CNPS Staff
Saving and celebrating California’s native plants
We love our work!
There’s nothing more gratifying than working for a cause we value. Thanks to supporters like you, we’re able to do our part to make a difference for California’s native plants and habitat. Reach out. We’d love to hear from you!
Aaron Sims
Rare Plant Program Director
Aaron Sims
Rare Plant Program Director
Aaron leads rare plant research and field priorities that support conservation of California’s unique biodiversity, partnering with volunteers and stakeholders statewide to deliver actionable science. He directs the status review process and advances core data products including the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory (RPI) and the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB), helping ensure decision-makers have current, trusted information. Aaron holds a degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology (Botany emphasis) from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and brings 20 years of professional botany experience spanning environmental consulting and California State Parks, including rare plant and vegetation surveys, prescribed fire management, and GIS. Outside of work, he enjoys being a dad and spending time outdoors, which of course includes botanizing while photographing wildflowers.
Adam Hoeft
Associate Vegetation Ecologist / Field Coordinator
Adam Hoeft
Associate Vegetation Ecologist / Field Coordinator
Adam is works on various vegetation classification and mapping projects across California for the Vegetation program. He grew up in Washington, Missouri, near St. Louis and graduated from Maryville University studying Ecology. While there he researched the reproductive and pollination biology of five native Missouri species from the genus Tradescantia. Since that time, he has worked in numerous eco-regions across the west and particularly in California on a variety of projects. His fondest field season to date was surveying for bumblebees in northern Sierra mountain meadows for CDFW. Previous work includes vegetation surveys in the Mojave Desert, the Central Valley, and Modoc Plateau. His main hobbies include hiking, camping, photographing plant-pollinator interactions, and botanizing along the trails throughout California, while taking in all the state has to offer.
Adam Searcy
Rare Plant Botanist
Adam Searcy
Rare Plant Botanist
Adam works with the Rare Plant Team on the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory and other rare plant projects. He earned a B.S. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz. Adam's career experience includes non-profit work and biological consulting. He has worked on a variety of projects involving rare and special status plant and animal species in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Adam is passionate about biodiversity, conservation, and community science. In his free time he enjoys birding, botanizing, iNatting, reading, and playing fetch with his dog.
Alex Ebert
Field Data Specialist
Alex Ebert
Field Data Specialist
Alex is a transplant from the eastern half of the country, first cutting his teeth on the botany of the varied oak-hickory forests of the Southeast, the tall grass prairies of the Midwest, and the northern hardwood forests of the northeast. At some point amidst all the botanizing, he received a B.A. in Biology from Vanderbilt University and followed it up with a PhD in Ecology from Syracuse University. His dissertation involved not only studying more plants, but also adding mycorrhizal fungi into the mix. Nestled between the academia, he worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation and as a contractor for NRCS. After deciding that states with only a few thousand native species of plants to learn were child’s play, he made the trek across the country to check out what the other coast had to offer. He then secured a position with the Forest Service working primarily in the Trinity Alps, before landing in the Lake Tahoe area where he currently resides. He spends his time proselytizing the worth of flowers to his friends, many of whom often don’t understand why it takes an hour to hike the first quarter mile of a new trail. Other things that make him tick include trying new and unique foods from around the world, reading epic fantasy novels, scouring estate sales for odd tchotchkes, and making art for friends and family.
Alexis LaFever-Jackson
Lead Field Vegetation Ecologist
Alexis LaFever-Jackson
Lead Field Vegetation Ecologist
Alexis has previously worked in a variety of environments all over California such as maritime chaparral, coastal sage scrub, floodplain and riparian habitats. She majored in environmental studies and graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz while also working at the university's arboretum. In her free time she likes to share food with friends, take pictures of insects, and be outdoors with her family.
Alo Dodge
Assistant Field Botanist
Alo Dodge
Assistant Field Botanist
Alo grew up in Oregon, exploring the ecosystems of the Willamette Valley and beyond. She studied botany at Humboldt State University as part of her Ecological Restoration degree. She has held various positions in field botany, environmental education, trail work, and horticulture, in locations including the Cascade Mountains of OR, Sierra Nevada, Channel Islands of CA, Jemez Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert of NM. Most recently, she was working with the Southwest branch of Institute for Applied Ecology to monitor rare plants across the state of New Mexico and collect seeds for habitat restoration in the Sacramento Mountains. She is now assisting CNPS with AIM (Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring) fieldwork at wetlands sites across California. She is also a painter and often depicts plants and landscapes she encounters in the field.
