Meet our Team

STAFF

Luna Azzouni

Fulton Bryant-Anderson

An experienced education coordinator and graphic designer, Luna has been with Tacoma Tree Foundation for almost three years and is well versed in educational program development, equitable engagement strategies, graphic design, and social media outreach.

Fulton Bryant-Anderson (they/them) grew up on Whidbey Island, Washington. Born to a carpenter and local restaurateur, Fulton learned about the importance of community over dirty dishes, black coffee, and Hawaiian cuisine. Their ancestors originate from the Philippines, Maui, and Europe.
Pacific Lutheran University delivered Fulton to Pierce County. After majoring in History and Communication, Fulton developed an interest in local environmental history and stewardship. In particular, Fulton enjoys learning how groups shape and create meaning of their surroundings over time.
Following graduation, Fulton worked in local museums and the communications field. Fulton cultivated a passion for co-authored storytelling, community-based partnerships, and the importance of a simple sentence. At Tacoma Tree Foundation, Fulton uses these skills to meet community members where they are to reach their goals and aspirations for a greener Tacoma.
Fulton envisions an equitable, just, and green Tacoma where future generations of long-time residents and newcomers flourish side by side. Tree education, planting, maintenance, and advocacy play an integral role in making this dream a reality.
Outside of work, Fulton enjoys cycling, ultimate frisbee, crate digging for obscure records, and watching cinema.

Natalie Caro

Sarah Low

Growing up, I moved often and had the opportunity to experience a diverse group of landscapes and cities. Throughout all the changes that came with moving, the outdoors provided a consistent source of comfort that I could seek out, no matter where we went. This joy I found in nature, along with my passion for the natural sciences, led me to the University of Washington. While at UW, I majored in Environmental Science & Terrestrial Resource Management, where I enjoyed learning about wildlife, conservation, and sustainable management practices. I am very excited to bring these experiences to the Tacoma Tree Foundation and contribute to creating a more sustainable urban forest that all communities can enjoy. I hope to help build the same kind of natural spaces for others that brought me so much comfort while growing up. In my free time, you might find me getting coffee with friends, going for walks, swimming in rivers, or getting cozy for a movie.

Sarah C. Low, Founder of Tacoma Tree Foundation, combines a love of trees and nature with her professional background in urban and community forestry. Sarah has been studying trees since she noticed ants on a favorite flowering dogwood when she was 10. Her curiosity for trees and nature led her to pursue a career focused on urban ecosystem health and sustainability. All along the way, Sarah found relief, healing, connection, and joy outdoors. Sarah provides educational talks, leads mindfulness walks, and helps to connect people to nature and to each other.

Dan Nakamura

Jessi Pickel

In Hawaii, students are taught about mana, the Hawaiian word for energy and life source. And how this mana resides in everyone, everything, and everywhere. This mana can be good or bad, and we have the ability to make it better or worse through the choices we make.
Coming to Washington in 2012, I saw a difference in how people viewed the nature around where they lived. Wide grass lawns and large shrubs which took over the land were things not commonly seen in Hawaii. I always wondered why these spaces were underutilized and not filled in with native flora. What I learned was that most were not educated on the importance of native plants and how they can provide good mana to the places we live.
Through the Tacoma Tree Foundation, I aim to educate people in our neighborhoods the importance of native, and even some non-native plants, and how to take care of them. And one day I hope to help share the Indigenous people’s stories on these plants, in the same way native Hawaiians have shared their stories on the land and plants which they still reside on.

Jessi Pickel (she/her) was born and raised in Oklahoma but moved to Washington in 2014. Living so close to a large body of water, the South Sound, has brought her great joy since moving here. Knowing that there is a huge diverse underwater world just beyond her door has always been a delight to explore and she loves sharing it with her family when they visit. She loves that the Tacoma Tree Foundation gives out and plants trees that help keep pollutants from the Puget Sound so that her daughter and future generations can enjoy it too.

