Director of Education
Liza comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC after many years as a classroom teacher of both children and adults, and trains our educators to become better teachers themselves. She is currently trying to perfect the kale pesto recipe she learned in a kitchen class at PS 216.
Marcella Hazan: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Program Manager,
P.S. 216
Dan comes to Edible Schoolyard NYC from the culinary world. Prior to 2012, Dan had a brief stint in the nonprofit development world before leaving to attend culinary school and cook professionally in New York City restaurants. Fortunately he found his way to Edible Schoolyard NYC at P.S. 216, where he happily remains to this very day.
Eating Delancey: A Celebration of Jewish Food
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
Cecilia has been teaching in parks and gardens for several years in NYC. She can most likely be found looking for ladybugs in the asparagus bed or taking a nap next to the basil.
The Joy of Cooking
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 109 Sedgwick
Felicia grew up in Niagara County NY and now resides in Westchester County. She is a Culinary Institute of America graduate. Her favorite things to do are hike with my dogs, spend time with her family, and read a good book. She is extremely passionate about sustainable agriculture and fighting for climate justice. In her spare time she usually in the kitchen or in the woods exploring nature.
The Joy of Cooking
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden Teacher,
P.S. 216
Originally from Houston, TX, Hannah is new to New York City and is very excited to join the ESYNYC team. Hannah loves cooking, gardening, being outdoors, and eating dark chocolate chips by the handful. Prior to joining the P.S.216 team, Hannah attended college in Maine and taught workshops on urban farms in Brooklyn.
Sweet Potato
Pronouns: She/They/Them
Garden Manager
P.S./M.S. 7
Scraps, Wilt + Weeds: Turning Wasted Food into Plenty by Mads Refslund and Tama Matsuoka Wong
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Educator/Program Manager,
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration and Brooklyn Gardens Elementary
Leonisa has almost a decade of experience designing, teaching and managing youth centered food education programs in New York City. Leonisa is passionate about providing students with opportunities to expand their knowledge of the interconnectedness between food, culture and history. She spent 4 years as a Kitchen teacher and is currently a Program Manager with Edible Schoolyard NYC. A native New Yorker, Leonisa has always enjoyed cooking, discovering new restaurants and spending time around the table with friends and family.
The beach
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden Teacher,
P.S./M.S. 7
Originally from New Rochelle, NY, Anthony grew up with a love for getting his hands dirty. After studying Environmental Science, Anthony worked in the mountains of California to reconnect students from urban areas to the outdoors. In addition to his experience in outdoor education, Anthony has also worked alongside local community members to promote healthier eating habits. Anthony is passionate about garden-to-table education and encouraging others to eat their fruits and veggies. He is ecstatic about working with NYC students to inspire, grow and eat fresh food. When he doesn’t have his hands deep in compost, Anthony can be found in Barbados, scuba diving, rescuing sea turtles and relaxing on white sand beaches.
Butternut Squash
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Garden and Kitchen Educator
Evergreen School for Urban Exploration
Paloma is a proud native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens. After earning two Bachelor’s degrees, a BA in psychology from NYU and a BS in nutrition and dietetics from Queens College, Paloma is looking forward to bringing her knowledge to her role as Garden and Kitchen Educator in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Her enthusiasm for food and nutrition, are a big part of what have brought her to Edible Schoolyard NYC, where she’s excited to share her passion for food and nutrition to NYC students. In her free time she can be found enjoying all the amazing food the city has to offer.
Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Program Manager,
P.S./M.S. 7
Oil painting
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Institutional Giving Manager
Ally joins the Edible Schoolyard NYC team as a former educator, sustainability advocate, and farmer’s market enthusiast. She is passionate about cultivating a more equitable and greener food culture in NYC and beyond. You can find her scrolling food blogs and exploring urban green spaces.
Amish Paste Tomato
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Executive Director
Shanon is a registered dietitian who has dedicated her career to working with communities to make to make nutrition relatable, accessible, and enjoyable for all, and was named by Hunter College as one of 40 under 40 rising stars in New York City food policy in 2020 . She is also the author of MC Veggie Rocks the Mic, a children’s book that mixes nutrition and hip-hop to make learning about food, healthy habits, and cooking fun. She is a proud alumna of Howard University and Columbia University, where she studied both Nutrition and Exercise Science.
On a beach, eating a fresh mango
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Senior Manager, Events and Engagement
Ellen’s roots are in the mangrove forests and citrus groves of Southwest Florida. She was drawn to New York in 2008, and her hospitality experience at Union Square Hospitality Group and Eleven Madison Park instilled in her a deep love for the NYC community, food justice and a need to get involved.
Bird chili
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
FoodCorps Service Member
P.S. 311, Lucero
Educator/Program Manager,
Bronx Network Sites
Ryan comes to NYC from Texas, where he grew up around a family of educators and good food. After attending Columbia University for nutrition and becoming a Registered Dietitian, Ryan spent time at GrowNYC and Children’s Aid Society working with seed-to-plate and food justice programs. With a background in research, Ryan is as likely to be found reading a journal article as searching for the best new restaurant in town.
The Flavor Bible
Pronouns: He/Him/His
FoodCorps Service Member
Brooklyn Gardens Elementary School
FoodCorps Service Member
Brighter Choice Community School
Raili, originally from western Massachusetts, graduated from Macalester College in May 2021 where she studied Environmental Studies, Educational Studies, and Community and Global Health. She has extensive experience with children and interned with multiple environmental nonprofits during her four years in Minnesota. In her free time Raili loves spending time outdoors, spending time with family and friends, making art, snacking, and exploring new places.
Hiking in the woods!
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Senior Evaluation Manager
Jessie didn’t know that her four years of mandatory agricultural tech classes in school would come in handy. Now with a Master’s in Public Health and over ten years of designing, leading, and training others to lead edible education programs with young people, she is delighted to be measuring impact and helping Edible Schoolyard NYC find new ways to make a difference in our school communities. She and her family live in Pennsylvania and travel back to Brooklyn for work and play often.
Aubergine
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Garden Manager,
P.S 216
Head Garden Manager
Decades after leaving the beaches of Puerto Rico to become a set designer in Barcelona, Mirem switched to garden design (specifically for school gardens) in New York City. She is a mother of two young and experimental cooks.
Elizabeth David: inspiring, evocative, and not at all precise.
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Vice President of Development & External Affairs
Over the last seventeen years, Neysa has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations whose missions serve to support and expand equity, access, and opportunities for young people in New York City and beyond. Most recently, she led the external affairs team at Teach For America New York and the development team at NAF, formerly the National Academy Foundation. Neysa lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.
Reading “nooks” with my kids
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
We make the connections between food, health, and environment come alive for our students.
Our Board is comprised of dedicated individuals who are deeply committed to Edible Schoolyard NYC’s mission.
Our supporters include nonprofits, foundations, corporate partners, and both the culinary and wellness communities.
