Metro Blooms

Metro Blooms
  • Who We Are
    • History
    • Our Team
    • Employment
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Environmental Justice
    • Stories and Impact
    • Turf to Pollinator Gardens
    • Publications
  • Design + Build
    • How We Work
    • Consultations
    • Design
    • Installation
    • Landcare, Maintenance + Inspections
    • Neighborhood of Rain Gardens
    • Explore Our Projects
  • Blue Thumb Education
    • Workshops + Online Learning
    • Sustainable Landcare Training
    • Lawns to Legumes
    • Planting Resources
  • Community Resources
    • Grant Resources
    • Learning and Job Resources
    • Low-Cost + Accessible Gardening Resources
    • Equitable Engagement Resources
    • Renter and Housing Resources
  • Give Now
    • Donate to Metro Blooms
    • More Ways to Give
    • Volunteer
    • Sponsorship
    • Fundraising Principles
    • Join Our Mailing List
Search

Our Team

  • Ab Fleming
  • Aleli Balagtas
  • Alexandra Zerzan
  • Chris Ototo
  • Dajion Dawson
  • Erin Bogle
  • Graciela Knoll
  • Isabella Schaak
  • Jacqueline Nguyen
  • Jaiden Ellington-Vasser
  • Jason Condit
  • Jennifer Ehlert
  • Jennifer Foth
  • Jennifer Moeller
  • John Bly
  • Kale Hall
  • Keegan Xavi
  • Laila Bacon
  • Laura Scholl
  • Lucia Bennett
  • Makayla Freeman
  • Manny Vazquez Fragoso
  • Meg Weed
  • Megan Reich
  • Michelle Hobin
  • Mikaela Ayim
  • Neely Atha
  • Nikolai Fjelstad De Santiago
  • Rich Harrison

Board of Directors

  • Carol Kuechler
  • Catherine Menick
  • Cathy Nguyen
  • Dan Jaker
  • Jeanette Boit-Kania
  • John Kinara
  • Norman Greenberg
  • Peony Hildreth
  • Rachael Sterling
  • Steph Jacobs
  • Todd Carreño

Staff Member

Woman with hat and sunglasses wearing yellow best

Ab Fleming

Landcare Program Manager + SLC Trainer

Ab joined Metro Blooms in April 2021. They have a background in retail greenhouse labor, conservation work and an education in both Interpersonal Communication and Urban Forestry. Ab is deeply interested in native plant ecology and insects, and loves working hands-on in the diverse landscapes they care for. In their free time, Ab enjoys laying in the sun and spending time with their loved ones.

Aleli Balagtas

Editor

Aleli has a Bachelor of Arts in History of Ideas from Williams College. She has experience as a freelance writer, newspaper reporter and in publishing. Working for Metro Blooms has opened her eyes to the importance of the natural spaces in our urban environment. She has a great appreciation for the way Metro Blooms engages individuals to take action in their own backyards and motivates communities to work together to improve their landscapes.

woman

Alexandra Zerzan

Alexandra Zerzan, Education Team (Workshops, Lawns to Legumes)

Alexandra has a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Religion from St. Olaf College. After graduating, Alexandra spent time working in healthcare before coming to environmental work.  Her undergraduate research exploring the intersections of religion and the natural world inspired her desire to work directly with communities and how they relate to the environment surrounding them. In her free time, you can find her in her garden, spending time with her resident and foster dogs, or on the side of a trail trying to identify plants.

*Members of the Education Team work in various roles and program areas, sharing leadership responsibilities across the team. The team has decided to move away from hierarchical job titles in a reflection of this model.

Chris Ototo

Landscape Designer

Chris graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Master of Landscape Architecture, class of 2021. He also has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya. Before relocating to the United States, he ran a landscape design-build company in Kenya. Chris is interested in green infrastructure and how it can be a critical component in climate change adaptation and resilience.

