MEET OUR TEAM

Growing up the son of an environmental consultant, Jeff spent most of his childhood in the woods and was switched onto climate change with his first speaking engagement in 3rd grade on the subject of global warming. Jeff is the creative thinker behind Refugia’s mission, branding and methodology, and truly believes that ‘putting plants to work’ is the only way forward. Jeff lives in Narberth with Kayla and daughters Adelaide and Freya and their dog Greta. He is immensely proud of Refugia’s ecological impact via their Greenway Network incorporating 100+ native habitats within 5 miles of home. Jeff is also an award winning sound designer and occasional writer of haiku.

Melissa is Refugia’s Lead Landscape Designer having been a valued member of the company since 2016 and is responsible for team leadership, performance management, project delivery and financial oversight. As a horticulturist and native plant enthusiast, Melissa loves designing landscapes that engage curiosity; helping the public become interested in gardening, wildlife, and the natural environment. Her wide range of experience includes perennial growing, plant sourcing, project management, permaculture design, land stewardship, and land restoration. She lives in Wyndmoor with her husband Jason and daughter Maeve.

Hailing from Puerto Rico and Miami, Cecilia moved to New York to study design at Parsons New School for Design in 2007. Following the receipt of her BFA, Ceci worked for several non-profit organizations, and co-founded Arts in Parts, a non-profit education hub based in Rockaway, Queens geared towards reinvigorating community youth post-Hurricane Sandy. As Cecilia collaborated in the development of the organization, she discovered Brooklyn Grange, and in 2014 she joined the farm crew. Cecilia worked in various capacities within the organization, ending her 8 year employment as Director of Design/Build division. She has co taught Green Roof Ecology at the New School since 2016 in collaboration with Brooklyn Grange and the New School's Urban Systems Lab, and has served as lead professor for two semesters.

When she's not busy coordinating work at Refugia, she can be found hiking with her family, baking bread, sewing, or going for long walks.

While Karen has worked in some unrelated fields (snowboarding instructor, independent bookstore employee, barista), her path from a young age revolved around expanding her knowledge and experience with native plants and design. She worked in nurseries and landscaping, and as a horticulture and landscape maintenance intern at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, before receiving her Master's in Landscape Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. As a registered landscape architect in PA, Karen has worked with native plant nurseries, as a plant buyer, in landscape design and management for parks and streetscapes in Center City Philadelphia, and in creating and expanding access to nature in underserved urban communities for Natural Lands. 

Karen lives in Philly with her husband, two daughters, a cat and no yard. Still, she manages to cultivate a native landscape for her family and neighbors to enjoy via containers on her roof and sidewalk garden.

While Rebecca has been fascinated by plants her whole life, she came to the horticulture profession as a second (or third) career following years of studying cello and working in the performing arts industry in New York City. Once she began exploring the path of working with plants everyday, she was hooked. Rebecca has studied horticulture at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Stonecrop Gardens, and finally at the New York Botanical Garden School of Professional Horticulture. Before working with Refugia, Rebecca worked at a private estate in the Hudson Valley and as a freelance landscape designer. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her daughter and husband, in her vegetable garden, and playing cello.

Amanda has been a landscape designer with Refugia since 2015 after earning her Masters of Landscape Architecture degree with a focus on Ecological Restoration from Temple University. She took a winding path to landscape architecture coming from a background in Adult Daycare Services and Adult Education. Now she enjoys guiding clients on how their properties can become both ecologically beneficial and beautiful. She enjoys the challenge of designing landscapes that support native ecosystems even in traditional suburbs and dense urban areas. She loves city life and discovering what diverse wildlife she can attract to her own tiny native garden in Philly. She currently lives there with her husband, two young daughters, greyhound Hoagie, and cat Oscar.

Mallory graduated from Temple University with a BS in Landscape Architecture in 2018 and has been involved with residential design for the last 5 years. Mallory has always had a keen interest in nature and art, and loves being able to combine these two passions in her career. Mallory has a passion for deepening her knowledge of plants and ecology and when not busy in the design studio, you may find Mallory IDing plants for fun on hikes and anytime she leaves the house. Mallory is happy to be reunited with former Temple classmates Rob and Ronnie in her role at Refugia.

Pierie grew up walking through restored meadows of warm season grasses, goldenrod and aster in the ridge and valley landscapes of Central Pennsylvania. She went to school for textile design, urban planning, and landscape architecture, and worked in museum education, public art and graphic design before joining Refugia. Cultivating a lifelong fiber practice, Pierie loves making clothes and quilts with materials and colors that come from plants and animals in our region (and beyond.)

Pierie collaborated on the concept and project management for Refugia’s award-winning 2022 Flower Show exhibit and divides her time between the Design and Creative teams. She lives in West Philly and has a cat named Weasel.

Formerly from the UK, Kayla is a photographer and writer whose work has been published by Martha Stewart Living, Fine Gardening and Landscape Architecture Magazine. Kayla works alongside Refugia's team to craft compelling horticultural storytelling that engages and inspires. Her role includes exhibit concept and development, speaker engagement, community outreach and business development. Integrating innovative technology with performative practices, Kayla brings a unique sensibility to Refugia’s multi-disciplinary team of talented horticulturists, landscape architects, designers, artists and implementers. Kayla also assists with Refugia’s business and personnel management.

