Learn more about Green Spaces for DC

OUR TEAM

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Shoshana Sommer transitioned into the Executive Director role in late 2024. She previously served as the president of a GSDC project organization and on the GSDC Board, so she is coming to this position already familiar with its current processes and with an eye toward improved function, sustainability, and growth. She separately serves on the DC Urban Forestry Advisory Council and is involved in other community environmental and greenspace efforts. Shoshana's full-time job is as a non-clinical veterinarian working in human/animal infectious disease consulting, with a focus on biosurveillance and science writing/editing. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) from Cornell University, a Masters Degree (MAS) in Global Health Planning and Management from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor's Degree (BA) in biology and physics from New York University. She is residency trained in avian and exotic animal practice and previously worked in clinical medicine for 5 years. Shoshana lives in Ward 5's Eckington neighborhood with her husband (the local ANC), infant son, Australian shepherd pup, and red-eared slider turtle.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John Henderson (President) helps lead the District of Columbia Green Spaces Alliance (Green Spaces for DC), which he founded with Autumn Saxon-Ross and Brenda Richardson. He is a Certified Parks and Recreation Executive, attorney, and city planner. John has over 25 years of experience in parks and recreation at the Chicago Park District and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). Working in the private and public sectors, his experience includes park system accreditation, land planning and stewardship, construction management, design, systems management, survey research, and recreation performance measurement. John earned a Juris Doctor degree from The John Marshall Law School-Chicago, a Bachelor's in Community Planning from the University of Cincinnati, and a Certificate in Public Performance Measurement from Rutgers University. He became a DC resident in 2001 and lives in Columbia Heights.

Steven Feingold (Chair) has been working to improve urban green spaces for 18 years. He spent 7 years volunteering with the North Carolina Botanical Gardens in both their formal plantings and natural areas in Chapel Hill, NC. Since moving to DC in 2013, he became a Weed Warrior at Fort Totten Park and organized Casey Trees plantings at Fort Totten and Grant and Sherman Circles. He has been a park partner with DPR working to enhance green spaces in his neighborhood of Petworth since 2016. This work led him to start Petworth Blooms in 2018 and to join with GSDC as a partner in that effort. He holds a Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering from UNC-Chapel Hill and works in manufacturing automation for the Biotech industry.

Ethan Arnheim is the founder and a principal of 202 Partners, a housing provider. Under his leadership, the company has successfully constructed and renovated apartments and single-family homes across all eight wards of Washington, D.C. Previously, Ethan worked for USAID, where he focused on governance and humanitarian relief issues, contributing to foreign assistance projects with extended assignments in Iraq and Pakistan. Currently, he serves as the Ward One committeeman for the Democratic State Committee and is the former president of the LeDroit Park Civic Association. Ethan holds a Master's degree from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), a Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and a certification as a landscape professional from the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP).

Ryan Cummins

Liz Guthrie

Maria Martin

ADVISORY BOARD

Maria Barry, Co-Founder: Maria is the Director of Community Relations for American University. Before this, she served as the Vice-President of External Relations at Potomac Riverkeeper and was the Chief Development Director at Green Door Behavioral Health. During her career, Maria has served as an Executive Director Partnership, Development Officer, Field Director, and Director of Special Events and Communications.

Hazel Ruth Edwards, Ph.D.: Dr. Edwards’ career has combined place-based research with planning and urban design practice and teaching. She is a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and was elected to their College of Fellows (FAICP) in 2018. She was inducted into Lambda Alpha International (land economics honor society) in 2001. Hazel taught in the graduate planning program in the Institute of Architecture and Planning at Morgan State University (1999-2007) before joining the School of Architecture and Planning faculty at The Catholic University of America in 2007. In 2016 she joined the College of Engineering and Architecture at Howard University as Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture. In 2021 Dr. Edward was nominated for appointment by President Biden to the US Fine Arts Commission.

Jane Meacham works as a freelance writer, researcher and editor specializing in financial services and corporate sustainability topics. She has served as a consultant for the World Bank and International Finance Corp., among other clients, and also edits retirement plan administration trade publications.  