Head and shoulders of man

Dajion Dawson

Landcare Crew Member

Dajion connected with Metro Blooms when he joined its Sustainable Landcare Training program. He loves being outside in nature. He has spent lots of time working outdoors, helping his grandmother doing yard work and working in landcare at Minneapolis parks. When the opportunity to join the landcare crew at Metro Blooms popped up, it was a great fit. There’s so much he still doesn’t know about landcare and plants – and he’s ready to learn.

woman, head and shoulders

Erin Bogle

Director of Community Relations

Erin came to Metro Blooms after working as a librarian and youth worker for many years. They have been learning on the job about plants and the earth and is so grateful to have landed in a job where community care is centered.

woman in sunglasses in front of lake or ocean with sailboats

Graciela Knoll

Education Team, Fundraising Assistant + Bookkeeper

Graciela, a new Minneapolis resident, grew up in Minnesota and felt called to help fight climate change as she started considering careers after college. Graciela completed a service term for AmeriCorps in forestry. During her term, she was inspired by a documentary about regenerative farming, which led to an interest in soil biology. After working for a couple of organic lawn care companies, Graciela gravitated towards Metro Blooms’ community and environment-focused work. Now a part of the education and development teams, she’s excited to learn and grow with Metro Blooms. Graciela is personally interested in art in many forms and enjoys spending plenty of time with her cat, Archie.

*Members of the Education Team work in various roles and program areas, sharing leadership responsibilities across the team. The team has decided to move away from hierarchical job titles in a reflection of this model.

Isabella Schaak

Install Crew Member

Isabella met Metro Blooms through its Blue Thumb exhibit at the state fair. She has a background in Ecology and Conservation at Maastricht University, Netherlands, and has always loved hiking, gardening and spending time in nature. She’s very interested in deep ecology, food sovereignty and ethnobotany. She is excited to learn more about native plants and how to restore urban spaces to be natural landscapes and build rain gardens. 

Jacqueline Nguyen

Education Team (Blue Thumb Partnership, Marketing), Marketing + Communications Team

Jacqueline finds gratitude in being able to have the opportunity to connect with people across Minnesota to support the healing of our relationship with the environment. She has a background in art, design, and marketing and uses her experience to support the Marketing and Communications team and the Blue Thumb Education team. Jacqueline draws inspiration and peace from nature, applying that to different aspects in her personal life and art. In her free time, you can find her painting landscapes, chilling outside with her dog, Bronson, or at a live music event.

*Members of the Education Team work in various roles and program areas, sharing leadership responsibilities across the team. The team has decided to move away from hierarchical job titles in a reflection of this model.

Photo of Jaiden Ellington-Vasser

Jaiden Ellington-Vasser

Environmental and Social Justice Coordinator

Jaiden, a North Minneapolis resident, studies environmental sciences at Alabama A&M University. She became an environmental and social justice advocate to make communities of color more aware and more educated on climate change. In her free time she loves planting trees and traveling the world. She can’t wait to continue to make a difference within her community.

Jason Condit

Landscape Design Assistant

Jason works on neighborhood projects with Design+Build. He is working toward a Masters of Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota, and has lots of community-based work experience. He has a strong interest in tree care and is working towards his arborist certification, and he enjoys schoolyard design and environmental education. He loves to hike, run and be on the water.

Jennifer Ehlert

Vice President of Metro Blooms Design + Build, Registered Landscape Architect, Co-Director of Design

Jennifer has a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science + Sustainable Agriculture from Cornell University and a Masters of Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University. She has worked on merging ecological and aesthetic principles in site design for 16 years, including commercial and public projects at CLH Design in Raleigh, NC, as well as stormwater-focused residential and commercial design in North Carolina and Minnesota. Her work at Metro Blooms combines her passions for plants and planting design with engaging and educating people about creating resilient and beautiful landscapes. Jen leads the design team at Metro Blooms Design+Build, ensuring that equity principles are incorporated throughout company culture and projects. She has a strong passion for this work, leading design on numerous affordable housing projects, ensuring that design processes and implementation center resident voice, values and needs.

headshot woman

Jennifer Foth

Director of Development

Jennifer graduated with a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from St. Catherine University and a Bachelor of Arts from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI.  She is excited to serve Metro Blooms’ mission, in partnership with donors and communities, to create resilient landscapes and foster clean watersheds as we strive to solve environmental challenges. Jennifer lives in St. Paul with her partner Ray and their two small dogs.

person headshot

Jennifer Moeller

Neighborhood Project Manager + Landscape Designer

Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Minnesota twice over, with a Bachelors of Environmental Design and Planning and a Masters of Landscape Architecture. Joining the Metro Blooms team has happily provided a place for her passions in creative stormwater solutions and community health, education and all things green. Jennifer has been volunteering as a certified Master Gardener since 2011 and loves vegetable gardening and camping during summer months, or moonlighting as a freelance muralist during winter evenings.

