Marci has spent most of her career practicing environmental and agricultural law for the State of New Jersey, including her current job drafting environmental regulations for the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. She played a critical role in the preservation of thousands of acres of farmland and helped create New Jersey’s Right to Farm program. Marci also managed lease and concession agreements on state parkland that provided a wide range of recreational opportunities and amenities to thousands of park visitors each year. An (almost) lifelong Philadelphian, she is excited to lend her experience to an urban setting and assist POP in furthering its mission in the city she loves.

Jena is a Black, Queer, Femme, community organizer who uses her love of food to connect with neighbors. She moved to Philadelphia in 2015 with an ambitious goal of feeding grassroots organizers across the city. Jena first began working with POP as a caterer in 2016 and then continued to participate in events and lead cooking classes as part of POP’s educational programming. She joined POP’s Board of Directors in 2019. She is one of the co-founders of The West Philly Bunnyhop, a mutual aid organization that conducts and facilitates free, fresh produce distribution events to neighbors throughout Philadelphia. She is also COO at Riverwards Produce Market and works as a consultant for The Reinvestment Fund’s Philadelphia Food Justice Initiative. Any day that she’s able to connect with people through food is a good day for her.

Rose Cuozzo first heard about POP as a member of The Junior League of Philadelphia. During her time with the League, she has led member recruitment as well as education and volunteer training programs. Professionally, Rose helps organizations share their stories, creating deeper connections with stakeholders. She’s worked with a number of nonprofit organizations including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Teach for America and Kaiser Permanente.

Daniel is a management consultant at PwC.  Although not originally from Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love became his adopted home when he moved in 2013.  As a first-generation college student, he is focused on progress and strives to leave people, places, and things better than how he found them. Daniel is committed to ensuring that his adopted home has more green space and access to sustainable food today than it did yesterday.

Maku Ali has dedicated most of her career in service to individuals with disabilities in Pennsylvania. Maku pivoted her wealth of experience in the Accounting and Finance world to give voice to some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Maku currently serves as the CEO of KenCCID, a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote dignity and choice to empower Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to reach their full potential. This collaboration with the POP family to help the local Philadelphia community become better stewards of our natural resources is a perfect fit. Joining POP as a Board Member will continue to expand her passion for service – this time to Mother Earth.

Angelina Conti is an educator with over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is the Director of Digital Learning for UPenn Arts & Sciences and also volunteers with literacy and urban agriculture nonprofits in Philadelphia. Angelina is a Master Gardener in Pennsylvania and completed her Permaculture Design Certificate while working at a small independent school in California. She’s a third generation Philadelphian and feels enormously lucky to be rooted here.

Tony Dorman is an independent Project Management consultant, having worked for companies such as Sprint, HP and ADP over the past twenty years. He has served as an Orchard Liaison since 2014, working with the Tilden Elementary and Philadelphia Montessori schools.

Elan Drennon is a New Jersey native. She most recently served as the Director of Governance on the Innovation and Experience Team within Talent and Learning at Comcast. She previously served as Director of Partnerships for Professional Learning and Leadership at Rowan University’s Learning Resource Center. Prior to Rowan, Elan served as Senior Manager of Student Equity Initiatives and School Climate Strategy for the Camden City School District. Her work has focused on developing and implementing policy, research, and development of people-focused systems ranging from operations to student rights, access, and equity. Elan began her career in education as a third-grade teacher in Camden after time spent working at the Office of Justice Programs. Elan is an alumna of Fordham University and American University’s Washington College of Law.

Andrew Figueiredo was born and raised in Kansas to two Portuguese immigrants. He is currently an Associate at Dechert LLP, practicing antitrust law and focusing his pro bono work on voting rights. As an undergraduate at McGill University, Andrew was inspired by Wendell Berry and Pope Francis to get involved in urban agriculture. There, he volunteered at the Montreal-based community food hub Santropol Roulant. After undergrad, Andrew moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and became a Lead Orchard Volunteer with POP. In his downtime, Andrew enjoys cooking, reading, exercising, and writing; his work has been featured in publications like Front Porch Republic and Alternet.

Gillian Golson is a Fitness Professional with a background in non-profit fundraising, community organizing, and volunteer management. While Gillian currently owns and runs her own small fitness business in Philadelphia, she previously worked at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the African American Museum in Philadelphia in Development roles. She first learned about POP from a friend who recently served on the Board of Directors and was immediately interested in how POP serves the Philadelphia community.