A yoga teacher since 2009, Kayla is a Certified Yoga Therapist and lives in Narberth with Jeff and their daughters.

Keith grew up playing in the woods, creeks and fields around his family home. In Keith’s hands, foraged materials became forts and structures for habitat, while the woodland’s leaves and stones became paths and thresholds. Through the ensuing decades Keith has continued to refine his designs, building techniques and detailing skills; working in many facets of the design-build industry for almost 30 years. To date, Keith has had the pleasure of creating beautiful gardens and spaces in Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and France and is forever looking forward to the new project and adventure in life!

When not creating in gardens, Keith loves to travel, hike, bike, kayak, ski and adventure in general. He is constantly seeking inspiration from nature and other amazing humans ‘Life's a Garden.... Dig It!'

Ronnie joined our field team in spring 2019, post graduation from Temple’s BS Landscape Architecture program. Ronnie currently manages Refugia’s diverse portfolio of design-build installations, working hands-on with our field leads while liaising with sub contractors and homeowners. He loves seeing projects through from proposal to completion and is grateful to spend his time both in and outdoors at Refugia.

Ronnie lives in Mount Airy with his young family.

Mallory is a horticulturist and educator with over 8 years experience working in environmental education, horticulture, and green roof gardening. After working and teaching on rooftop farms and school gardens as part of Brooklyn Grange and City Growers in NYC, Mallory moved to Philly and fell hard for horticulture. She’s spent the last 5 years installing and caring for landscapes in the greater Philadelphia region, fully embracing horticulture’s invitation for continuous hands on learning and experimentation. Mallory truly loves working for plants and stewarding spaces that are habitat rich and provide wonderment for people.

Julie describes herself as a plant nerd! She has been hooked on plants ever since taking horticulture 101 for fun her freshman year of college. She graduated from Temple University-Ambler with a degree in horticulture in 2012. After graduation she worked at The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Meadowbrook Farm for almost a decade, where she maintained the formal gardens. Julie loves working outside, watching the seasons change, and the world that opens up to you once you start learning about plants. Julie also loves the plant community that thrives in the Philadelphia region. She is a Horticourt exhibitor at the Philadelphia Flower Show, the newsletter editor for the Liberty Bell Gesneriad Society, and the Website Manager of Women in Hort.

Krista enjoys hiking in the forests and preserves surrounding the Philadelphia area, taking photos of insects, and attempting to identify mushrooms (it's hard!). They are very interested in growing medicinal herbs for making tisanes and salves. Krista attended Tyler School of Art, graduating in 2011, and holds a BFA in Sculpture. She has been in the horticulture industry for 6 years and loves the cultivation of personal spaces, but is most inspired by the relationship that's created from stewarding and learning from the land. Last fall Krista planted a home garden for the Spring Azure butterfly larvae and is hoping to sustain a returning population to her postage stamp garden in Germantown.

Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Claire has spent the last decade moseying up the East coast. After earning a degree in Philosophy and Classic Literature from St. John's College, Claire spent time farming, working towards food access in Southwest Baltimore, and building hiking trails in Patapsco Valley State Park. Claire moved to Philadelphia to pursue her Masters in Landscape Architecture at Temple University-Ambler and has found a complement to her studies through her work at Refugia over the last 2 years. In her free time, you can find Claire volunteering for the Friends of Clark Park's Garden Committee, biking around the city, foraging for wild food, and cultivating a new-found obsession with the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

After multiple seasons working with Refugia’s Landscape Stewardship team while completing her Masters, Claire now joins the design team as a Junior Landscape Designer.

Since childhood, Katie has had an affinity towards plants, gardening, and the environment. After graduating high school, Katie started volunteering on a vegetable farm and soon started working there. She spent several seasons farming before completing her degree in Horticulture at Temple University's Ambler campus, deepening her awareness of ecology and native plants. Over the past several years Katie has embraced working as both a gardener and farmer. While each fulfill her desire to work with plants and combat environmental issues, Katie is happy to now be working at a company whose mission is geared towards improving native ecology.

Alice has always loved playing outside, from the magical backyards of her New Jersey hometown to the steep hills of Manayunk, Philadelphia. After graduating with a BA in Geography from the University of Vermont in 2018, Alice’s desire to cultivate a sense of place for herself and the people in her community has informed her long list of work experience, including working on a farmstead hostel in Italy, teaching hands on science in Moab, Utah and building trail in Pennsylvania state parks. Alice likes having dirt under her fingernails after a day’s work and sleeping in.

Originally from Bloomington, Indiana, Adam moved to Philadelphia in 2018 and was immediately drawn to the city’s culture of gardening in unassuming places and making do with its vacant lots and piles of rubble. He is particularly inspired by the many neighborhood efforts to foster common spaces throughout Philly, and sees gardening and ecological design as central to sustaining public life in the city.

