Staff

Jean-Paul “JP” Renaud (he/him)

Executive Director

Email JP Blog: Announcing Canopy’s New Executive Director – JP Renaud!

Jean-Paul “JP” Renaud (he/him) was appointed as Canopy’s Executive Director by the Board of Directors in August 2023. JP has more than 15 years of public and nonprofit leadership experience at the local and international level, mainly in the communications sector. Previously, he served as Chief Communications Officer for TreePeople in Los Angeles, where he led a team that told the stories of trees and communities in order to build support for southern California’s largest environmental nonprofit.

Prior to TreePeople, JP served in the United States Peace Corps as an Organizational Capacity Building Specialist in Ukraine. JP also served for five years as Executive Director of Communications for the UCLA College of Letters and Science, the largest academic unit in California. During some of his time at UCLA, he also served as Executive Speechwriter to the UCLA Chancellor and Executive Vice Chancellor.

Born in Cuba, JP and his family emigrated to Paris, France before settling in Miami, FL. He graduated from the University of Miami with a double major in journalism and political science and later received his Master’s in Public Administration from FIU. After graduating from college, he worked as a journalist for more than 5 years, including at the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Los Angeles Times.

Ally Bell (she/her)

Education Director

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Ally Bell (she/her) joined Canopy as Education Director in September 2023. She holds a B.A. in History and English from Duke University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia. After spending about ten years as a teacher and education leader in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia public schools, Ally traded coasts and moved to the East Bay. For the past several years, she’s been working as a training manager, facilitator, and curriculum developer. She is also writing a middle grade novel about animals in the Everglades.

In her spare time, Ally enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, reading, volunteering at the local animal shelter, and hanging out with her dog.

Bria Blitch (she/her)

Senior Tree Programs Manager

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ISA Certified Arborist® WE-13130A

Bria Blitch (she/her) joined Canopy in August 2022 to manage the trees program and staff. Before joining Canopy, Bria worked as a consulting utility forester in the Bay Area and managed Leaf and Vine Urban Plant Shop in Santa Cruz. She has always loved the outdoors and is thrilled to combine forestry and conservation work with education and community involvement in her work at Canopy.

Bria majored in Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and ceramics.

Maya Briones (she/her)

Advocacy Associate

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Maya (she/her) joined Canopy in May 2019 to coordinate tree planting and stewardship programs in East Palo Alto. Prior to Canopy, Maya researched the efficacy of the County of San Mateo’s Tree Replacement Program as a Planning Intern. She has co-authored published research on access to green space and in the future hopes to continue researching environmental justice issues in graduate school.

She is a graduate of San José State University’s Environmental Studies program where she focused on habitat restoration and resource management, with a minor in Mexican American Studies. Maya is currently a graduate student at San José State University’s School of Environment Studies focusing on wildlife conservation.

Natalie Brubaker (she/her)

Director of Special Projects

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Natalie (she/her) enjoys creating opportunities for people to explore their local ecosystem and learn from others in the community. Natalie’s love of trees developed in the Piedmont region of the southern states where she grew up in Atlanta, known as “The City in the Forest.” She formerly worked as Canopy’s Education Director where she oversaw the youth and adult education programs at Canopy.

After completing her BS degree in Environmental Studies at Emory University, Natalie served as Director of Afterschool Programs at The Advent School in Boston. Her interest in place-based education led her to pursue her master’s degree in Ecological Teaching and Learning at Lesley University. Prior to joining Canopy in the fall of 2016, Natalie was the Farm & Landscape Educator at Gore Place, a historic site in Waltham, MA.

Veronica Bustos (she/her/ella)

Youth Programs Associate

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Veronica (she/her) joined the Canopy team in June 2023 as Youth Programs Associate. Before joining Canopy, Veronica was working as a stay-at-home mom, raising her five children for the last eight years. Prior to that, she worked in the administrative side of the medical field. As an East Palo Alto native, Veronica is excited to be working with local youth to create a better and more beautiful environment in our community.

In her spare time, Veronica enjoys camping, cooking for her family, watching football and basketball games with her four boys, watching movies/shows with her daughter, and taking walks with her husband and dog Delilah.

Julissa Duenas (she/her)

Community Outreach and Data Processing Intern

Julissa (she/her) joined Canopy in June 2023 to help survey young trees in the Palo Alto area. Before joining Canopy, Julissa earned a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Data Science from the University of California – Santa Barbara. Being an East Palo Alto native, she is excited to be involved with and learn alongside the community.

In her spare time, Julissa loves to read, picnic with a good charcuterie board, and ride ATVs.

