Meet Our Team

Interested in working with DUG? Learn more about employment opportunities here.

All PR inquiries should be directed to Stef Jones at stefanie@feedmedia.com

Executive Director

Linda Appel Lipsius

Favorite vegetable: all

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Food Forest & Perennial Coordinator

Niki Barouxis

Favorite vegetable: mulberry

Pronouns: they/them
Food Access DUG Corps Member

Delanie Baumgartner

Favorite vegetable: red bell pepper

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Delanie is originally from Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) where she studied urban planning with a focus on sustainable development. Her previous work heavily focused on broadening food access and eliminating food insecurity on college campuses, and she am extremely eager to bring the knowledge she gained from those roles and my coursework into this season! Delanie has a heartfelt belief that access to healthy and nourishing food is a human right, not a privilege and she cannot wait to help provide that for the people of Denver! In her time outside of DUG, you can find her knitting up a storm of hats, baking one too many baked goods, or biking around the park in my cruiser. She is excited to be a part of the DUG network that connects people to gardens all around the city and provides access to those as eager as I am to get gardening!

Grants Manager

Hannah Buchenau

Favorite vegetable: jalapeño pepper

Pronouns: she/her
Bilingual Youth Programs Manager

Laura Calderón-Olander

Favorite vegetable: summer squash

Pronouns: she/her
Senior Director of External Affairs

Amy Daly

Favorite vegetable: parsnip

Pronouns: she/her
Bilingual Youth Programs Coordinator

Riley Dehr

Favorite vegetable: carrot

Pronouns: he/him/they
Community Education Director

Judy Elliott

Favorite vegetable: broccoli

Pronouns: she/her
Garden Finance

Katie Gourley

Favorite vegetable: cucumber

Pronouns: she/her
Photo of DUG staff member, Eliza Greene.
Director of Garden Leadership

Eliza Greene

Favorite vegetable: kale

Pronouns: she/her
Community Events & Education DUG Corps Member

Max Gulliver

Favorite vegetable: garlic

Pronouns: he/him/his

Max has lived and gardened here in Colorado his whole life. After earning a master's degree in Sustainable Food Systems last year, he's been looking for ways to make a positive impact in his home state. Max's food journey began in restaurants and has led him to work in vineyards, wineries, organic farms, landscaping/edible gardening, food retail, and food policy. These days, he's passionate about food, wine, gardening, cooking and baking, canning and preservation, fermentation, and just about anything else garden or food-related. In his free time, Max is an amateur birder and loves exploring the amazing world of Denver’s parks and diverse ecosystems. He is thrilled to be part of the DUG team, helping to grow Denver’s beautiful garden spaces and bring together our communities.

Compost Program Manager

Kristi Hatakka

Favorite vegetable: beet

Pronouns: she/her
Director of Permaculture & Perennials

Creighton Hofeditz

Favorite vegetable: winter squash

Pronouns: he/him
Garden Maintenance & Support DUG Corps Member

Nick Hopkins

Favorite vegetable: potato

Pronouns: he/him
Photo of DUG staff member, Taylor Kibble.
Garden Projects Manager

Taylor Kibble

Favorite vegetable: asparagus

Pronouns: she/her
Director of Education Strategy and Engagement

Niko Kirby

Favorite vegetable: pumpkin

Pronouns: she/they
Volunteer Programs Manager

Marisa Loury

Favorite vegetable: carrot

Pronouns: she/her
Bilingual Marketing Manager

Osiris Mancera

Favorite vegetable: elephant garlic

Pronouns: Osiris/Osiris

Osiris is originally from Jacksonville, Florida and has lived all over the country (and even a few places oversees). And while Osiris moved for work, they stayed for the snowy mountains of Colorado. Osiris enjoys bridging their passions for language, community, and stories at DUG and is new to gardening! Osiris is all about holistic wellness and is an avid yogi (you can find Osiris teaching yin at the local climbing gym), passionate powerlifter, and novice climber. When Osiris is not working, they're sipping iced matcha, reading a cheesy romance book, or cuddling with their dog, Betty!

Fun Fact: Osiris speaks Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese!

IT & Salesforce Manager

Sue Mathison

Favorite vegetable: tomato

Pronouns: she/her
Office Coordinator

Daniel Maynard

Favorite vegetable: garlic

Pronouns:
Director of Corporate Partnerships

Nessa Mogharreban

Favorite vegetable: okra

Pronouns:
Photo of DUG staff member, Shay Moon.
Food Access Programs Manager

Shay Moon

Favorite vegetable: sweet potato

Pronouns: he/him/his
Director of Finance

Debbie Nash

Favorite vegetable:

Pronouns: she/her
Director of Operations

Brittany Pimentel

Favorite vegetable: snap peas

Pronouns: she/her
Photo of DUG staff member, Caroline Sprague.
Community Events Manager

Caroline Sprague

Favorite vegetable: garlic

Pronouns: she/her/they/them
Data Mapping Intern

Pablo Torre-Walter

Favorite vegetable: broccoli

Pronouns: he/him
Director of Garden Operations

Lara Wirtz Fahnestock

Favorite vegetable: pineapple tomatillo

Pronouns: she/her/hers
Volunteer Workdays DUG Corps Member

Eve Zook

Favorite vegetable: tomato

Pronouns: she/her

Eve was born and raised in Colorado Springs. She attended the University of Colorado Denver and earned a Geography degree with an emphasis in environment, society and sustainability. After her studies she moved to France for over a year and attended the American University of Paris where she studied French. During my year in France, she visited eleven countries! In her free time Eve enjoys gardening, watching movies, and exploring my neighborhood. She is so excited to be a part of the DUG team!

Meet Our Board

Briana Borin-Lygizos

Chief People and Culture Officer at Snooze

Jolon Clark

Executive Director at Denver Parks and Recreation

Tim Craft

Founder of Craft Companies

Andrew Feldman

Private Wealth Advisor at Legacy Wealth Partners

Charon Earnest

Data Systems Manager at Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners

Brooke Gabbert

Director of Communications at Study.com

Richard Hess

Attorney at Coan, Payton & Payne

Adam Larkey

COO at Zeppelin Development

Jason Longsdorf

Associate Vice President at HDR

Kelly Nordini

CEO at Conservation Colorado

Jesse Ogas

Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Engagement at 9News

Melissa Rosas

Senior Vice President at Consor Engineers, LLC

Chris Shaffner

Senior Vice President at CoBank

Melinda Warner

Garden Leader at Golden Community Garden

Zane Way

Vice President at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Interested in joining the DUG board?

Board recruitment generally happens each spring. If you’re interested in joining, please email Linda Appel Lipsius, Executive Director.