Adela Ramos

Jaala Smith

In the urban forest of my imagination, the root systems of BigLeaf Maples, Douglas Firs, and Western redcedars are entwined with colorines, jacarandas, and pirules. These are the trees whose colors, scents, and seasonal transformations compose the canopy of the two places I call home: Tacoma, where I have lived for the past 13 years, and Mexico City, where I come from and return to every year. Thanks to my grandmother and mother, both border-crossing and courageous women, I grew up finding the connections between seemingly disparate languages and people, places and their urban forests. Today, I am fortunate to spend my days cultivating connections between the Tacoma Tree Foundation and partners in the Greater Tacoma area and Pierce County, as well as crafting communications that speak to the interests and needs of our supporters and the people we serve. Drawing on nearly 20 years in higher education, my love of literature, history, and science, I develop our educational programming. In all of these ways, I am excited to support the Foundation’s goal to green Tacoma in community. Hablo español.

Jaala Smith (she/they) was born and raised in Tacoma and has spent their adult life serving as an educator, social worker, artist and community organizer throughout the Puget sound area. Now settled back in their hometown, Jaala invests in Tacoma’s grassroots organizing networks that address the devastating effects of systemic racism & supremacy; from the housing crisis, to food insecurity, to environmental justice. Jaala believes that everyone knows how to cultivate safe and healthy spaces for their community to grow, play and love and that we all have the right to do so.
Tacoma Tree Foundation is thinking thoughtfully about how trees contribute to healthy and safe communities of all people in Tacoma, especially those who are marginalized by the dominant culture. Jaala is proud to be contributing to their city in this way.
When Jaala isn’t busy distributing trees with the Tacoma Tree Foundation or serving others you can find her gardening, birding, supporting small businesses, and spending time with their people and kitty.

Eden Standley

Julia Wolf

Eden (they/them) is a lifelong Tacoman who is passionate about uplifting and empowering the City’s diverse community, which they hope to do through their writing. They are majoring in Gender Race and Sexuality, Creative Writing, and Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University. They love Ice Cream Social, the Red Elm Café, and thinking critically (usually about Queer theory) while walking around downtown.

Julia was born in Tacoma and grew up in Bonney Lake. She has a deep love for the outdoors, having participated in outdoor sports and discovering a love for outdoor photography when she was young. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she finds beauty whether there is low fog or clear skies.
With a BBA concentrated on Marketing from Pacific Lutheran University, Julia is eager about conveying the importance of trees and greenspaces in a way that makes a meaningful impact on community members. Julia began working at TTF in 2023 as an intern, then part time employee, and is now grateful to have a fulltime position alongside the amazing people that make up the Foundation.

Lowell Wyse

After a career in higher education, I joined the Tacoma Tree Foundation team in 2021, first as a board member and then as a staff member. Since October 2021, I have served as Executive Director, which means I am in charge of the work we do to fulfill our mission as a community-based organization. Everywhere I go, I get to tell the story of how the people who love Tacoma are coming together to create a greener and more resilient urban area after enduring generations of environmental harm. On both sides of my family, I come from a long line of teachers and land stewards. My worldview is shaped by being a descendant both of Swiss-German Mennonite farmers who moved to Ohio’s Maumee Watershed seeking religious freedom and also of the Ojibwe people who continue to steward the lands and waters around Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. I grew up on our family farm in Michigan and have also lived in the Great Plains, the Hopi territory in northern Arizona, the Chicago metro area, and the Barranco neighborhood of Lima, Peru. Now I live and work in downtown Tacoma and volunteer on the Sustainable Tacoma Commission. I am deeply motivated by the values of community, justice, stewardship, resilience, storytelling, and placemaking. When I need to recharge, you might see me running with my dog in Point Defiance or surfing on the Northwest coast. Pronouns: he/him/his. Hablo español.

