Meet our team

susan diller, Executive Director (she/her)

Susan Diller has been a classroom educator and school leader for over 25 years. Susan deeply values the wonder, magic, patience, and deep learning that outdoor classrooms bring to schools. Susan’s background as an educator focused on PK-8th grade with direct classroom experience teaching English Language Arts in the middle school years – her favorite age group! Susan was the Head of School at the Atrium School in Watertown and for over 9 years at the Touchstone School in Grafton, MA where she saw first hand the depth and impact that outdoor education can have on all learning - from science to social skills. She has also served as the Executive Director at TBZ, an independent synagogue in Brookline. Susan has an MFA in Writing from the Iowa Writers Workshop and enjoys bringing story-telling to all aspects of her work and life. Susan lives in Waltham, has two grown children, and one middle-aged dog. Susan's been telling stories at local Moth Story Slams and participates in community theaters around the Greater Boston area.

melissa wender, Program Director (she/her)

Melissa came to CitySprouts in the fall of 2021 as a garden educator, transitioning from a long career as a teacher of Japanese literature and language at the college level, and more recently ESL and English Language Arts to high schoolers in the Boston Public Schools. She is an avid gardener of veggies and flowers, who strives to include as many native plants in her yard as possible. Her spouse and teenage daughters are used to finding her in deep holes in the back yard, moving plants around or digging up the roots of unruly invasives. When not digging herself, she enjoys watching others do so in the archaeology show Time Team. In her free time, she also enjoys hiking, biking, knitting, and reading lots and lots of novels. Someday she hopes to finish her own mad-cap novel set in an unnamed school district.

Jessica parsons, Director of development (she/her)

Jessica Parsons experienced the value of connecting public school students to gardens early in her career, as a naturalist in California teaching San Mateo County students, and as the founding program director of Sempervirens Outdoor School near Santa Cruz where the garden was central to the students’ learning experience. Jessica has more than two decades’ experience in leading programs at the intersection of education, social justice, the environment, and healthy communities. Most recently, she led programs in San Francisco and Boston to support educators and facilitate equitable access to urban parks and outdoor recreation. Jessica lives with her family in Boston. She enjoys hiking, biking, and running as a way to explore new places, both wilderness and cities. She holds a Master’s in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Alex frank, youth program manager (he/HIM)

Alex Frank was born and raised in the Midwest where he learned to love all things outdoors while spending time gardening with his grandmother and flipping rocks in local creeks. After receiving degrees in Environmental Science and Mathematics, he traveled the country working as an environmental educator, program coordinator, and grant administrator in places like Cincinnati, Seattle, and Salt Lake. He is thrilled to begin his work at CitySprouts and help support and grow the afterschool and summer programs. In his spare time, he loves to do all things outdoorsy with his dog, Kuda, as well as trivia nights and cooking for his friends and coworkers.

Krity Gurung, Development & Communications Coordinator (she/her)

Krity Gurung was born in Boston and spent her early youth in Kathmandu, Nepal where she experienced first-hand the consequences of rapid urbanization and the important role the community plays in protecting, preserving, and learning about the local environment. On returning to Boston, Krity earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies from Goucher College. At Goucher, she volunteered at Talmar horticultural farm where she learned about the therapeutic benefits of gardening on human health. Upon graduation and throughout the covid pandemic, Krity worked as a Mental Health Worker, offering critical support, guidance, and comfort to hospital patients in the Boston area. In her spare time, Krity loves meeting her friends for coffee, creating and testing new recipes, and honing her badminton skills.

Maddie Kartoz, garden operations Manager

Maddie Kartoz grew up in the Garden State, where a farmhand job sparked her love of local food and agriculture. They have since worked as an instructor for Thompson Island Outward Bound and Tidelines Institute, leading sea kayak expeditions, teaching social-emotional skills, and fostering student's relationships to the natural world and each other. She is very proud to join CitySprouts in bringing students across Boston access to experiential learning in the garden. She holds a BFA in Theater Arts from Boston University and is an alum of the Tidelines Glacier Bay Year. In her free time, she can be found hiking, rock climbing, and writing. 

Austin shaver, garden educator (He/HIM)

Austin Shaver grew up in Needham, Massachusetts where he began his work in gardening and community education at the Needham Community Farm. There, he worked to support operations in food production and distribution to income-eligible members of the community. He also educated community members on gardening and food justice. Austin graduated from Bates College with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and a focus on Class, Inequity, Poverty, Justice and Identity, Race, and Ethnicity. Through his coursework, and work as a peer health educator, he honed his passion for using education as a tool for pursuing a brighter future for all. He enjoys working outside, skiing, mountain biking, and reading.

