Growing Hope Staff
Amanda Maria Edmonds, Executive Director. With a background in environmental justice, environmental education, and social activism, Amanda Edmonds wears many hats as as community organizer, educator, mentor, and leader. She is the founder and executive director of Growing Hope. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she has lived in Michigan for 13 years, and is an active member of the Ypsilanti community. Amanda travels extensively to visit other garden organizations and to swing dance, and has a part-time creative endeavor of making and selling her photographs, buttons, & jewelry called AMEPIX. She currently sits on the City of Ypsilanti Parks & Recreation Commission. She also served for six years on the board of directors of the American Community Gardening Association, was a founding leadership team member of Slow Food Huron Valley, and was formerly chair of the MSU-Extension Advisory Council in Washtenaw County.
Liz Dahl-MacGregor, Office Manager. Liz has come on board as Growing Hope's Office Manager. She is thrilled to bring her obsession with organization to Growing Hope, where she has volunteered in the past. Liz is a member of the Board of Directors at the Ypsilanti Food Co-op and tries to be an active and involved member of the Ypsilanti Community, when she's not chasing a toddler around.
Elissa Trumbull, Program Manager. Elissa is a passionate and professional educator who has been teaching youth about food and agriculture in schools for over eight years. She is a certified teacher and has taught youth in a variety of dynamic educational settings from the classroom to the wilderness to the garden. She enthusiastically returned in the fall of 2009 to Growing Hope to a newly created Youth and Education Program Manager position after having served as one of the organization’s first Americorps*VISTA volunteers from 2005-2006. Elissa is also a founding and current board member of The Agrarian Adventure, an educational nonprofit where she has been a leader in the development of a district-wide local school lunch initiative, creating innovative youth programming, and fostering year-round school garden and hoop-house food production. She has over nine seasons of organic farming experience in Washtenaw County through work with both Garden Works Organic Produce and Sprouts and The Community Farm of Ann Arbor. She loves working collaboratively with youth and spends her time outside of work running through the woods, teaching, and enjoying being a new mother.
Karen Spangler, Program Manager. Karen has been working at Growing Hope since December of 2007. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan in Cultural Anthropology and Program in the Environment. Her specialties are getting things done and looking good while doing it. When not getting things done, she enjoys reading incessantly and breaking up fights between her cats.
Jeremy Sobczak, Volunteer Coordinator. Jeremy holds a degree from the UM Program in the Environment with a specialization in sustainable landscape design. Gardening is one of Jeremy’s many passions, and he recently planted 10 varieties of his favorite crop, garlic. He can’t wait to bring his knowledge and enthusiasm to the Growing Hope community.
Ryan Mary Stedman, Market Manager. A native of Southfield, Michigan and a local food enthusiast, Ryan is thrilled to be dedicating the next year of her life to Growing Hope. She’s looking forward to cooking up all the fresh veggies she can find, especially the winter squash. Find her and the whole cast of beautiful vegetables in style at the winter and summer Ypsi markets.
JP Swanson, Farm Manager. JP spent the last three years farming in Wisconsin. His many sun faded sweatshirts prove his ability to manage Growing Hope’s organic urban farm. JP loves to grow tomatoes and is looking forward to sharing his knowledge of gardening with the Ypsilanti community this year.
Gabe Tilove, Education Coordinator. From Pennsylvania, the land of the Quakers, Gabe enjoys planting, pruning, felling, climbing, hugging, and hiking amongst trees. He refers often to Gandhi’s autobiography for inspiration. After working outdoors for the past year, Gabe is excited to be the Education VISTA for GH. Gabe lives in Ann Arbor with his two crazy cats, Maggie and Iggy.
Wendy Watson, Community Organizer. Originally from California, Wendy loves visits to mountains, chicken farms and rows of artichokes. She has interests in philosophy, art, psychology, social work, peace and economic and social justice, and has worked as an art therapist, community organizer, and social work administrator. Currently interested in sustainable community, Wendy moved to the area recently to live in co-housing where she continues a love for organic gardening and working with community. She is delighted to join Growing Hope where she will be the “community organizer.”