Alyssa Huante
Education and Community Science Manager
Alyssa Huante
Education and Community Science Manager
Alyssa is a conservation educator who is very passionate about making the outdoors feel welcoming and accessible to all. She brings extensive experience in environmental education for all ages from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major at the University of California Irvine, she worked on restoration projects in California, including planting thousands of prickly pear cacti. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys camping and hiking with her family, doing puzzles, and watching Disney movies.
Amina Sharma
Communications Manager
Amina Sharma
Communications Manager
Amina brings to CNPS extensive experience in innovative storytelling, strategic communications, and relationship building with diverse partners. As the communications manager for a statewide organization, Amina works across all aspects of CNPS—from conservation to plant science, horticulture, education, and more. She is especially passionate about biodiversity in the built environment, and bringing nature into California's densely populated urban centers.
Amina fell in love with California’s native flora when she relocated to Los Angeles from the East Coast. She earned her BA from Bennington College and has created communications for WGBH Public Television, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Nickelodeon, and The World Bank. She enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and pets and likes adventure traveling, hiking, kayaking, swimming, reading, drawing, and hugging trees.
Ann-Marie Benz
Horticulture Program Manager
Ann-Marie Benz
Horticulture Program Manager
Ann-Marie is the Horticulture Outreach Manager for CNPS, where she gets to spend her days supporting native plant communities and their people. She has spent a decade and a half serving landscapes and watersheds with nonprofits in California and Arizona. She holds a deep passion for plants and landscapes, having served as the Executive Director of ReScape California (formerly Bay-Friendly Landscaping and Gardening Coalition), a nonprofit educating the large-scale landscape industry throughout Northern California on planning, constructing, and maintaining sustainable landscape. Prior to that she was with Prescott Creeks doing watershed planning and riparian restoration in Northern Arizona. Ann-Marie studied Watershed Management and Sustainable Community Development at Prescott College. Much of this work was driven by a childhood without a watershed, but with a diversity of plant and wildlife. One of her fondest wishes is to a redwood, or as much like one as possible.
Barbara Lezon
Membership Manager
Barbara Lezon
Membership Manager
Barbara is the Membership Manager, ensuring the chapters and individual members are engaged with the organization's work and mission. Since earning her bachelor's degree from California Lutheran University, she's spent her career in both higher education and environmental education including time at the Effie Yeaw Nature Center. With a passion for outreach to underserved and minoritized communities, she believes that all citizens of California should have the opportunity to enjoy, appreciate and protect the amazing beauty of our wild spaces and natural habitats.
Brendan Wilce
Conservation Program Coordinator
Brendan Wilce
Conservation Program Coordinator
Brendan joined CNPS in spring 2022 as the Natalie Hopkins Conservation Intern. He has a background in horticulture with a Bachelors of Science from UC Davis in Environmental Horticulture and Urban Forestry with an emphasis in Greenhouse and Nursery Production, including extensive coursework in restoration ecology. He has enjoyed over 15 years in the nursery industry working as an assistant manager and grower in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Brendan’s knowledge and love of plants and nature led him from production to protection working with the CNPS’s conservation team. His current project is the compilation of an annotated bibliography of scientific research and reviews relating to fuel breaks, effects of grazing, type conversion, invasive species, post fire recovery, effects of salvage, industrially managed forests, and restoration. He also supports the conservation team in the review of proposed projects, environmental assessments/impact reports, and identifies research to support concerns and objections to these projects and assessments. Brendan spends much of his time outside of work hiking with his wife Krysten and cattle dogs Maximus and Penny, as well as cooking, gardening, and maintaining a collection of unique and uncommon plant species.
Brock Wimberley
Senior Operations Director
Brock Wimberley
Senior Operations Director
Brock is responsible for overseeing and monitoring financial practices, supporting budget processes, managing human resources, and providing oversight of facilities and IT infrastructure. He brings over 25 years of finance, accounting and administration leadership competence to CNPS. Brock has worked for the State of California in a variety of roles (cost accounting, budgeting, finance, auditing, and grant administration). Most recently, he served 5 years as the chief internal auditor for the California State Board of Equalization and 6 years as the CEO/CFO of the Placer County Fair Association (non-profit). Brock earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Finance emphasis) from San Diego State University. Brock is comfortable in the California back country, but equally enjoys finance and operational process improvement. He possesses a passion for nature, travel, adventure, perpetual learning, and leaving the world better than he found it.
Bryce King
Lead Field Botanist
Bryce King
Lead Field Botanist
Born in the Bay Area, Bryce fell in love with the flora of California at a young age. After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Forestry and a minor in Biology, he returned north to map the flora of the Suisun Marsh for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Afterwards, he was employed by the University of California, Davis, as a laboratory assistant contributing to USDA research on invasive vegetation throughout the state. In his free time, Bryce likes to paint, hike, and hunt for rare plants with his wife.