John Bly

Vice President of Property + Director of Operations

John graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with majors in International and Environmental Studies and Philosophy. He worked as an educator in the Mid-Atlantic region for a few years—savoring every opportunity to help students draw connections between themselves and a greater world—before joining Metro Blooms as a Minnesota GreenCorps member in 2015. John enjoys reading, cooking, fixing things, every sort of people-powered movement, and the way atmosphere and stellar bodies play together to paint the sky. He is a certified Minnesota Water Steward.

Kale Hall

Landcare Assistant Crew Lead
Kale graduated with degrees in Environmental Sciences and Horticulture from the University of Minnesota. Kale has dabbled in shoreline restoration, greenhouse production, invasive species management and organic farming. Kale’s favorite aspects of working for Metro Blooms include the emphasis on water quality improvement and wildlife encounters. Kale loves backcountry adventures, especially along the North Shore and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area WIlderness.

Keegan Xavi

Landcare Crew Lead

Keegan started gardening during Covid, growing everything from veggies to flowers. She fell in love with native flowers! She took Sustainable Landcare Training to learn more about stormwater and rain gardens. She feels proud to be connected to an organization that prioritizes clean water, clean soil and community engagement. Taking care of nature is the most important thing to do right now!

Woman head and shoulders

Laila Bacon

Environmental and Social Justice Manager + Education

Laila has been doing environmental justice work since she was 14 when she joined the organization Youth N’ Power and learned community organizing. Contributing to and supporting the well-being of her community is one of her passions. Over the last six years, Laila has participated in many apprenticeship programs, learning about trees, soil, sustainable building, compost and environmental justice, and is proud of her work sharing what she learns with community.  Laila graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School and so far completed one year at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. One of her life goals is to travel the whole world!

Photo of Laura Scholl

Laura Scholl

President + Executive Director

Laura became President + Executive Director in May 2022, after 10 years serving in other roles at Metro Blooms, most recently as Associate Director + Director of Fund Development. She first joined the organization in 2012 as a MN GreenCorps member. She has a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota, as well as a minor in Spanish Studies. Learning on the job, she combines a deep understanding of green infrastructure design, implementation, and care with a community-centric approach, fostering the expansion of supportive relationships to heal our earth. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, kayaking, spending time at the lake and camping with her family.

Lucia Bennett

Landscape Design Assistant

Lucia has a background in Communication Studies and is pursuing a Masters of Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota. They help design and install Design+Build’s neighborhood and city rain garden projects. They come to Metro Blooms with some ecological restoration field experience as well as lots of community organizing and volunteering. In their free time, you can find them line dancing, making ceramics, or hanging out with their cat.

Makayla Freeman

Environmental and Social Justice Manager

Makayla is an environmental justice and social justice activist and advocate. She grew up in North Minneapolis, a heavily environmentally-impacted community. The community has the highest asthma rates in the state, is a heat island, and has the highest concentration of low-income black and brown people. Makayla joined Youth N’Power 5 years ago, where she has learned how to do community organizing in her community through the essential lens of environmental justice. She cares about serving her community and making intentional relationships with others. She continues to learn and grow her personal and collective knowledge around environmental justice, community organizing, and communication. At Metro Blooms, she does community engagement and focuses on planting trees, rain gardens, and boulevard bioswales to help improve the air quality, water quality and soil quality in North and South Minneapolis.

Manny Vazquez Fragoso

Environmental and Social Justice Advocate

Manny is a Southside Minneapolis native but has lived in North and Northeast in recent years. Manny attends the University of St.Thomas. His jobs have always been focused on community and educating communities on social and environmental issues affecting them. He loves to connect with others. During his free time, he loves to explore Minneapolis on his bike and spend time with his dog.

