Celebrating the Women of Great River Greening
This Women’s History Month, we’re spotlighting our hardworking team of women who work to make Minnesota a better place every single day! Whether in field work, education, fundraising, operations, or community engagement, each of these women make our work possible, and we’re so grateful for their commitment to Minnesota’s lands, waters, and communities.
Jessica Barbosa Oliveira (she/her), Conservation Agronomist
Jessica works alongside farmers, landowners, and partners to support regenerative agriculture and conservation efforts that improve soil health, water quality, and climate resilience.
Her lifelong interest in plants and science inspired her studies in agronomy in Brazil, and she continues to focus on practical, science-based solutions that make a measurable impact on the land.
Vanessa Berrueta, Volunteer Event Coordinator
"Originally from tropical Venezuela and now calls majestic Minnesota home, my path has been shaped by two passions: a love for the land and a love for people.
This led me to a career in conservation and my role in event coordination. I feel truly blessed to be part of the Great River Greening familia and community."
Annie Bush (she/her), Communications Coordinator
“I help the conservation and stewardship teams tell the stories of their incredible work and support the advancement team with content development, graphic design, communications management, and event coordination.
As a lifelong Minnesotan, I’m so excited to be working with a local organization that does transformative, community-centered work in my own backyard.”
Kristy Cowdin, Project Manager Southern Minnesota
“Hailing from northeast Michigan, I’ve called Minnesota home for nearly 25 years. Nature has been part of my life since my aunt taught me how to search for salamanders under logs behind my home on the shores of Lake Huron.
I bring that same passion for natural places working as a Project Manager with Great River Greening to both restore and maintain habitat for the critters and the landscape and to share my love of nature with anyone willing to listen.”
McKenna Clark, Crew Manager
McKenna joined Great River Greening in 2022 as a seasonal restoration technician and is now one of our Crew Managers. She came from Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, and studied conservation biology at the University of Minnesota
“Working with GRG has made me a more confident and strong (both physically and mentally) person. I love how different every day is, from chainsawing to plant surveys to soil sampling. I’m always kept on my toes and have learned so much from the women around me. Can’t wait to see what new things I’ll learn later!”
Jessica Drummond (she/her), Education and Outreach Coordinator
Prior to living in Minnesota, Jessica earned a Master’s degree in conservation biology and another in secondary biology education. Jessica studied estuaries and marine coastline on both coasts, working with non-profit research and educational groups. She taught high school science for eight years in New York (where she is from), California, and Minnesota.
Jessica manages Great River Greening’s Future Stewards program, connecting K-12 students to hands-on, nature-based learning experiences.
Katie Edmond (she/her), Program Manager - Urban & Community Forestry
Katie manages Great River Greening's urban tree work, the Cooling Minnesota Communities program, which aims to combat extreme heat, enhance climate change resilience, and increase equitable access to tree canopies across the state.
Katie and her team help community members connect with and improve their local tree canopy through tree plantings, tree giveaways, and other education and volunteer opportunities.
Melissa Greenwood, Grant Administration Manager
“As the Grant Administration Manager, I work behind the scenes to keep our grant funding on track and accounted for so that GRG continues to be a responsible steward of the resources entrusted to it.
GRG has a strong and impressive history of female leadership. It’s rewarding to collaborate with women who bring expertise and purpose to this work every day.”
Jennifer Grommes (she/her), Southern MN Program Manager
Jennifer works alongside partners, landowners, and farmers to restore natural habitats and promote sustainable agriculture. Jennifer has her Masters’ degree in Zoology from Miami University - Ohio and is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist.
She came to Great River Greening with several years of experience in both the federal and private sectors focusing on ecological restoration, regenerative agriculture, public outreach, and ecosystem management.
Frances Madison, Operations and Data Management Administrator
Frances (Frany) provides administrative support to project staff and oversees the contract process involved in all of Great River Greening's projects. She also helps manage Greening's ArcGIS database, and is excited to work with each team to create functional maps to use in the field and to share on GRG's website.
Frany comes to Greening with over three years of experience in urban and community forestry, including two years of Americorps service. She holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College, as well as minors in Sociology and Anthropology.
Evie Moran (she/her), Project Manager — Twin Cities Metro
“As the metro project manager, I design and implement ecological restoration of public wetlands, woodlands, savannas and prairies throughout the Twin Cities, which is where I grew up!
My work typically involves controlling invasive species as well as enhancing the long-term diversity and resilience of our urban landscapes. I also manage our pollinator monitoring program which helps us understand the impacts of our restoration work through the lens of pollinator habitat.”
Kendalynn Ross (she/her),
Grants & Community Stewardship Coordinator
Kendalynn helps secure the funding that sustains Greening’s restoration work by researching, writing, and coordinating grant proposals and reports, while also supporting stewardship events that connect communities across Minnesota with hands-on environmental restoration.
She comes to Great River Greening with experience in environmental education, volunteer coordination, and fundraising, and is passionate about connecting people to nature and encouraging communities to take part in sustainable change.
Ameera Meri (she/her), Finance and Administration Manager
“I joined Great River Greening in 2023 and now support the organization as the Finance and Administration Manager. I bring experience in public administration and nonprofit work, but what drives me most is helping GRG make a real difference in local communities.
I feel grateful every day to work with a team that leads with purpose, compassion, and impact.”
Emily Shepard (she/her), Advancement Associate
“My work at Great River Greening centers on sharing the amazing accomplishments of our conservation and stewardship teams with people throughout Minnesota.
I also have the fun task ensuring that our individual and corporate donors are thanked for making this work possible!”
Becca Tucker (she/her), Program Manager, Twin Cities Metro
“I coordinate the Metro Program, which involves everything from writing funding grants, planning habitat restoration projects, leading volunteer events, and even doing on-the-ground work like sowing native seeds.
The connection we steward between natural spaces and the communities that care for them is powerful.”