Christine Pieper
Development Director
Christine Pieper
Development Director
Christine oversees fundraising from individuals, corporations, and foundations in support of CNPS. She's held similar positions at environmental organizations such as Potomac Conservancy, NatureServe, and American Farmland Trust. Christine is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She received her Masters of Science in Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from McDaniel College. Christine grew up on a dairy farm in Maryland and moved to California in 2014. She enjoys sleeping under the stars, cooking Indian food, and scouting for wildflowers.
Connor Griffith
Senior Operations Coordinator
Connor Griffith
Senior Operations Coordinator
Connor is the Operations Coordinator for CNPS. Born and raised in Sacramento he graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration. Prior to CNPS Connor lived in San Francisco producing concerts and festivals across the Bay Area. After his time in the music industry, he knew it was time to shift gears into another area that interested him, environmental advocacy. Nowadays, you can find Connor trail running through the Sierras, playing board games and discovering new music.
Devon Lukasiewicz
Digital Media and Website Producer
Devon Lukasiewicz
Digital Media and Website Producer
Born and raised in Southern California, Devon brings CNPS’s mission to life through thoughtful digital storytelling. She holds a B.A. in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College and has built her career at the intersection of creativity, strategy, and purpose-driven marketing for mission-led brands and organizations. Outside of work, you can find her surfing, knitting, reading, snowboarding, gardening, or fighting for her life in Jiu Jitsu class.
Doug Stone
Associate Rare Plant Botanist
Doug Stone
Associate Rare Plant Botanist
My botanical career began at UC Santa Cruz (1976–1981) where I and two other undergraduates were awarded Honors on our thesis documenting the flora and vegetation of a remote mountain range in California’s eastern Mojave Desert. For my Master’s degree at UC Berkeley (1985–1988), I completed a status survey of the vernal-pool grasses Neostapfia, Orcuttia and Tuctoria in California’s Central Valley. After earning my PhD in Integrative Biology (Plant Systematics) at UC Berkeley (1998–2004), I spent seven years in South Africa working as a faculty member at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2008–2015). I have authored or co-authored > 30 scientific publications, including taxonomic revisions and descriptions of > 30 new plant species from tropical Africa and Madagascar. Since returning to California in 2018, I’ve begun a new research project on phylogenomics and population genomics of the Orcuttiinae (in collaboration with Dr. Travis Columbus of the California Botanic Garden). I’m also absolutely thrilled to be joining the Plant Science team at CNPS!
Gavin Arblaster
Information Technology Administrator
Gavin Arblaster
Information Technology Administrator
Gavin graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in accounting, but quickly found a knack for IT and systems administration, while working in the aerospace industry for 7 years. He has extensive experience implementing ERP systems, managing SQL environments, and data analysis. Being a self-taught IT guy, he is always eager to learn new things and develop workflows that can help improve people’s day to day. Gavin grew up in Orange County where he spent most of his time in the ocean, surfing and developing a love for nature. He now lives in Topanga where he enjoys exploring the Santa Monica Mountain trails, making music, and gardening.
Jennifer Buck-Diaz
Vegetation Ecologist Manager
Jennifer Buck-Diaz
Vegetation Ecologist Manager
Jennifer works in the Vegetation Program to survey, classify and map vegetation in California. She co-teaches workshops on sampling methods and taxonomy and focuses on the classification and monitoring of grassland and other vegetation. She earned both a B.S. and an M.S. degree from the University of California, Davis in Plant Biology where her thesis focused on temporal dynamics of vernal pool grassland vegetation. She continues to participate in a state-wide classification project looking at fine-scale vegetation in vernal pools including ranking the rarity of these unique habitats. Botany is her first love and she has extensive experience working in different plant communities across the western United States, ranging from grasslands to forests, alpine peaks and saline marshes. Her favorite plant is one formerly known as Centunculus minimus.
Jessica Woodard
Calscape Product Manager
Jessica Woodard
Calscape Product Manager
Jessica Woodard is responsible for Calscape, CNPS’s platform connecting new gardeners and experts with the coolest native plants for their garden. Prior to CNPS, she worked in water conservation, focusing on sustainable landscaping and using data-driven information and technology to better communicate messages across different audiences. She received her Master’s in Geography at San Francisco State University and a BA in International Development/World Religions from McGill University. Currently, she finds inspiration and hope in the plant communities she tends to with the Skyline Gardens restoration project in the Oakland/Berkeley hills.