Head and shoulders person

Meg Weed

Install Crew Lead

A former first-grade teacher, Meg loves gardening and is studying landscaping and horticulture at Hennepin Technical College. Meg appreciates the intentionality behind connecting social and ecological justice at Metro Blooms, and likes Metro Blooms’ work with community. Currently she is experimenting with a cut flower garden at home and pursuing the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

Head and shoulders woman wearing cap

Megan Reich

Education Team (Lawns to Legumes, Communications), Marketing + Communications Team

Megan has a background in science writing and arrived at Metro Blooms after serving as a Minnesota GreenCorps member with We Are Water MN. They are passionate about using community-centered storytelling to illuminate connections between humans, non-human life, and the environment. Megan enjoys caring for her pollinator garden and connecting to the earth through music and poetry.

*Members of the Education Team work in various roles and program areas, sharing leadership responsibilities across the team. The team has decided to move away from hierarchical job titles in a reflection of this model.

Head and shouldersd person with cap outdoors

Michelle Hobin

Installation Assistant Crew Lead

Michelle met Metro Blooms as a resident of a rental community that Metro Blooms was partnering with on a landscape redesign. Working as a project steward, Michelle helped lead activities, and recruited other residents to take part in planning and carrying out the work. At the same time she gained valuable experience in sustainable landcare — which has  helped her greatly in her work at Metro Blooms.

Head and shoulders women against background of shrubs

Mikaela Ayim

Education team (Sustainable Landcare Training)
Mikaela has a Bachelor’s Degree in Gender and Women’s Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Prior to Metro Blooms, most of her work experience has consisted of case management and program coordination in the social services field. Mikaela is passionate about accessibility to education and resources, and looks forward to engaging with the community about best environmental practices in the green spaces that surround us. Outside of work Mikaela enjoys biking, cooking, art, thrifting and photography.
*Members of the Education Team work in various roles and program areas, sharing leadership responsibilities across the team. The team has decided to move away from hierarchical job titles in a reflection of this model. 

Neely Atha

Project Manager and Bookkeeper of Metro Blooms Design+Build

With prior experience in landscaping and nonprofits, Neely supports Metro Bloom’s Design+Build by managing the maintenance and installation crews and assisting the design team. Neely is passionate about supporting pollinators, ecological health, and environmental justice. She believes respecting and helping to improve the environment can be a thousand small choices you make every day. Outside of work, she enjoys local farmers’ markets, riding bikes, and cooking.

Nikolai Fjelstad De Santiago

Landscape Designer
Nikolai graduated from the University of Minnesota, with a Bachelor’s of Environmental Design in 2018 and a Master of Landscape Architecture with an Ecological Restoration minor in the spring of 2020. His capstone project entailed a hybridized landscape of joining recreational spaces such as skateparks with ecological value and water retention capacity. Prior to working for Metro Blooms, he designed and installed residential landscapes around the Twin Cities, such as retaining walls with an emphasis on native vegetation. When he is not working in the garden, he enjoys skateboarding, BMX and hanging out in his hammock.

Rich Harrison

Registered Landscape Architect + Co-Director Of Design

Rich Harrison is a Registered Landscape Architect in the state of Minnesota, with a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on sustainable design, place making, and community development. Rich has worked on water quality issues for more than three decades, including research at Mankato State University, working for the Met Council studying non-point source pollution, and research at University of MN focusing on transit-oriented development and organic Infrastructure. For Rich, on-site treatment of stormwater is the best way to prevent pollution and preserve our precious water resources. Rich believes that education, working directly with community and facilitating the understanding of how our actions impact our natural environment is critical to successful design.

Metro Blooms
Grow. Bloom. Inspire!

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our EIN is 41-1358663. See our Guidestar profile here.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Metro Blooms
  • 3747 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55407
  • (612) 263-8520
  • info@metroblooms.org
  • Privacy Policy
  • Staff Login

Copyright © 2025 Metro Blooms. All rights reserved.

https://metroblooms.org/role/staff-member

×

Click here to Join our Mailing List

This website uses cookies for necessary functions and to enhance your browsing experience. Accept to continue or find out more in our Privacy Policy.

Accept & Continue