angeles Unified School District’s School Greening and Climate Committee. Mikaela’s passion lies in ensuring school greening is occurring in the communities with the greatest need, with a focus on frontline communities dealing with the effects of climate change via extreme heat, extreme flooding, and drought. Mikaela recently completed her tenure as a watershed coordinator with L.A. County’s Safe, Clean Water program where she worked to develop projects with an emphasis on green stormwater infrastructure.

Mikaela is born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Urban Studies and Communication Studies from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Southern California. Mikaela is a mother to a teenage girl, a champion of play and nature access for all.

ALLISON TORRES
Finance and Operations Manager

As the Operations Manager at Green Schoolyards America, Allison Torres manages and supports operational activities to ensure the organization's resilience. Before joining Green Schoolyards America, Allison was the Finance and Operations Manager at The Story of Stuff Project, an organization that promotes sustainability. She also has previous experience working in the accounting department of Earth Island Institute and for the Earth Island projects, Womens Earth Alliance and Sacred Land Film Project. Allison holds a certificate in Nonprofit Management from San Francisco State University and studied Accounting at UC Berkeley. With over a decade of nonprofit experience, Allison is passionate about supporting environmental changemakers.

Outside of her work at Green Schoolyards America, Allison enjoys nature and exploring the outdoors.

BEVIN ASHENMILLER, PhD

Bevin Ashenmiller, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Economics at Occidental College. She is an Environmental Economist whose research falls into three areas: recycling, evaluation of environmental programs, and energy and climate policy. She spent the 2012-2013 academic year working as the Senior Economist for Energy and the Environment at the White House Council of Economic Advisers in Washington DC. Bevin earned her PhD in Economics from the University of California Santa Barbara and her Bachelor of Arts in Slavic Languages and Literature from Princeton University.

CLAIRE LATANÉ, MLA

Claire Latané, MLA, ASLA, LEED AP, SITES AP, teaches and works with community-led, nature-based, and evidence-based design strategies that support mental health and well-being, physical health, equity, and climate resilience. She founded and organizes the Collaborative for Healthy and Inclusive Learning Environments (CHILE) at Cal Poly Pomona. She leads design studios for Cal Poly Pomona that match landscape architecture students with community partner schools and organizations to develop transformative, grant-ready design plans that nurture a sense of belonging, provide nature-filled places, and inspire awe. Claire is a founding member of the Los Angeles Living Schoolyards Coalition, a research partner for Green Schoolyards America, and is Associate Professor and Chair of the Cal Poly Pomona landscape architecture department. Her award-winning book Schools that Heal: Design with Mental Health in Mind is a resource for designers, educators, school district administrators, students, and community members.

MARCI RANEY, PhD

Marcella (Marci) Raney, PhD, is currently a Senior Program Manager in the Office of Well-Being at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and former Associate Professor of Kinesiology at Occidental College in Los Angeles. She maintains the Certified Exercise Physiologist and Certified Playground Safety Inspector certifications offered by the American College of Sports Medicine and National Recreation and Parks Association, respectively. She has over a decade of experience collaborating with public health departments, school districts, hospitals, and nonprofits to evaluate family-focused and school-based health promotion interventions. Most recently, she has leveraged her educational background, professional networks, and location to decrease income-based disparities in physical activity participation and wellbeing in urban Los Angeles through Living Schoolyard planning and evaluation efforts. Her work has been published in peer reviewed journals including American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion Practice, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Landscape and Urban Planning among others. She is also a steering committee member of the Los Angeles Living Schoolyard Coalition and a consultant for the California Schoolyard Forest System℠ statewide initiative founded by Green Schoolyards America and Ten Strands in partnership with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the California Department of Education.

Green Schoolyards America is proud to be fiscally sponsored by Earth Island Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a vibrant network of more than 75 groundbreaking activist projects working to protect the planet and all species that live on it. Earth Island Institute’s Board of Directors is Green Schoolyards America’s fiduciary board.

Earth Island Institute is a Platinum-level GuideStar participant and received a 100/100 rating on Accountability and Transparency from Charity Navigator. Click here to view Earth Island Institute's GuideStar profile. Click here to view Earth Island Institute's Charity Navigator profile.

CAM COLLYER

Cam Collyer is the Principal of People and Place consulting where he helps school boards and municipalities innovate with their public space. He spent 23 years of his career with the non-profit Evergreen, playing an executive role in building one of Canada’s leading environmental charities. Cam created national and international scale initiatives related to public space design, programming and public engagement. He is a leading international authority on the greening of school grounds and co-founded the International School Ground Alliance. He has piloted a number of placemaking initiatives with municipalities that have focused on the engagement of children and families. He played a leadership role in developing the suite of children’s programs at Evergreen Brick Works as well as co-designing the site’s award winning Children’s Garden. Cam is a seasoned and accomplished program designer, partnership builder, writer, public speaker, placemaker, fundraiser and movement builder.

MIKE GAMSON

Mike Gamson first joined Relativity in 2017 as a member of the company’s advisory board. He got the unique opportunity to get to know the company's business and team extremely well before stepping up to the role of CEO in 2019. Mike brings over 20 years of recruitment, sales, and product marketing experience to Relativity. In his former role as Senior Vice President, Global Solutions at LinkedIn, Mike oversaw LinkedIn’s Global Solutions Organization for its more than 30 offices worldwide, focusing on servicing corporate customers in three primary areas—talent solutions, marketing solutions, and sales solutions. Before LinkedIn, Mike was director of product marketing at Advent Software, a provider of enterprise software for investment managers, where he led the trading and order management business. Mike received his bachelor’s degree from Amherst College.

MARY MICHAUD, MPP

Mary Michaud, MPP, is a Faculty Associate with the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where she teaches health policy and public affairs. She has spent more than two decades working in the health sector, with considerable experience working in public health and social innovation. Recognizing the integral role that nature connection can play in advancing public health, Mary has promoted equitable access to green space and nature-based play through her leadership in creating city partnerships and outdoor learning collaboratives. She completed a Certificate in Horticultural Therapy at the Chicago Botanic Garden, and she has a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy Studies, where she serves on the Alumni Council.

MARTA URQUILLA

Marta Urquilla is President of Centri Tech Foundation, where she leads a social impact strategy focused on leveraging digital technologies to advance social and economic outcomes. She has over 25 years’ experience managing programs and leading results-oriented policy approaches to improve lives. Previously, she was chief program officer at Education Design Lab, directing the creation of new education models toward the future of work. Previously, she was Deputy Director at the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, where she led efforts to scale social change. Under President Obama, Marta served as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation and as Senior Advisor for Social Innovation at the Corporation for National and Community Service, where she built and implemented the first Social Innovation Fund in the U.S. Government, a model adopted across federal agencies. She served on the advisory board of the Millennium Challenge Corporation and on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, Technology, Innovation and Government Reform working group. An Echoing Green Fellow, Marta is a social entrepreneur who has designed community solutions to connect low-income youth and communities to the digital economy, promote public health through grassroots organizing and policy change, and build the capacity of girls and young women of color to be creative agents of change. She serves on the boards of Education Design Lab, Green Schoolyards America, and Urban Alliance. Marta holds a Bachelor of Arts in literature and visual arts from Duke University.