Our Board
Dr. S. Atyia Martin, CEM
Board ChairDr. Martin is CEO & Founder of All Aces, Inc. and former Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston. She is also the author of We Are the Question + the Answer: Break the Collective Habit of Racism + Build Resilience for Racial Equity in Ourselves and Our Organizations.
Andrew Droste
Member & Chair of Nominating and Governance CommitteeAndrew is VP, ESG Engagement, Stewardship & Proxy Voting (Co-Head North America), Columbia Threadneedle Investments
Amanda Rich
Co-Founder & Board MemberAmanda is an independent sustainability consultant with a Master’s in Sustainability and Environmental Management from Harvard University.
Liz Luc Clowes, ASLA
Board MemberLiz is Owner/Designer, Luc Clowes Landscape Design
Joseph Stein
Treasurer & Chair of Finance and Audit CommitteeJoseph is an investment professional and currently serves as the Director of Quantitative Research at Natixis Advisors.
Taurean Green
Board MemberTaurean is an attorney and serves as Senior Corporate Counsel at nCino, Inc.
Danielle Kaplan
Board MemberDanielle Kaplan is the Director of Operations & Finance at InnerCity Weightlifting and founder and maker of DaniJayne.
Grey Lee
Board MemberGrey is a sustainability subject matter expert and manages S&P Global's ESG service offerings for the northeast US.
Our Staff
David Meshoulam, PhD (he/him)
Co-Founder & Executive DirectorDavid (pronounced Dah-veed) co-founded Speak for the Trees in 2018. Trained as a science educator, his work has focused on ways to increase understanding of the connections between science, culture, and history and to empower people to be change agents. He holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is a Senior Fellow at the Environmental Leadership Program, and is co-chair of the Urban Ecology Collaborative. When he's not tending to trees, his 2 children, or his 1 mini Australian Shepherd, you can reach him at [email protected].
Jerel Ferguson (he/him)
Community Outreach ManagerJerel has a profound love of nature, trees, and the Great Outdoors. A true tree hugger, he encourages urban youth and families to participate in and experience an active life in the outdoors by hiking, camping, and more. Jerel is an herbalist, a forager, and an established outdoor leader. He has a passion for growing and cooking food, he's also an urban farmer and gardener. Jerel has three boys and a cat named Oscar.
Victoria Frothingham (she/her)
Development ManagerVictoria has made her career in the nonprofit sector in Boston, working in a range of positions from ESOL Teacher, to Volunteer Coordinator, to Associate Director of Grant Programs in human services and education organizations. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Paris III.
Claire Corcoran (she/her)
Community Tree SpecialistClaire is a Massachusetts Certified Arborist and has a Master of Forestry from Yale School of the Environment as well as an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Barnard College. She has worked for the MA Natural Heritage and Endangered Species program as a Plant Community Ecologist as well as at the Arnold Arboretum as a Horticulturalist. She has volunteered for the Gas Leaks Allies since their inception in 2015, and is on the Board of Directors of Eastie Farm. A lover of trees and cities, she has lived in Boston’s South End for the past twenty years with her husband, three kids, and two dogs.
Joshua Reed (he/him)
Education CoordinatorJoshua is interested in environmental and economic justice policy issues and passionate about volunteerism. He believes strongly in educating youth on environmental justice and sustainable development. He served in the Peace Corps in Comoros as a TEFL Volunteer where he also joined local Comorians in various sustainable environmental projects. In AmeriCorps he served as a Volunteer Manager for the nonprofit Opportunity Living. He is a lover of nature and explores new hiking and camping spots throughout New England. He is currently finishing his MA in Applied Politics at Suffolk University.
Victoria Leda (she/they)
College for Social Innovation FellowVictoria is a junior at the University of Vermont majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Agroecology. She is originally from Brooklyn, NY, and is a first-gen American whose first language is Polish. Victoria decided to pursue a career in environmentalism in order to educate others about the importance of the environment after growing up in a low-income community with a lack of environmental education. She's excited to spread awareness about urban forestry through her time at Speak for the Trees. Her hobbies include painting, writing poetry, and skateboarding.
Tiantian Zhu (she/her)
Mass CEC Fall InternGrowing up in Beijing, China, Tiantian finds deep connections with bustling streets, historical gardens and palaces, and the gently rolling mountains that hug the city. Her concern for Beijing’s air quality led her to seek a multidisciplinary career. As a recent graduate of Colorado College with an Environmental Science major, Tiantian has done research on Denver's ozone pollution, droughts in Colorado, nutrient cycling in Cape Cod estuaries, forest functioning in New Hampshire, and climate history in Antarctica. She hopes that her research can bridge science and action. As an intern, Tiantian is excited to contribute to the collaborative and innovative efforts at Speak for the Trees for environmental justice.
Cece Lagomarsino (she/her)
Mass CEC Fall InternCece is a junior at Boston University currently pursuing a degree in environmental analysis and policy. With minors in urban studies and economics, she pursues climate policy through a holistic lens. Being from upstate NY, Cece grew up surrounded by nature and developed a deep respect for its protection and maintenance through research she participated in at Trinity College. Urban green space and climate justice are two issues Cece is passionate about and she believes urban forests to be a vital resource to bridge the gap between the two. She is excited to intern with Speak for the Trees Boston and engage with local communities and others who are passionate about urban policy.