Jonathan Snapp-Cook
Data Specialist
Jonathan Snapp-Cook
Data Specialist
Jonathan Snapp-Cook is a botanist living in southern California. He did his undergraduate work in botany and sustainable agriculture at UC Santa Cruz. Jonathan got a Masters in Geography at San Diego State University. Jonathan specializes in vernal pools, clay soil endemics, and restoration work.
Jordan Collins
Lead Field Botanist
Jordan Collins
Lead Field Botanist
Jordan (he/they) has been a lover of plants since a young age, growing up in their grandma's garden. This passion for plants continued to college. Jordan attended Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA where they studied Biodiversity Conservation and Landscape Horticulture. Throughout their time they were a dedicated student curator at the Robert F. Hoover Herbarium, greenhouse and horticultural enthusiast, as well as a teaching assistant for many botany courses. At Cal Poly, Jordan had the opportunity to work with the federally endangered Gambel's Watercress studying its reproductive biology, monitoring a wild population, and conserving living plants in a conservatory. This work really solidified Jordan's passion for ecosystem restoration and rare plant protection. At CNPS, Jordan is a field botanist in the Rare Plant Program. Jordan works on several projects, including the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, the Utom Conservation Project, and the California Plant Rescue. These projects include field data collection and organization, volunteer coordination, conducting background research, seed collection, and specimen collection. Jordan is an avid plant collector with over 2,500 collections of vascular plants and bryophytes. These collections are foundational for our community’s understanding of native plant species’ distributions in natural spaces. In May of 2022, Jordan took the Botanist Certification Exam and passed, making them a California Certified Field Botanist.
Jose Esparza Aguirre
Community Science Coordinator
Jose Esparza Aguirre
Community Science Coordinator
Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco and raised in the Central Coast of California, Jose graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a BA in Geography/Environmental Studies. He is also a Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP@UW) alumni who is pursuing a career in conservation work with a strong intersection in science, community outreach, and environmental justice. As a way to connect with his environment, he loves to spend time outdoors, hiking, playing soccer and exploring creative outlets through drawing.
Julie Evens
Vegetation Program Director
Julie Evens
Vegetation Program Director
Julie is the Vegetation Program Director where she maintains standard methods for surveying, classifying, and mapping vegetation in California since 2001. She works collaboratively on vegetation inventory and monitoring projects with agencies, CNPS chapters and staff, and other partners. Julie co-teaches public workshops on vegetation surveying and mapping methods, and she archives and analyzes vegetation data from across the state. She is a co-author of the second edition of A Manual of California Vegetation with John Sawyer and Todd Keeler-Wolf, and a co-editor of California’s Botanical Landscapes with Michael Barbour, John Sawyer, and Todd Keeler-Wolf. She also is an Ecological Society of America Vegetation Panel member. Julie has an M.A. degree from Humboldt State University with a thesis on watercourse vegetation of the eastern Mojave Desert, and she holds two B.A. degrees from the University of California-Santa Cruz in Biology/Botany and Environmental Studies. She has worked as a vegetation ecologist and botanist for over 20 years including federal and state agencies like the National Park Service, US Geological Survey, University of California, and Department of Fish & Game. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, being in nature, hiking, creating artwork, and spending time with her two kids.
Jun Bando
Executive Director
Jun Bando
Executive Director
Jun Bando is the executive director of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS), a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to protecting California’s globally significant native plant biodiversity. In this role, she represents more than 13,000 CNPS members and leads a statewide team of staff and volunteers across 35 chapters in California and Baja California Norte, Mexico. She also serves on California’s 30x30 Partnership Coordinating Committee and on the California Biodiversity Network Steering Committee.
Jun applies multicultural and multinational perspectives gained from two decades of service in the nonprofit, academic, and public sectors to lead the development of inclusive teams and strategies. Her prior experience includes serving as a senior advisor to the California Council on Science and Technology and as a senior staffer in the U.S. Departments of State and Defense. She holds a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.
Jun’s work at CNPS is rooted in commitments to protecting biodiversity, empowering an extensive network of volunteers and staff, and building a more inclusive conservation community.
Jun applies multicultural and multinational perspectives gained from two decades of service in the nonprofit, academic, and public sectors to lead the development of inclusive teams and strategies. Her prior experience includes serving as a senior advisor to the California Council on Science and Technology and as a senior staffer in the U.S. Departments of State and Defense. She holds a PhD in Ecology from UC Davis and a B.S. in Environmental Studies from San Jose State University.
Jun’s work at CNPS is rooted in commitments to protecting biodiversity, empowering an extensive network of volunteers and staff, and building a more inclusive conservation community.