Jane previously worked as a contract research analyst for the nonprofit Sustainable Investments Institute, reporting on activist shareholder proposals at companies whose stock is held by the largest-endowed private U.S. colleges and universities. She also was as a research analyst at RiskMetrics Group Inc., reviewing the sustainability activities of public companies for institutional investors. Earlier, Jane worked for nearly 20 years in Asia and the United States as an editor and newsroom manager for Dow Jones & Co., the international business information publishing company.

Brenda Richardson, Co-Founder: Ms. Richardson is an eco-feminist who has been working on welfare reform, environmental justice, economic development, education, behavioral health, and health issues for the past 30 years. Brenda currently serves as the President of Chozen Consulting, LLC, a consulting company that focuses on community engagement, facilitation, training, and government relations. Brenda is the Principal for “Women Like Us,” an initiative that focuses on design thinking for women and the Vice-Chair of the Friends of Oxon Run Park. She also facilitates the Police Service Area 702 Outreach Committee where she works in collaboration with the Metropolitan Police Department. She serves as the Chair of the Friends of Parkland Turner Library and an Advisory Board member to Capital Nature. She is a member of the Urban Forestry Advisory Council.

Brian Rodgers: Mr. Rodgers is an experienced project and program coordinator and manger with a proven record of initiative and creativity in program development and management. As native and Ward 7 resident, Washingtonian, he is familiar with and worked to improve both the environmental and workforce issues facing the District. After meetings with DOEE staff, Mr. Rodgers was asked to develop a new workforce development element for the RiverSmart Homes. and is current program manager for the second Rain Barrel Installation grant funded by the Department of Energy and Environment. Before working on this project, Mr. Rodgers was employed with one of the leading non-profit organizations in land restoration and reclamation projects in DC parks and the DC community, Washington Parks & People. Mr. Rodgers is a graduate of the Watershed Steward Academy (2015), Master Gardener (2002) and was awarded for his work with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services Outstanding Business Person of the Year Award (2015). He also participated in the Mayor’s Sustainability Committees, helping to share the District’s policies and strategies for the future. Mr. Rodgers is a graduate of Denison University in Granville, with a BA in Political Science.

Autumn Saxton-Ross, Ph.D. Co-Founder: Ms. Saxton-Ross, is the VP for Education & Chief Equity Officer at the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA). She started her career as an elementary school Health and PE teacher in DC Public Schools and after receiving graduate degrees in Health Education and Sociology, has worked in various positions that placed her at the intersections of health, equity, and the outdoors. Most recently, as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director and Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Lead for NatureBridge, and prior to that, she held positions as the Program Director for Place-based Initiatives at the National Collaborative for Health Equity, Program Specialist at DC Department of Health and (Health) Recreation Specialist at both Montgomery County and DC Departments of Recreation.

Glenn Smith: Smith is Founding Partner of the landscape and urban design firm PUSH studio, LLC based in Washington, DC.  He has built an urbanism career inspired by the intersection of landscape architecture and architecture.  Focusing on the unique characteristics of sites and communities, Smith has built a thirty-five year career in private, public and academic practice.  His work has included community and regional park design and planning, waterfront, zoo, theme park, housing, and community design projects.

In addition to his current PUSH studio practice he has also worked for national firms such as EDAW – San Francisco (now AECOM), Royston/Hanamoto/Alley/Abey, HOK, and Stull + Lee Architects.  Smith began his career as a landscape architect with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Vicksburg, Mississippi District preparing 5-year recreational master plans.  As an academic he has served as Chairman of two landscape architecture departments, Florida A& M University and Morgan State University.  Other teaching assignments have included University of Michigan, City College of New York, Columbia University, and Rutgers University. He holds an undergraduate (BLA) degree from Mississippi State University and a graduate (MLA) degree from The University of Michigan, both in landscape architecture.  He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) and Forum for Urban Design – New York City.

Carol A. Truppi: Carol possesses design, planning and project management expertise with a national perspective and recognition on hundreds of projects in land development, urban planning and design services at the regional, neighborhood and individual site levels. With a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree in Environmental Design, Carol has a result-oriented focus on balancing the redevelopment of existing communities with the protection of the natural, historical and cultural landscapes. Carol is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and an Accredited Professional in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED AP), a certified planner with the American Planning Association, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and National Charrette Institute Public Meeting Facilitator.