Founder and Executive Director

Our founder, Jennifer Beaugrand, has worked in community-led horticulture in the Bronx since 2005.

Environmental Program Manager

John has spent his whole career working in parks. Raised in New Jersey, John started working as a Program Manager at New York Cares.

PLACE Program Manager

Henry is a social worker with a background in environmental stewardship. Originally from Montana, he got his start facilitating outdoor leadership programs in remote wilderness areas across the West.

Program Operations Manager

Melissa is on a life long mission to create compliance from chaos and process from pandemonium. As a Bronx native, she has often been referred to as "the container store personified" for her color coding and organizational skills.

Program Development & Outreach Coordinator

Gabby began working at The Bronx is Blooming in the summer of 2019 as the Project Mentor of Rev. Foster Park.

Environmental Program Coordinator

Valeria received a B.A. in Urban Sustainability with a Sociology concentration from Brooklyn College. Starting out as a PLACE Mentor in the Summer of 2023, she continued to cultivate her passion for environmental justice and what it means to have a stake in the green spaces we inhabit.

Tree Care Coordinator

Gaia (she/her) is a Venezuelan-American and recent graduate from NYU, with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Studies, and a passion for urban environmental issues.

Horticulturist

With the help of a fantastic team including 2 Horticultural Assistants, PLACE students, NYC Summer Youth employees, and hundreds of volunteers, Jess is responsible for planting and maintaining over 40 planted areas in 13 parks and other green spaces. She is a native New Yorker with experience in horticulture, forest restoration, and environmental education.  Jess also works with local animal shelters and other organizations to TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) or rescue stray and abandoned pets.