Craig has produced and directed more than 45 award-winning videos, interactive exhibits, museum installations, nature centers and wildlife habitats. You may have seen his projects if you have visited the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, DuPont Environmental Education Center, Independence Visitor Center, the African-American Museum of Philadelphia, William Cramp Community School, and the PSE&G Energy & Environmental Resource Center. Currently, his work is focused on creating wildlife habitats, learning landscapes and nature sanctuaries for schools, parks, and libraries. Craig’s studio, Interpret Green, is located at Glen Fern, a 1750s historic house in Fairmount Park next to the Wissahickon Creek in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia.

Nate is a farmer, plant breeder, activist, and co-founder of the non-profit Experimental Farm Network (EFN). He was born in Philadelphia and lives and farms today in Elmer, NJ. A graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, he has worked a wide range of jobs from theater to politics to union organizing to disaster relief. EFN facilitates collaborative research in sustainable agriculture, plant breeding, and climate change mitigation, especially through the development of perennial staple crops.

A true Renaissance woman – artist, professor, manager, and farmer – Michelle is interested in sustainability, change management, food systems, risk management, human resources management, information systems, and training and development among other things. She serves in a variety of capacities including as Mandela Washington Fellows Lecturer for Drexel University; IREX Reciprocal Exchange Awardee for ongoing work in Ghana; and in Operations, North America for IDP Connect. Michelle joined the board in 2015 and supports POP’s community and educational programs and other governance related issues.

Loretta Lewis was born in Philadelphia to a family that worshipped at the historic Union Baptist Church in South Philadelphia, and currently serves as a Trustee. Social activism has been her life passion for over 70 years. She picketed the Army Recruitment Center protesting Jim Crow practices in the armed services, volunteered with the Black Panther’s Community Breakfast Program and is a charter member of the Women of Color Caucus Against Domestic Violence representing the Caucus nationally and internationally. Loretta also served as Board Chairperson of Women Against Abuse, working with this agency for more than 20 years. She served as co-chair of the Bread and Roses Board of Directors and as their representative to Women’s Way. Loretta served on the Women Gather planning committee and is a member of the African Sisterhood. Loretta and her husband were married for 55 years. She has two adult daughters, 9 grand children, and 5 great-grandchildren. Her son Craig preceded her in death. Loretta’s passion for service continues.

Brian Olszak is a Senior Trails & Open Space Planner with the Montgomery County Planning Commission. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University, where he teaches Geographic Information Systems and Open Space and Trails Planning. He first started volunteering with POP in 2010 when he worked nights at a military academy library, and he’s been hooked ever since. Outside of POP, Brian appreciates motorcycles, his own garden, New Deal art, vinyl records, and his emerging interest in biophilic planning and design. He previously served on the Board of POP from 2011-2016, including as Board President, as well as chair of his neighborhood zoning committee. He has an M.S. in Community & Regional Planning from Temple University and a B.A. in English and Philosophy.

Inella is the Director of Parent Advocacy & Engagement at Children First, where she works with parents across southeastern Pennsylvania to inform policy recommendations centered on Pennsylvania children. As a Philadelphia native and a proud product of the Philadelphia School District, Inella understands the power of what happens when we invest today in tomorrow’s generation. This understanding has led her to build a career around protecting the potential of those most vulnerable amongst us – children – through advocacy and service. This ethos has propelled Inella to be an active citizen. Inella is thrilled to serve on the Philadelphia Orchard Project board and looks forward to using her education, governance, and strategic planning skillset to advance POP’s mission. In her spare time, Inella enjoys biking, comedy, reading, and traveling! She lives in West Philadelphia with her partner, Desmond, and her cat, Negus!

Julie Ulrich serves as a founding Director of Urban Conservation at The Nature Conservancy. She created one of the first urban conservation programs in the U.S and helped develop TNC’s North America Cities Network, a national network of sustainability efforts across twenty-four cities. Julie has extensive experience in climate and equity centered sustainable planning and design and has worked at the intersection of urbanism, ecology, and the public for over two decades. As a scientist, urban planner, designer, and engineer, her work highlights the interface between social and ecological resiliency, particularly in urban environments adapting to climate change. She has a B.S in Civil and Environmental Engineering, a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy and the Climate and Health Program at The Yale School of Public Health.