Kaitlyn Green
Senior Rare Plant Data Coordinator
Kaitlyn Green
Senior Rare Plant Data Coordinator
Kaitlyn develops information for the Rare Plant Status Review Process, performs regular updates and maintenance for the CNPS Inventory as well as oversees the development and maintenance of rare plant data for the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, California Plant Rescue, and Special Projects. Kaitlyn has a background in Biology and Geographic Information Systems from California State University, Sacramento and American River College. Her interests are gardening, wildlife watching, gaming (both tabletop and video), and papercraft.
Kate Cooper
Digital Giving Coordinator
Kate Cooper
Digital Giving Coordinator
Kate Cooper (she/her/ella) has been helping to raise funds in the non-profit sector since she was four years old. Through the years, she’s worked passionately and steadily with organizations she believes in, to do good in the world. At CNPS, she works closely with the Development and Communications teams to foster a seamless member experience across digital channels. Kate is a graduate of the Integral Program at Saint Mary’s College; a life-long champion of arts education, public broadcasting, and social equity causes; and a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Designer Society of America, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Kendra Sikes
Vegetation Ecologist
Kendra Sikes
Vegetation Ecologist
Kendra is coordinating field work for the Vegetation Program. She earned an M.S. in Botany (Ecology emphasis) from Oregon State University, where her research compared the community composition effects of two fuel treatments on chaparral in southwestern Oregon. She also has a B.A. in Biology from Brown University. Before joining CNPS, she worked for the National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains, for the Missouri Botanical Garden coordinating their Madagascar specimens and data, and in horticulture for Yerba Buena Nursery, one of the first nurseries to specialize in California natives.
Kim Pivetti
Lead Field Botanist
Kim Pivetti
Lead Field Botanist
Kim is a Lead Field Botanist for the Vegetation Program in the Southern California region. She grew up in western Washington and fell in love with plants at a young age while hiking around the Cascade Mountains. Kim moved to California to attend Cal Poly Pomona and earned her B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in Botany. After a few years of invasive plant removal and seed conservation work, Kim went back to school to earn her M.S. in Botany from California Botanic Garden. Her recent thesis research project was a floristic inventory of the Sacatar Trail Wilderness where she conducted additional vegetation surveys and temperature monitoring along the steep eastern Sierra Nevada slope. Kim is fascinated by variations in plant community composition, and excited to be contributing to CNPS’s efforts to classify our state’s many different vegetation alliances. In her free time, Kim enjoys hiking, posting on iNaturalist, knitting, and alt-rock music.
Kimberly Dispenza
Assistant Field Botanist
Kimberly Dispenza
Assistant Field Botanist
Kimberly is an enthusiastic, lifelong learner with a love of nature and working with their hands. They were raised in the forests and fields of the Midwest and ended up settling in California in pursuit of sunnier skies and bigger hills. As a returning student, Kimberly studied Biological Sciences at Cuesta College and Cal Poly SLO with a focus on botany and a passion for mycology. Their academic interests include conservation, plant-fungus interactions, genetics, and sociology. Their hobbies include foraging, backpacking, rock climbing, electroforming, and rockhounding.
Kristen Nelson
Rare Plant Program Manager
Kristen Nelson
Rare Plant Program Manager
Kristen is the Rare Plant Program Manager, overseeing and coordinating field-based projects, including the Rare Plant Treasure Hunt, the California Plant Rescue, and other special projects within the rare plant program. She earned a B.S. in environmental management and a M.S. biology, both from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. She has worked as a professional botanist and ecologist for more than ten years across private, government, and non-profit sectors. Kristen has worked in diverse landscapes and habitats across the state, but her favorite places to explore are rocky, serpentine slopes – where her passion and enthusiasm for the conservation and exploration of the California flora began.
Laura Breidenthal
Lead Field Botanist
Laura Breidenthal
Lead Field Botanist
Laura grew up in Southern California exploring the coastal chaparral of San Diego County. She studied Environmental Science & Management at UC Davis and discovered her love of botany while working for the UC Davis Arboretum. After graduating, Laura became a Nursery Intern with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy followed by seasonal fieldwork in the Bay Area, monitoring post-fire recovery and mapping vegetation. Most recently, she worked as a Seed Technician for the Theodore Payne Foundation, focusing on native seed conservation. In her free time, Laura is a studio potter and makes wares inspired by the plants she encounters in the field.
