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 Lee is a sustainability subject matter expert and manages S&P Global's ESG service offerings for the northeast US.
Christine Araujo
Board MemberChristine Araujo is a consultant at Zuaria Partners and is the former Executive Director of the American City Coalition in Roxbury.
Tracy Sopchak
Board MemberTracy Sopchak is Director of Development and Engagement at the Ipswich River Watershed Association.
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.
Emily Wallace (she/her)
MassCEC InternEmily is a senior at Northeastern University pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability. She is passionate about the intersection of ecology and sustainability, especially in cities. Emily has led many on campus sustainability initiatives and is excited to bring her experience to Speak for the Trees to help connect communities to their local green spaces.
Lisa Penfield (she/her)
MassCEC InternLisa is a sophomore at Tufts University majoring in Environmental Engineering. In the future, she hopes to continue her education and research endeavors in the public health and sustainability fields. Apart from school, she enjoys trying new foods, running, and learning to play frisbee.