BOARD

Caroline Edmiston

Daniel Garcia

Originally born on the East Coast, in 1993 I packed up my little Volkswagen and left the tiny town in New Hampshire where I had been working as a pastry chef. I opened a map and stuck my finger out, ending up in the Pacific Northwest. I bounced around living in different towns and even in a log cabin on 60 acres in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula. Eventually I made my way to Tacoma, first for law school, and then for our beautiful 1905 Edwardian house on the east side off of McKinley Ave.
Tacoma is home.
I am retired now and spend my time wrestling our 2-year-old Boxer dog, sewing garments and quilts, knitting, spinning, baking and cooking, and sharing it all with my phenomenal neighbors. It's very good to live on my street!
We love to travel and spend as much time as we can going out and seeing the world. But we always come home to the most beautiful place on the planet. Here.

My first experience with trees was playing in and around them! Growing up in New Mexico, I was probably more accustomed to dirt, mesquite bushes, prickly pear cacti, and windswept tumbleweeds than a tree canopy. But I still remember with fondness the weeping willow tree my younger sister and I would play near during the summer heat. Later, as a young man learning about the world, I would spend time reflecting in the Bosque of Albuquerque, where large, gnarled, and majestic Cottonwoods lined the mighty Rio Grande.
I eventually moved from the high desert to this beautiful home in the Pacific Northwest with my small family. I became aware of the Tacoma Tree Foundation’s work through its incredible staff and their efforts in my neighborhood. My understanding of the tree canopy’s importance has been expanding and growing ever since, thanks to TTF.
The Tacoma Tree Foundation’s mission resonates with me because it aims to heal our relationships with nature as humans. I believe it is up to us to be stewards and advocates for our canopy, for the health and well-being of all our world. I am very humbled and honored to have been called to serve as a board member for the Tacoma Tree Foundation.

Andy Hunthausen

Jean Jensen

I was born and raised in Tacoma and now raise my family here. I’ve always cherished the abundance of life and deep green and blue colors of the northwest. Through being a part of Tacoma Tree Foundation, I hope to help grow the relationship between our community and the natural world. Tacoma and Pierce County need more trees, and I believe starting local is the way to achieve a greener and healthier future for the next generation.
In my spare time I love traveling and spending time outdoors with family and friends. I’ve spent my career in the commercial insurance industry working with local companies to help lower insurance costs, and I look forward to energizing both our local business owners and community members to be a part of TTF’s efforts. I can’t think of a better way to leave a legacy than to plant something that will be here long after we are.

I was born and raised in Tacoma and don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. I have seen Tacoma change throughout my lifetime in both positive and negative ways. Through the Tacoma Tree Foundation, I hope to play a part in shaping a more equitable, nature focused, and climate resilient future for our home. I currently work in the green stormwater infrastructure field at Corvias Infrastructure Solutions, where I lead community engagement. Previously, I worked at a Tacoma based non-profit called Earth Economics with a mission to value the benefits of nature. My main responsibilities were fundraising and managing partnerships. I am passionate about working with communities to build equitable climate resilience. In my free time, I enjoy being creative, walking around my neighborhood, or going for adventures on the coast or in the mountains.

Janel Krilich

Chris Meland

My first love of nature came from the open skies and lowlands of the Columbia Basin. Standing above the glacial-carved structures, overlooking waves of sagebrush and streams, I looked to the outdoors knowing there was so much beauty in this world. I moved to the Western side of Washington in 2015, and I fell in love with the forests, these giants amongst us.
It was during my service in the Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) working on restoration projects that I found my true calling. I’ve never felt more at peace with myself than when my hands are in the dirt.
In moving to Tacoma in 2022, I was enamored by the pride and conviction of Tacoma residents in their city, and their community. I’d made it my home, and I believe that when you make a place your home, you have a duty to make that place better. I’m honored to continue my path of conservation within Tacoma’s urban forestry community, and I do it with joy and a smile. In my spare time I can be found shooting photography or catching a film at The Grand Cinema.