Christie Galitsky (she/her)

Senior Director of Programs

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Christie (she/her) joined Canopy in September 2021. Before joining Canopy, Christie worked as Conservation Director for Blue Ventures in Madagascar, doing community based marine conservation with local fishing communities. She holds a BSE in Chemical Engineering with Mathematics minor from the University of Pennsylvania, MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, and MS in Ecology from the University of Washington.

Laura Gronek (she/her)

Communications Manager

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Laura (she/her) joined the team in September 2020 to support Canopy’s Operations, Development, Board of Directors, and Advocacy Committee. Newly relocated to the Bay Area from Atlanta, GA, Laura has 8 years of nonprofit professional experience – particularly in arts & culture, education, and community building – and most recently worked as Marketing & Communications Manager at JumpSpark. Although Canopy is Laura’s first experience at an environmental nonprofit, she’s excited to join the team and work to expand tree cover in the Midpeninsula and its impact on the health and equity for community members.

Laura holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia. She enjoys musical theater, hiking, and trying new recipes in the kitchen.

Maika Horjus (she/her)

Director of Impact

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Maika (she/her) first joined Canopy in fall of 2013. A native of the verdant Pacific Northwest, she brings a love of connecting people with nature and with one another. After coordinating volunteers and events, then spearheading communications, Maika now manages Canopy’s individual giving program. She is consistently inspired by the passion, creativity, and generosity of the Canopy community.

Maika holds a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied community development and conservation biology. She enjoys hiking, writing, singing, and good conversation over a tasty beverage.

Juanita Ibarra (she/her/ella)

Youth Programs Manager

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Juanita (she/her/ella), joined Canopy in September 2020 as the Youth Program Coordinator, responsible for coordinating Canopy’s Teen Urban Forestry Program. Prior to joining Canopy, she worked with youth for five years implementing curriculum and finding new ways to inspire the youth and families she engaged. She earned her B.A. in Chicano/a Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. As a native of East Palo Alto, she’s excited to find new ways to involve the community in our tree planting events, to question why certain cities or locations have a bigger or smaller urban forest, and to motivate the youth to learn about the importance of trees. Trees are important because, in addition to providing a healthy environment, they serve as a form of dialogue to explore the inequalities and disparities that continue to exist in the bay area.

In her spare time, Juanita enjoys hiking, traveling, experiencing new cultures and food.

Aubrey Knier (she/her)

Tree Care Coordinator

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Aubrey Knier (she/her) joined the Canopy team in late November 2022 as Tree Care Coordinator, supporting Canopy’s fieldwork through tree planting, tracking, and reporting, as well as performing regular tree care activities throughout all of Canopy’s communities. Born and raised in North Carolina, Aubrey received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an honors thesis in paleobotany. Afterward, she earned a master’s in environmental management from Duke University, where she concentrated on ecosystem science and conservation and completed a thesis on forest responses to elevated CO2. Aubrey has also worked on human-wildlife conflicts with Defenders of Wildlife and had the honor of conducting field research in the tropical plant ecosystems of the Galápagos Islands and Gabon.

Paul LaVallee (he/him)

Environmental Educator

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Paul (he/him) joined Canopy in May 2022 as an Environmental Educator working with K-12 students. He holds a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and prior to joining Canopy, he worked at Claire Lilienthal Elementary School as their Environmental Educator for grades 3-5. There he ran a garden class composed of environmental education curriculum, garden skills lessons, and connecting students to the natural world. Before Claire Lilienthal, Paul worked with an outdoor environmental education camp in Palo Alto and a coastal restoration nonprofit in Santa Barbara.

Beth May (she/her)

Senior Director of Philanthropy

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Beth May (she/her) joined Canopy in October 2022 as Senior Director of Philanthropy. Before joining Canopy, she worked on community fundraising and education advocacy efforts in her hometown of Palo Alto. A graduate of Princeton University, Beth began her career in affordable housing advocacy in Chicago as a Princeton Public Interest Program fellow and later transitioned to relationship management at Northern Trust in Chicago and San Francisco.

Beth invests her free time volunteering with nonprofit organizations in the local community and often works with the National Charity League alongside her two teenage daughters. Beth lives in Palo Alto with her family and golden retriever, Grace. She enjoys hiking and running, listening to her husband play music, and spending time in groves of redwoods and aspen, her favorite trees.

