Our Staff & Board

Kim has been a “Park Person” for 14 years. Kim oversees and guides all aspects of The Park People’s operations and activities. She works with our board on strategic organizational development, shapes programmatic goals, and develops partnerships in the community. Prior to becoming Executive Director, Kim served as Program Manager for four years, directing The Park People's urban forestry programs. She has a master's degree in Environmental Management (Yale University's School of the Environment) and a bachelor's in Anthropology and Environmental Studies (Santa Clara University).  She was Colorado-raised and has more than 19 years of nonprofit experience with organizations in Colorado, California, and Connecticut.  Kim sits on Denver's Urban Forestry Strategic Plan Steering Committee and on the Steering Committee of the national Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition, is an alum of the Denver Community Leadership Forum, and has served on Community Shares' Board of Directors, the national Arbor Day Foundation’s Alliance for Community Trees Advisory Committee, the Trust for Public Land's Climate Smart Cities Denver Technical Advisory Team, and the City of Denver’s Emerald Ash Borer Steering Committee.  Kim is passionate about the power of urban forestry, parks, and community-driven efforts to cultivate resilient, sustainable communities.

Before becoming Office Manager, Laura proved her commitment to The Park People by being an enthusiastic volunteer for nearly a year both in the office and during planting events. Laura earned her Master of Science degree in Global Technology & Development from Arizona State University where her focus was the impact that nonprofit organizations have on the global conservation movement, especially through community-based initiatives and empowerment. Laura additionally earned a Graduate Certificate through ASU in Nonprofit Operations & Program Impact and has previous experience working with local environmental improvement and renewable energy organizations. As a nature lover and avid hiker, backpacker, and snowboarder (as well as animal lover…especially her three cats!), she is excited to continue down a path of conservation, tree planting, and doing her part to help biodiversity thrive in the outdoor spaces she enjoys so much! Contact Laura.

Lindsay joined The Park People in 2019, bringing with her 20 years experience in ecology and landscape design for private and government clients. Lindsay works hand-in-hand with the Programs Team, Urban Forestry Committee, and Executive Director to strategically guide and direct our core urban forestry programs, including Denver Digs Trees, Community Forester, and Treeforce. She earned her Masters in Landscape Architecture from UC Denver (2008) and a Bachelor’s in Geography and Environmental Studies from UCLA (2001). A life-long hiker, backpacker and self-described ‘plant nerd’, Lindsay is committed to advancing tree equity and working with communities to beautify, shade, and plant for our future. Contact Lindsay.

Morgan grew up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains where she began to cultivate a lifelong love for exploring nature, tending gardens, and promoting conservation. She holds a BAS in Sociology & Anthropology from Shippensburg University and after graduation taught early-childhood special education. She moved to Denver in 2011 and began volunteering with The Park People in 2016. Participating in Community Forester and Denver Digs Trees inspired her to make a career change and earn an AAS in Horticulture & Landscape Technologies from FRCC. During an internship with the Denver Dept. of Parks and Recreation, Morgan participated in sustainability panels, helped implement a ‘Parklet’ for the 2019 Greater, Greener Parks Conference, and assisted in park planting projects across the city.  Morgan now leads Mile High Tree Champions, the corporate partnership arm of The Park People while supporting all other programs seasonally. She enjoys collaborating with The Park People staff, volunteers, community participants and partners, and is thrilled to be doing the important work of supporting strong, resilient communities and diversifying our urban forest. Contact Morgan.

Jane joined The Park People with an M.A. in Secondary Education from Arizona State University and over ten years of experience in public education. She brings with her a passion for partnering with people in the Denver community to build empowerment, create resources, and connect historically underserved populations with meaningful career paths. Jane oversees The Park People's TreeForce pre-apprenticeship program which provides participants with education and on-the-job, field-based experience in urban forestry. Outside of work, Jane enjoys hiking, paddle boarding, traveling, reading, playing music, gardening, meeting friends for brunch, and spending quality time with her family. Contact Jane. 

Loriee joined The Park People in 2022, moving to Denver from the South, where she organized Arkansans to self-advocate for better healthcare and access to voting. A writer by trade, she once published on topics like climate change and recycling, and was thrilled to get paid to hike and backpack into the woods. At The Park People, Loriee has found the perfect home to combine her decade of experience in community and volunteer organizing with a passion for moving our communities toward climate resilience. She holds a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a BA in Speech Communication and an Environmental Studies minor from Trinity University in San Antonio. Loriee loves meeting new people, listening to their stories, and integrating their ideas and energy into our community solutions. Contact Loriee.

Amanda is originally from rural Illinois and spent much of her youth wandering around fields, forests, and creeks before moving to Indianapolis to obtain a BA in English Creative Writing from Indiana University. Then, after an extensive backpacking trip among the dogwoods, redbuds, and rhododendrons of the southern Appalachian Mountains in 2017, her love of and connection to nature was rekindled, and thus began her dive into horticulture, volunteering with the University of Illinois’ Master Gardener program, working in the green industry, and pursuing her BS in Horticulture from Oregon State. Amanda moved to Colorado in 2021 and focused on landscaping and cultivation before eventually finding a place as Field Crew Supervisor for TreeForce with The Park People. When not out digging holes with her crew, you can find Amanda tending to her many plants, traveling, hiking, camping, and telling her friends and family (and anyone else within earshot) about trees! Contact Amanda.

My name is Danielle Helm, and I have lived in the Barnum neighborhood for the last 10 years. It’s very important to me to work to preserve Barnum’s history and to protect the culture of the people and the community we have. Our neighborhood has been under-resourced, and the effects of climate change are growing disproportionately here. I’m grateful to work with The Park People to help grow our Urban Forest.

Besides working with The Park People, I practice as an Acupuncturist and Herbalist specializing in Reproductive medicine. I am also a tattooer, and a mom of two little kids. 

I love gardening, cooking, hanging with friends, playing cozy video games and making art! 

Amanda began with The Park People as a volunteer community forester as a way to balance the chaos of life in the busy indoor healthcare system with some outdoor grounding. This work lead to a meaningful connection within the neighborhood of Globeville, where she resides. Her work as a community forester evolved into a community coordinator role, with shared goals of The Park People and the neighborhood. She is really looking forward to how this role will help collectively transform the neighborhood for the better.