Angelia Cunningham Paul is a retired marketing, public relations and information technology professional. A mother of four and grandmother of ten, Angie is committed to fighting climate change and ensuring future generations have a safe, beautiful and prosperous environment in which to grow and flourish. A Tacoma native by way of the Azores (Portugal), Angie is a product of Tacoma public schools, graduating from Foss High School. She moved to Atlanta to attend college; she lived there for 35 years. Angie and her husband moved back to the PNW four years ago, by way of corporate relocation. She has a master's degree in information systems with a concentration in Cisco Networking from Georgia Southern/Gwinnett Tech.
Always curious about the world surrounding her, Angie is a lifetime learner and up for a new challenge. She has attended culinary school, jewelry sculpting classes, sews, knits, draws and has numerous professional certifications. Angie’s core values include leaving people and situations better than she found them and to be blessed so that she can be a blessing to others. Those values fuel her interest in the Tacoma Tree Foundation. Making lasting change in our society starts at the local level, and there is no better place to make change than her childhood hometown.

Nadine Rayner

Jennifer Schaal

I hold a deep appreciation for Tacoma and consider myself fortunate to raise my family here. Tacoma is shaped by the natural beauty of Western Washington, and in turn, Tacoma’s communities are shaped by the parks and green spaces we inhabit. I firmly believe that healthy green spaces are fundamental to the well-beingresilience, and sustainability of communities.
As a Master Gardener and Tacoma Parks employee, I believe in a practical, hands-on approach to environmental stewardship. I am motivated to build and maintain beautiful, accessible, and equitable green spaces for the common good of all of Tacoma.
As a board member of the Tacoma Tree Foundation, I highly value collaboration and engagement as crucial elements of effective leadership. I am eager to learn from, to contribute to, and to lead initiatives that reinforce our collective responsibility toward land, people, and place.

Jennifer Schaal (she/her) is an army brat and itinerant adult who twenty years ago came to Tacoma after more than fifty moves and discovered it to be the best place in the world to live. Jennifer is also a sorta-retired emergency manager who knows that climate change is real, and science is real, and that Tacoma needs the fighting chance to stay cool in the coming heat that only trees provide, and that Tacoma Tree Foundation is full of amazing people who are amazing at getting those trees where they need to be.
In her spare time (whatever that is) Jennifer can be seen digging holes in her yard, riding the T Line up and down the hill, conducting walking meetings in Wright Park, visiting Tacoma's marvelous museums, hauling coffee grounds from Red Elm to her garden, going to free concerts, and following her artist friends around town to see what they do next. Jennifer believes the quality of life in Tacoma is second to none, and she prays every day for Tacoma to become a model for urban justice, anti-racism, kindness, and peace.

Nadine Shaw-Nabass

Amanda Starnes

Despite living in Pierce County my whole life, I’ve only recently started calling it home.
Twenty years ago, my dad and uncle brought the memory of our homeland to the United States in the form of tiny fig trees and one-gallon pots of grapes from a local nursery in Frederickson. Now, at the height of summer their yard smells of fresh fruit, and is shaded under a massive archway of grapevines resembling something from their childhood. I cling to this thought as I drive near blocks of warehouses which have replaced green spaces all around unincorporated Pierce County.
As a child of immigrants who grew up in a multi-generational household, moving out and starting over in my own space felt daunting-- the backyard oasis of my childhood felt impossible to recreate. The Tacoma Tree Foundation connected me with a community that helped me envision and start building this future. My hope is that everyone in Pierce County can enjoy the benefits of calling where they live home.
In my free time, I am a writer, artist, and community organizer. My art explores themes of embodiment, ecological transitions, and hopeful “what ifs” in settings that are just out of place and time.