Shannon McDonald (she/her)

Operations Director

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Shannon (she/her) joined Canopy in fall 2015 and currently oversees grants and operations. She enjoys raising grant funds to connect young people with nature-based leadership and education experiences. Prior to joining Canopy, she was immersed in the affordable housing field where she conducted policy research and contributed to an assessment report for the City of San José’s East Santa Clara Street urban village master plan. Her goal to work towards building sustainable communities is what brought her to the field of urban forestry and Canopy.

Shannon holds a Master of Urban & Regional Planning with a focus on community development from San José State University. She grew up in San José and currently lives amongst the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Arlene Nuñez García (she/they/them)

Community Forestry Coordinator

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Arlene Nuñez García (she/they/them) joined Canopy in summer 2021 to lead the Branching Out program in East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, and Belle Haven. Prior to Canopy, Arlene attended San Jose State University where she received a B.S. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Restoration. She grew up in Orange County but moved to Santa Clara and has been involved with environmental nonprofits all around the south bay since. Arlene’s experience helping with bio blitzes, creek cleanups, teaching watershed health and garden education to elementary students, and helping work on native landscape conversions solidified her passion for cultivating environmentally sustainable practices within culture and community.

When she’s not busy working with our communities to protect our urban forests, Arlene enjoys hiking, camping, crocheting, family time, and laying under trees.

Oscar Rodriguez-Ortiz (he/him)

AmeriCorps VISTA Member

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Oscar Rodriguez Ortiz (he/him) joined the Canopy team in August 2023 to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Oscar graduated from the University of California, Davis, majoring in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning, and in the past has worked with other nonprofits based in Oakland. As our second-year AmeriCorps VISTA fellow, Oscar will continue projects to build capacity and develop new events within our Branching Out program, and he is most excited to work on initiatives that engage the youth of the communities Canopy serves.

In his spare time, Oscar enjoys running and hiking.

Indira Selvakumaraswamy (she/her)

Volunteer Engagement Manager

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Indira (she/her) joined the team in August 2020 to oversee Canopy’s communications and volunteer engagement. She is a marketing and advertising professional with fifteen years of experience working with non-profits, social marketing firms, and with various clients from different industries, for their marketing communication needs. She also has extensive experience interacting, working with and managing people both in the non-profit and the for-profit sectors.

She holds an MBA from Bharathidasan Institute of Management (India) in Marketing & Personnel Management and a Certificate in Strategic Marketing from the University of California, Berkeley.

Karina Soria Mendoza (she/her/ella)

Operations Manager

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Karina (she/her/ella) joined the Canopy team in January 2023 as Operations Manager overseeing office environment and systems, providing administrative support to Canopy’s Executive Director and Board, and providing program administrative support. Her professional career began in 2016 at College Track as a recruiter before being promoted to academic coach and later operations coordinator. Afterward, she interned as a policy and community intern with Elemental Excelerator before joining full-time as a Portfolio Fellow. Karina attended East Palo Alto Academy and College Track and studied some engineering and business classes at San Francisco State University. Karina is thrilled to bring her nonprofit administration experience to the Canopy team and to continue working in the environmental space.

Karina’s hobbies include hiking, camping, and traveling, and her favorite tree is the giant sequoia.

Gabrielle Trudeau (she/her)

Tree Care Coordinator

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ISA Certified Arborist® 12146-A

Gabby (she/her) joined the Canopy team in September 2020 as a Community Forestry Coordinator for Palo Alto and Mountain View. A certified arborist, she’ll be working to coordinate planting events and community volunteers, to help Canopy meet tree planting goals. Before joining Canopy, she was working in Cochabamba, Bolivia for International Honors Program (IHP): Climate Change as a cultural liaison/translator/field assistant for the students.

In her spare time, Gabby propagates plants (reproduce plants through various methods), rides her bike, and enjoys listening to music.

Evany Wang (she/her)

Community Forestry Coordinator

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Evany (she/her) joined the Canopy team in August 2022 to coordinate tree planting and surveying in Palo Alto and Mountain View. Before joining Canopy, Evany was a seasonal crew member with the Santa Lucia Conservancy, where she worked on invasive weeds management and fuel management.

She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture, after which she became an AmeriCorps member, first assigned to Grassroots Ecology in Palo Alto, then Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust in Seattle, WA.

Evany enjoys scuba diving, rock climbing, playing video games and tabletop games, crocheting, camping, and amateur backpacking in her spare time.

Emma Adjei (she/her)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Emmanuella Adjei, but you can call me Emma. I attend Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined the TUF program because I am trying to find where I belong in the world, and doing Canopy may lead me to finding my future career! Some personal interests I have are to draw, sing, dance and watch youtube videos.