Hazel Edwards, garden educator (she/her)

Hazel has been working as a nature and garden educator in various school programs and camps for nine years, and is excited to join CitySprouts as a garden educator! She has a degree in environmental Science and Policy from Smith College. She started her career teaching at Drumlin Farm Camp in Lincoln, MA and has spent the past several years working as an environmental educator in coastal Maine leading canoe trips, teaching experiential science lessons, and cooking food over a fire! In her free time, she loves swimming in rivers and lakes in the summer, cross country skiing and ice skating in the winter, and eating ice cream any time of the year!

CATHERINE WAGONER, GARDEN EDUCATOR (SHE/HER)

Catherine Wagoner was born in High Point, North Carolina where she spent much of her childhood cultivating her own intrapersonal connections with the natural world. Her love for the earth sciences deepened during her undergraduate years where she ultimately received her degree in Geoscience and Environmental Studies at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Her interest in education was sparked during her time as a City Year AmeriCorps member in San Jose, California where she taught and mentored elementary aged students. Through her role as a garden educator, Catherine is able to combine her passions for the natural world and education by making scientific concepts accessible and interesting to younger audiences. In her free time, Catherine enjoys painting, tending to her houseplants, and taking nature walks.

Gavilán Rivas-chavez, garden educator (they/them)

Gavilán Rivas-Chavez grew up primarily in Wellington, Florida where they developed a relationship with the natural world around them. Inspired to help others form similar bonds, they pursued a degree in Environmental Studies with a focus in Communications at Tufts University. As an undergrad, they worked at Building Audacity, a nonprofit organization in Lynn that works to decrease food insecurity while emphasizing the importance of self-sufficiency within marginalized communities. During this time, they also worked at Speak for the Trees, a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the health, size, and equitable distribution of Boston’s urban tree canopy. They were involved in the organization’s youth summer program which sparked in them an interest in education. After initially joining CitySprouts as a Site Lead for the Young Leaders Summer Program, Gavilán is excited to be continuing on as a garden educator at CitySprouts! In their free time, they enjoy birdwatching, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Lily Weaver, Garden educator (she/they)

Lily Weaver grew up in Bedford, Massachusetts, where she spent most of her childhood playing in the woods behind her house. This love and curiosity for nature continued into college, where they earned a Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies and Asian American Pacific Islander Studies from Brandeis University. For the past few years, they have been an environmental educator at the New England Aquarium, where they taught guests about the ocean and the fascinating fish that inhabit it. Lily is excited to combine her love of environmental education and working with children in their role as a Garden Educator at CitySprouts! In her free time, she loves cooking, reading, and getting lost in the woods.

Jordan Finkelstein, Garden educator (he/him)

Jordan Finkelstein was born and raised in Virginia, where he developed a love for gardening and outdoor sports. He has worked in childcare and education for seven years, and has spent the past several growing seasons working in landscaping and ecological restoration. Through biome-specific instruction and nature walks, Jordan has incorporated environmental science and sustainability education into his work with students of all ages. After moving to Massachusetts to study English and Environmental Science at Boston University, he has stayed in the area to pursue a career in education. Jordan spends his free time baking, birdwatching, and relaxing in local green spaces.

MillY Roberts, garden educator (she/her)

Milly Roberts has been connecting students to nature through educational programming for the past 7 years. Her career started at Grove Labs, an MIT startup building indoor aquaponic gardens, where she worked with teachers to bring this indoor garden into classrooms. From there she discovered her passion for facilitating nature connection through the California Redwoods, small farms and most recently CT Wilderness School. She has taught in gardens older than she, as well as a garden she built with students from scraps. Milly recently completed her Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. You’ll find Milly singing while biking, pickling the extra harvest, climbing and rarely sitting still.

RAUL Zaorski, land stewardship coordinatoR [terracorps] (any pronouns)

Raul Zaorski grew up in the Greater Boston Area before attending Oberlin College, majoring in Biology & Biochemistry. Raul is passionate about conservation and plant and wildlife biology. Raul loves learning about and teaching others how to better explore, preserve, and restore the natural environment around them. Raul can be found spending free time hiking, cycling, and tinkering with various objects.

Leila skinner, youth education coordinator [terracorps] (she/her)

Leila Skinner was born outside of Boston and grew up in different cities along the east coast, allowing her to appreciate the changing of the seasons. Leila is interested in the intersections of social justice, youth education, and environmental issues. Her passion for issues related to food justice grew while at Tufts University studying International Relations and Environmental Studies and coordinating Tufts Food Rescue Collaborative. She’s happy to be returning to the Boston area after spending time in Northern Thailand teaching English at a high school and researching the prevalence of food addiction. In her free time, Leila enjoys reading, exploring farmers markets, and finding new bodies of water to jump in. She is excited to be a part of CitySprouts and working towards a more equitable and sustainable world!