Lawyer and public servant by day. Avid reader, baker, certified tree-hugger, garden-grower, outdoor-enthusiast, wife, dog mom and Super Auntie by nights and weekends. I was born and raised in and around Tacoma. My childhood was filled with sappy hair and semi-regular splinters from scaling the tree in our front yard. A tree so huge I could see my Grandma and Grandpa’s house from the top. Granted – they only lived one street away, but as a kid, that was like free-soloing El Capitan! As a current resident of South Tacoma, it is my dream to see our yards, streets, and parks lined with trees. I’m mentally etch-a-sketching the concrete jungle surrounding my neighborhood as I write this – envisioning each happy little Bob Ross tree come into being. A Tacoma for everyone, cared for by everyone, for the enjoyment of everyone, for generations to come. So, a kid in any neighborhood in Tacoma can enjoy the rush of a bird’s eye view of the City of Destiny.

Luke Vannice

I’m a lover of a good tree-lined sidewalk; a well-connected pedestrian network. I am curious about urban spaces, what makes them desirable, and for whom these spaces feel comfortable. My one wish for Tacoma is for conversations to continue about the many benefits of urban tree canopy. I would like to see green and gray infrastructure discussed as two essential pieces of our city in policy and design standards, forming a synergy to create the City of Destiny for all Tacomans. Both my parents were educators. My dad an industrial arts teacher and grandparents were farmers. This connection to practical learning, the craft of making, and working with the land informs my passions today as a landscape architect at Site Workshop on the Hilltop. My practice is centered on designing public spaces that contribute to biodiversity and are for all to learn, play, meet up, grieve, reset, and discover. I’m inspired by horticulture, art, and community activism. In my free time I’m sweeping Commencement Bay on my paddleboard, collaborating on tactical urbanism projects, backyard fires with loved ones, or searching for the best burger in all of Tacoma.

I grew up in North End Tacoma, attended Heritage Middle School and Stadium High School. My paternal grandparents immigrated from Croatia around 1915 and managed a corner grocery store in Ruston. I left Tacoma when I was 18 and returned 23 years later. When I was young, I couldn’t wait to leave and explore the world. Now I have lived here for the last 25 years and can’t imagine living anywhere else. The way the city has developed since the 1970’s is exciting; the cleanup of the Foss Waterway, the development of the museum district, UW–T, Union Station, Ruston Way Trail, Chinese Reconciliation Park, and the Brewery District, all make Tacoma a highly desirable place to live. Now I want to make a meaningful contribution to improving the city for future generations by greening our neighborhoods. As a backpacker and hiker, I appreciate the importance of trees and the access to nature. My work experience includes 5 years at Ohio State Parks and 23 years at Pierce County Parks as a fiscal manager. Today we need to plant the seedlings that will grow into Heritage trees in 50 years and nourish future generations of Tacoma residents.

Isiah Montejano

Chris Meland (he/him). I'm originally from Chicago and bought my home in Tacoma in 2020. I came here looking for opportunity and a fresh start, and found a strong sense of community along the way. Living in Tacoma and Pierce County, and working closely with parks and landscapes, has shaped how I think about stewardship in practical terms. I’ve seen firsthand how community relationships, shared responsibility, and long-term thinking are what make a greener, healthier future possible. It always comes back to people. That perspective is what led me to Tacoma Tree Foundation. I’m drawn to work that is people-centered, especially when it helps communities build the knowledge, confidence, and agency to care for their own neighborhoods and green spaces. Bringing people together around nature and the urban forest creates benefits that extend well beyond any single project and is worth investing in over the long term. As the Tacoma Tree Foundation continues to grow, I bring a systems-oriented way of thinking and a long-term view, with an interest in supporting clear governance and durable impact. When I’m not outside exploring the great outdoors, I enjoy the great indoors recharging at home with my partner and our two cats, Rocky and Daisy.

Angelia Paul

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

READ OUR BYLAWS

We have the mission to grow community stewardship of the urban forest across Greater Tacoma through planting, education, and advocacy.

Our Mission

Learn More