Paco Arreola

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Francisco Arreola Aguilar (but I prefer to be called Paco), and I’m a rising junior at Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined the TUF program because I wanted to do something that I find a liking to and have experienced before as well as being able to help out as much as possible with my community. A few hobbies that I enjoy doing are making music and writing poetry.

Miguel Baez (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Miguel Baz, and I’m a Junior at East Palo Alto Academy. I joined the TUF program because I really wanted to expand my knowledge about what is happening in East Palo Alto and being able to change the green gap. A couple of my hobbies are working as a gardener and working on RC cars.

Sofia Barajas (she/her)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Sofia, and I am a Freshman at Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined Canopy to give back to nature and try something new. Some of my hobbies are playing with my dog and listening to music.

Edgar Bustos (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

Hey, my name is Edgar my pronouns are he/him and I attend Eastside college prep high school. I joined Canopy because before I applied I volunteered to help and at the end of the session I found it very fun and a great experience and a great way to be outside. And one thing I like to do besides Canopy is soccer. I have loved playing the sport since I was 7years old.

Joshua Bustos

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Joshua Bustos, and I am a freshman at Kipp Esperanza. I joined the TUF program to help make our community look and feel better because it looks better when there are so many trees surrounding every single neighborhood. In my free time, I like to play video games and play sports with my siblings.

Samantha Cruz (she/her)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Samantha Cruz, but I prefer Sam, and I’m a Senior at Eastside College Prep. I joined the TUF program because I love plants and nature, and I want to use that passion to make a difference in my community. Some of my hobbies include caring for houseplants and my pet lizards and tarantula.

Pedro Delgado (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Pedro Delgado. I am a freshman at Eastside College Preparatory High School. I wanted to join the TUF Program because I wanted to try something new and see if I can see it in my future. I also wanted to be out in nature and appreciate trees for what they give us.

Briyana Edwards

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Briyana Edwards and I’m a 9th grader at Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined canopy because I thought it would be a good idea to give back to my community and try something different. In my free time I like to read, write, and listen to music.

Angel Fernandez

Teen Urban Forester

Hello, My name is Angel Fernandez, I am a freshman at Eastside college prep. I joined canopy to help my community in any way possible and to meet other people so I can learn to work better with them. I like to run in the mornings as the sun rises and I like to go for morning/night walks while listening to music.

JoJo Flores

Teen Urban Forester

Hello! My name is JoJo, and I’m a rising sophomore at East Palo Alto Academy. I joined Canopy because I want to experience working outdoors and being hands-on with giving back to my community. A hobby of mine is working out, and a fun fact about myself is that I live in the dorms at Eastside.

Bethzy Garcia

Teen Urban Forester

Bethzy is a sophomore at Kipp Esperanza. She joined Canopy this summer to help plant more trees in her community. Her hobbies include walking and playing with her dog and hanging out with friends and cousins.

Andres Gonzalez (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Andres Gonzalez. I am a junior at Eastside College Preparatory High School, and I decided to join TUF because I feel good knowing I have the skillsets I’ve developed as a kid to improve and nurture the community around me and to those who matter most.

Christopher Kaage

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Christopher Kaage and I am a 10th grader at Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined Canopy to help and learn more about the East Palo Alto community and to have more of an experience working outdoors.Things I like other than Canopy is playing soccer, since I joined the team it was a really fun experience.

Guillermo “Memo” Lopez (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Guillermo Lopez Aguilar (but I prefer to be called Memo), and I’m a rising sophomore at Palo Alto high school . I joined the TUF program because I wanted to learn about the environment I live in and help the environment. I also want to help my community as much as possible. A few hobbies that I enjoy doing are skating and listening to music.

Alexis Magaña (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Alexis Magaña, and I am a junior attending Oxford Day Academy. I joined the program because I enjoy working with trees and helping my community in any way I can. Some of my hobbies are PC building and writing essays.

Jose Rendon (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Jose Rendon (but I prefer to be called Cyrus), and I’m a Junior at Oxford Day Academy. I joined the TUF program because I wanted to do something new and help my community. A few hobbies that I enjoy are listening to music and playing video games.

Jose Yopihua

Teen Urban Forester

Hello, My name is Jose Yopihua, I’m a Sophomore at Eastside College Prep. I joined the program because I believe planting trees will help my community and thought it’d be fun. My favorite color is red and I enjoy reading in my free time.

Yael Yopihua (he/him)

Teen Urban Forester

My name is Yael Yopihua, and I am a freshman currently attending Eastside College Preparatory School. I joined the program because I think it’s important for our community to have an environment where life can grow. Hobbies of mine include listening to music and playing soccer.