Laura Lampe
Education Senior Coordinator
Laura Lampe
Education Senior Coordinator
Laura is a botanist-educator passionate about facilitating connection with, and accessibility of, native biodiversity and natural spaces. Born and raised in Chico, California, she grew up exploring Bidwell Park, the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve, and the Plumas National Forest. Laura studied at the University of Washington and California State University, Chico, where she received a B.Sc in Biology, minor in Studio Art, and M.Sc focused on using collection records to investigate long-term changes in native plant-pollinator interactions. Prior to joining CNPS, Laura shared and preserved California's flora as the museum and garden curator at Chico State's Gateway Science Museum and as a consulting biologist. She has experience in horticulture, educational program and content design, community engagement, partnerships development, and rare plant surveys. Outside of spending time in nature, Laura also finds joy in sewing, partner and line dancing, traveling, learning ASL, baking for friends and family, and supporting local arts and music.
Lila Higgins
Director of Education and Horticulture
Lila Higgins
Director of Education and Horticulture
Lila is a science educator and conservation leadership professional with over 20 years of experience working at various museums, nature centers, and governmental agencies. They grew up on a farm in the U.K. where they had lots of time for unsupervised play in the wild. Lila's love for native habitats and insects grew out of this time, and led them to pursue degrees in Entomology and Environmental Education. Before joining CNPS, they spent 17 years at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County working on strategic initiatives including the Nature Gardens & Nature Lab exhibits, growing the Community Science program, and founding the global City Nature Challenge campaign. They are excited to be working with an amazing group of professionals uplifting California native plants.
Lindsay Dula
Foundation and Grants Senior Coordinator
Lindsay Dula
Foundation and Grants Senior Coordinator
Lindsay connects with foundations, government agencies, and corporate partners to help ensure California’s diverse native plants can thrive. She brings over ten years of experience with institutional funding to this role and has held similar positions with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, James Beard Foundation, and the Urban Justice Center in NYC. She holds a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from the Continuing Studies program at Duke University and a B.S. in Appropriate Technology from Appalachian State University. Originally from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Lindsay is passionate about community-based biodiversity programs, sustainable food systems, and social justice. She lives in Los Angeles and is an aspiring botanist.
Liv O’Keeffe
Senior Director, Public Affairs
Liv O’Keeffe
Senior Director, Public Affairs
With more than two decades of experience in strategic communications, digital strategy, and advocacy, Liv oversees Public Affairs for CNPS, where she and her team are working to inspire, activate, and grow California's native plant movement. She is focused on the intersection of policy, public engagement, and equity, driven by the belief that all people, regardless of their background or income level, should be able to enjoy a direct and rewarding relationship with the natural world. Her policy interests include wildfire and climate resilience, land-use equity, and biodiversity protection. Outside of work, you'll find her on the yoga mat, watching track and field, spoiling her dogs, and enjoying storytelling of all forms. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon with degrees in both journalism and political science.
Lorena Plasencia
People Operations Coordinator
Lorena Plasencia
People Operations Coordinator
Lorena is the People Operations Coordinator at CNPS, where she works to ensure staff feels supported, valued, connected, and welcomed. With a background in the arts, she brings a people-centered approach rooted in her passion for community and meaningful connection. Lorena has extensive experience engaging audiences of all ages through her work with the Crocker Art Museum, YoloArts, and other regional arts organizations.
In her free time, Lorena enjoys being outside, spending time with family and friends, and trying out new restaurants and recipes.
Lyra Martin
Assistant Field Botanist
Lyra Martin
Assistant Field Botanist
Lyra has a long-standing love for California plants and grew up exploring the woods of Northern California as well as volunteering for Lassen National Park resource management. She is a recent graduate from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in plant sciences and a background in vegetation work with the National Park Service. Lyra has worked for Bryce Canyon National Park doing forestry management and restoration work, and she has worked at Natural Bridges National Monument surveying hanging gardens for a threatened sedge. Her main hobbies include hiking slowly to look at plants, mountain biking, and art.
Maeve Flynn
Lead Field Botanist
Maeve Flynn
Lead Field Botanist
Maeve grew up in the Bay Area, where her love of plants began. After graduating from Humboldt State University in 2020, she has worked throughout the Klamath Region on a variety of research projects and rare plant surveys. In her spare time, Maeve enjoys pottery, backpacking, foraging, and snowboarding.
Mara Huang
Associate Vegetation Ecologist Data Analyst
Mara Huang
Associate Vegetation Ecologist Data Analyst
Mara currently lives in Redmond, Oregon, with her partner and fluffy (and non-fluffy) pets. She graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology and from UNR with a master’s degree in Rangeland Ecology. In her free time, Mara loves to cook, camp, backpack, bike, ski, kayak, and cuddle her cats. She also loves to explore national parks, state parks, and all places outdoors. Mara is thrilled to be working with CNPS in what she considers the perfect position!