After attending Indiana University, Adam worked for several years as a teacher in Indiana, Niort, France, and Philly before returning to school to study Horticulture. Following a year in Temple’s program, he interned at Scott Arboretum and then worked as a seasonal gardener for
PHS. He joined Refugia’s field crew in the fall of 2023.

In his free time, Adam enjoys playing music, reading, and loafing.

Yvonne was Refugia's first choice candidate for the 2023 Summer Internship and has since been invited to join us seasonally. Yvonne is currently enrolled in the Horticulture program at Temple, Ambler and has prior gardening experience with the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society and Bartram's Garden.

A returning, nontraditional student, Yvonne never understood why people liked school until she discovered Horticulture. Yvonne is  currently developing course work for a study abroad program in Japan.

She currently lives in Kensington with her wife, Jessica, and their rescue dog Mia where they are working on fixing up their house and making it more eco-friendly. While it was easy to convince her wife to get solar panels and install a rain barrel for their garden watering needs, she is still working on the composting toilet. 

Kelsey began working in the green industry after earning her BFA in Painting from Tyler School of Art in 2015. An opening at a garden center with a floral department piqued her interest to learn more about the beauty and systems of the natural world, particularly through flowers.

Kelsey has since developed a diverse skill set in fine horticulture, fieldwork sensibility, container planting design, leadership, collaboration, and most prominently, ecological gardening principles and techniques. She holds a Sustainable Landscapes Certification by the Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association.

Kelsey spends her free time painting en plein air, making art with organic materials, running, cooking, being with loved ones, and tending to her own garden. She grew up in Bucks County, loving the farms and woodlands.

David once received an undergraduate degree in Archaeology and Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, giving him “a BA in Dirt Studies”. Refugia’s installation crew has offered him abundant opportunities to apply this knowledge, as they coax slate slabs and cedar logs into works of horticultural art. As an observer and monitor of the Delaware Valley’s riparian plant communities for more then a decade, David has strong opinions on where to find the loudest spring peeper choirs. When not recommending everyone smell a spicebush leaf as they walk through the woods, David can be found in the South Philadelphia rowhome he shares with his wife, Caitlin, and three cats, probably trying out an excessively ambitious baking project.

Caroline is a dedicated steward of the natural world interested in the improvement of suburban habitats. She grew up on the suburban fringe, a witness to development and the resulting habitat fragmentation. This inspired her to pursue a career in the environmental industry with the goal to address these issues. Since graduating from the University of Vermont in 2020, she has had various roles improving natural areas in Montana, Vermont, and Pennsylvania. When Caroline isn’t outside she enjoys crafting, playing music, and watching movies with her cats.

Liz is a long time lover of the outdoors. She likes to say that the woods and mountains of New England raised her. After earning a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont, Liz focused primarily on conservation efforts at both the Nature Conservancy of Vermont and the Green Mountain Club. After seven years in Vermont, Liz made her way south to Philadelphia. Liz has always been interested in landscape restoration and field work, so she was excited to stumble across Refugia. Now she works as part of the installation team and enjoys watching landscape designs transition from ideas to reality. 

John is a much valued member of Refugia's Build Team.

John graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and has worked as both a lead carpenter and independent contractor before joining Refugia. John’s long list of diverse skills in demolition, plumbing, cabinetry and restoration are a welcome addition to our team delivering custom outdoor living spaces.

John resides in Wynnewood with his young family.

Bill is one of those Jack-of-all-Trades, Joe-Fixit types. He can often be found in the Refugia greenhouse or garage working his magic, or out in the field assisting his colleagues.

Bill spent nearly two decades working maintenance at PHS Meadowbrook Farm, and now he brings his assorted and sometimes specialized skills to Refugia. Bill’s friendly pup Oz is often in tow and both are valued members of our install and operations crew.

Mary came to Refugia serendipitously.  After moving into an old carriage house with a garden that had some good bones but needed a redesign, Mary spotted Tinker, the team's classic Citroën truck. With the team’s help, Mary began the process of transforming her garden into a functional landscape that is now a happy habitat for a myriad of butterflies, bees, and birds; and was also the site for her daughter's wedding.

Mary was a pediatric nurse for many years and a gardener since childhood. Through working with the Refugia team, Mary's interest in botany and ecological landscaping expanded. She is passionate about native plants and design and has a certification from Mt. Cuba in Ecological Gardening. Mary also works in Mt. Cuba's trial garden, performing data collection for studies of pollinators and native plant cultivars. Mary works part time here at Refugia when she isn't busy stewarding her home garden and two little granddaughters.

Jess’s lifelong appreciation for nature led her to study environmental science and sustainable engineering. For her master’s thesis at Villanova, she evaluated biodiversity and carbon sequestration on campus, using a drone in her analysis. Jess recognized the drone’s accurate measurements, high quality maps and 3d models could enhance the landscape design process. Together with Refugia’s design team, Jess has integrated drone data into the design process, using the outputs to create scaled property basemaps. Jess also handles site GIS analysis including elevation, slope, hydrology, and soil & bedrock analysis. In her free time, Jess enjoys hiking, biking, cooking, and spending time with her friends and 2 cats Joji and Rosie!