Our Staff & Board
The Youth Garden Project relies on a team of people to carry out our programs & events, grow the garden, and achieve our mission. The core of this team includes four full-time staff members, one AmeriCorps VISTA member, seasonal apprentices and interns each year, and dedicated volunteers serving as our Board of Directors. Find out our more about the staff, interns, and board of YGP below.
Interested in joining our team? Check for job openings.
Meet Our Staff
Kaitlin
Executive Director
Kaitlin joined YGP in 2010 for to serve as an AmeriCorps member and later as the Program Director. In 2018, she returned as the Executive Director. Kaitlin believes strongly in the garden’s unique ability to be used as a teaching and learning tool for people of all ages and subjects of all varieties.
Julie
Youth Programs Director
Julie made her way to Moab in 2014 to intern with YGP and later became the Youth Programs Director in 2015. Julie believes outdoor spaces naturally encourage hands-on and exploratory learning.
Gabriel
Farm Director
Gabriel came on as Garden Manager in Spring 2017. He loves observing the brilliant systems of our natural environment and taking advantage of all the flavor that comes of it.
Emily
Outreach & Development Coordinator
Emily first joined the YGP team as a Farm Intern in 2017. She later returned as the Outreach & Development Coordinator in 2020. Emily sees the garden as a valuable place for people to foster meaningful relationships to our local environment, our food system, and with each other.
Meet Our AmeriCorps Members
Olivia
Seed to Table Educator
Olivia joined YGP in September 2020 as the Seed to Table Educator through AmeriCorps State. She is excited to connect with students through hands-on learning and meaningful discussions. She is passionate about ecology, food justice, and garden-grown produce.
Jessie
Garden-Based Curriculum Specialist
Jessie joined YGP in October 2020 as the Garden-Based Curriculum Specialist with Americorps VISTA. She believes that the garden provides endless opportunities for kids to connect with their food, their planet, and their community, and is excited to continue learning and growing alongside them.
Meet Our 2020 Intern Crew
Sarah
Spring/Summer Farm Apprentice
“I’m excited to learn more about growing food in hotter, drier climates. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the Moab community and their connection to food.”
Chris
Full Season Farm Apprentice
“While I’m here at YGP I hope to hone my skills as a farmer/gardener while acquiring the knowledge and skill to hopefully operate a program similar to YGP.”
Laura
Spring/Summer Youth Programs Instructor
“I am excited to learn about connecting kids with local food and hands on environmental education! I am also looking forward to developing my understanding of what it takes to cultivate a diverse vegetable garden!”
Jessie
Spring/Summer Youth Programs Instructor
“I am so excited to learn how to bring my love for growing food into the lives of youth in this wonderful community and get them just as passionate about plants as I am!”
Meet Our Board of Directors
Trish Hawkins
Chair
Landscape Designer
Anne Clare Erickson
Vice Chair
Sales Director
Makeda Barkley
Assistant Director, Moab Arts and Recreation Center
Jen Sadoff
Treasurer
CEO, Moab Regional Hospital
Tim Graham
Soil Scientist, Retired
Nan Marquardt
Secretary
Psychologist, Retired
Bruce Keeler
Goat Herd
Desiree Westfall
Physician Assistant, Moab Regional Hospital