Marisol Villarreal
Horticulture Senior Coordinator
Marisol Villarreal
Horticulture Senior Coordinator
Marisol was born and raised in San Francisco's Mission District where she gained a love of art and plants. She first learned about native plants in a high school internship with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy that jump-started her education and career in stewardship, working with people in nature, and a general love of the outdoors and all its inhabitants.
Marisol obtained a degree in Conservation Biology at UC Davis, with a minor in Native American Studies and Landscape Restoration. She has also obtained a Science teaching credential from Sacramento State University, is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist, and soon will have a Masters of Arts in Geography from San Francisco State University.
Marisol has been a member of the California Native Plant Society since 2014, is an avid iNaturalist user, with a special fondness for the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and adjacent areas. She looks forward to working towards a future where native plants are the normal go-to for landscaping such that urban areas maximize their habitat potential, climate-readiness, and save water!
Maya Argaman
Horticulture Specialist
Maya Argaman
Horticulture Specialist
Maya graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Environmental Science and Management, where she fell in love with native plants in both the natural and built environment. Before CNPS, she was a field technician for both the Bureau of Land Management in New Mexico and the Forest Service in the Sierras and worked as a landscape designer in the Bay Area. In her free time she loves to surf, go on bike rides, and cook with friends.
Michael Mulhern
People Operations Manager
Michael Mulhern
People Operations Manager
Michael proudly supports CNPS in the capacity of People Operations Manager. He brings deep experience in HR, workplace operations and engagement having recently transitioned away from global technology start-ups. The opportunity to return to his non-profit roots and impact conservation in his home state was an incredible career (and karmic) opportunity. Michael enjoys gardening, cooking, and exploring new rural and urban environments in his free time.
Mike Heine
Lead Field Botanist
Mike Heine
Lead Field Botanist
Originally from Massachusetts, Mike came to California after graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a bachelor's degree in Natural Resources Conservation. Mike has worked in habitat restoration, seed collection, and plant surveying in a variety of habitats across the state and looks forward to working in many more. In his free time, Mike enjoys finding rare and unusual plant populations, writing freelance nature articles, and reading science fiction.
Nguyen “Savannah” Vu
Assistant Vegetation Ecologist
Nguyen “Savannah” Vu
Assistant Vegetation Ecologist
Savannah joined CNPS as an Assistant Vegetation Ecologist on various vegetation description and classification projects. She graduated from the University of Central Florida with an Environmental Studies degree. At the university, she also worked at the university arboretum and a plant physiology lab, conducting research on sunflower allelopathy. In her free time, Savannah likes to read, hike, and design tiny homes.
Nick Jensen
Conservation Program Director
Nick Jensen
Conservation Program Director
Nick is the Conservation Program Director. In this position, he oversees the conservation work of staff and volunteer advocates statewide. Nick’s work involves state and federal legislative advocacy, project-level work including presiding over litigation, participation in coalitions of environmental organizations, media relations, and supervising a team of talented conservation professionals. Nick earned his BS degree in Environmental Horticulture at UC Davis, and recently completed his PhD in botany at Claremont Graduate University. As a graduate student, Nick produced the first Flora of Tejon Ranch and studied evolutionary patterns in perennial Streptanthus (jewelflowers). He is a fellow of the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation. From 2006-2010, he was employed by CNPS, first as a Vegetation Program Assistant, and later as the Rare Plant Program Director. Nick has also worked as a botanist for the U.S. Forest Service, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the private consulting industry. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, hiking, gardening, and photographing wildflowers-activities that are often not mutually exclusive.
Paul Excoffier
Vegetation Field Data Specialist
Paul Excoffier
Vegetation Field Data Specialist
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Paul graduated from College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, where he studied Botany and Ecology. Paul earned an M.S. in Biological Sciences from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where he fell in love with the flora of California’s Central Coast. Before starting his M.S., he worked for UC Davis on various field projects in the Sierra Nevada in post-wildfire forests and subalpine meadows. While wrapping up his master’s thesis, Paul worked again for UC Davis in the Transverse Ranges on a project in post-wildfire chaparral. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, iNatting, and growing orchids, carnivorous plants, and staghorn ferns.
Samantha Swatling-Holcomb
Lead Field Botanist
Samantha Swatling-Holcomb
Lead Field Botanist
Sam grew up hiking in the San Francisco Bay Area which sparked a love of plants and the outdoors. She attended Humboldt State University where she double majored in Botany and Environmental Biology. She has worked on several research projects in a variety of ecosystems across the country including a plant community ecology project in the alpine tundra of the Colorado Rockies and a fire ecology project in the longleaf pine savannas of North Carolina. Prior to joining CNPS, she returned to her home state and had been conducting rare plant surveys across much of Northern California including the Coast, Klamath, and Cascade Ranges, and the Modoc Plateau. In her free time, Sam enjoys hiking, botanizing, birding, reading, and experimenting with various fiber arts. Her most recent experiment was using black walnuts to dye wool.
Selena Vengco
Associate Rare Plant Botanist
Selena Vengco
Associate Rare Plant Botanist
Selena is an associate rare plant botanist. She earned her masters from the California Botanic Garden focusing on conservation genetics of the party monkey flower (Erythranthe discolor). She is excited to continue advocating for rare plants through conservation assessments. In her free time, you can find Selena doing belly botany, yoga and hiking tall mountains!
Sharon Estrada
Lead Field Botanist
Sharon Estrada
Lead Field Botanist
Sharon is a lead field botanist with the Rare Plant Program doing field work in the Southern California region. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a bachelor's degree in environmental biology. Sharon has been into plants ever since she took her first botany class in community college! This sparked an interest in the green organisms seldom mentioned in rudimentary schooling. As she became introduced to the world of plants, wanting to know their names became a goal of hers. To compensate for the lack of plant identification education, Sharon became an obsessive autodidact, and got her hands on as many local field guides as she could and started to familiarize herself with the regional flora. Soon enough, she learned the names and was able to recognize the plants in her local mountains. This proved to be a great skill and bridge into field work opportunities.
When she transferred to Cal Poly Pomona, Sharon became involved with the Restoration Ecology lab, as a field crew member, and she’s been in the field ever since! After graduating, she did fieldwork for a couple of years throughout California but spent most of her time in the Mojave Desert, a place she holds dearly. Looking for a change and an opportunity to expand her botanical knowledge, she took a seasonal job in Nevada and got to spend half of the year looking for the rare plants of the Ruby Mountains. Sharon has always had an eye and a love for dinophytes (tiny plants), and that love has prompted an interest in the tiny non-vascular plants such as liverworts and mosses. In her free time, Sharon enjoys cooking, drawing, spending time with friends and family, traveling to see plants, and being active in her community.
Stephanie Zullo
Education and Community Science Project Manager
Stephanie Zullo
Education and Community Science Project Manager
Stephanie is a plant scientist and educator with over fifteen years of experience in research, teaching, and community outreach. Stephanie has her bachelor's degree in Biology from Cornell University, master's degree from the University of Illinois, and doctorate in Horticulture & Agronomy from UC Davis. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys hiking and camping with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.
Steven Clinton
Assistant Field Botanist
Steven Clinton
Assistant Field Botanist
Steven Clinton joins CNPS as an Assistant Field Botanist on the Northern California Coast and Northern California Coast Ranges, bringing a passion for plant conservation and environmental stewardship. Originally from Pacifica, CA, he earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies: Natural Resource Management & Conservation from San Francisco State University. Since graduating, Steven has gained experience working with county, state, and federal government agencies, as well as nonprofit organizations. He has two years of dedicated botanical experience, with work spanning Northern California to Southern Oregon. His fieldwork has taken him to floristically diverse regions, including the Bay Area, Klamath Mountains, Cascade Range, and Modoc Plateau. Steven’s experience includes a variety of projects focused on invasive species early detection, rare plant surveys, vegetation mapping, and native seed collection and processing. In his spare time, he enjoys botanizing, hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and watching films.
Stu VanAirsdale
Publications Editor
Stu VanAirsdale
Publications Editor
Stu is an editor and writer with more than 20 years of publishing experience with outlets including the New York Times, Slate, New York Magazine, Esquire, and numerous other national publications. He most recently served as the managing editor of Sactown magazine in Sacramento, and previously taught journalism for 10 years at Sacramento State—including seven years as the adviser of the award-winning State Hornet student media organization. A native Californian, erstwhile New Yorker, and avid gardener, Stu has also contributed volunteer media work to the UCCE Master Gardener program for Sacramento County.
Tom Reyes
Vegetation Field Data Specialist
Tom Reyes
Vegetation Field Data Specialist
Tom is a lifelong Californian who grew up in Los Angeles and has a degree in Environmental Studies from San Francisco State Univerity. He has spent his career working for land management agencies in California concentrating on botany and invasive plant management. Tom worked as a Biological Science Technician performing plant surveys throughout Yosemite National Park, ran an interagency vegetation program as a Natural Resource Specialist with Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and most recently worked as the IPM Coordinator with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District.
