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Aimee Esposito
Executive Director
Aimee was born and raised in Phoenix, growing up next to Piestewa Park. She has always had an appreciation for both the function and beauty of the desert environment. Aimee attended ASU where she learned the importance of bridging fields, receiving a BS in Geography and a BA in English Literature. Later Aimee ventured to Monterey, California where she spent two years earning a Master's degree in International Environmental Policy. Aimee returned to the Valley and has been with Trees Matter since 2013 becoming Executive Director in 2016. She is currently studying to become a certified arborist. Aimee’s favorite tree changes often, but a favorite trees is the Native Mesquite.
Ali Guttenberg Ali was born and raised in North Carolina and recently moved to Arizona to join the Trees Matter team. Ali will be working with the Trees for Schools program to expand environmental education for students and teachers. They graduated in May 2021 with a BA in Environmental Studies and a minor in Geological Sciences. They spent many summers working and attending summer camp and are excited to join their passion for the environment and working with kids. Ali deeply values trees for climate change mitigation impacts as well as their beauty. Ali is enjoying learning about Arizona trees and cannot wait to be in the classroom teaching! Outside of work they enjoy hiking, crafting, live music, and are currently learning to play the banjo. Ali’s favorite tree in the Tulip Poplar! | Ariel Stone Outreach Manager
Ariel is an Arizona native, having grown up in downtown Phoenix. She graduated from ASU with a BS in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, and has volunteered for nonprofits since a young age. She volunteered with Trees Matter while a freshman at ASU and is glad to be back as part of the team! Ariel values the importance of trees and other plants native to the desert southwest, and is particularly interested in ensuring that they thrive in a rapidly growing urban setting. While she’s excited how fast Phoenix has been growing both culturally and economically in recent years, she believes Trees Matter can have impact on making sure this growth happens in the most sustainable way. She loves traveling, drawing, yoga, and live music. Ariel’s favorite tree is the Palo Verde.
Maya Jay Rawn Maya was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a passionate advocate for sustainability and nature, with a background in architecture and landscape design. Thrilled to collaborate with Trees Matter, she contributes to initiatives that bring shade to Arizona's valley, optimizing our city for future generations. Maya's hobbies include birdwatching, stargazing, photography, music, and designing environmentally conscious wildlife habitats. Her current favorite tree is the Jacaranda, with its beautiful purple flowers that attract hummingbirds. | Brittany Rinear Brittany has an extensive background in customer service, and is passionate about supporting our organization. After graduating from McClintock High School in Tempe, she lived in Portland, OR, and Santa Rosa, CA, where she developed a deep appreciation for ocean winds and cypress trees. Brittany is now a visual artist, creating and selling abstract paintings with various mediums, and is a ceramics student at Phoenix Center for the Arts. Her passion for gardening is mostly limited to indoor plants, especially in the summer! After providing occasional support for past projects, she is excited to move into a more substantial role at TM!
Oscar is currently an ASU senior studying Sustainability with a focus in ecosystems sustainability. He loves to go hiking and camping, and wants to help build a more sustainable city. He can’t wait to make a positive contribution to the community and start off his professional career with such an impactful organization. His favorite tree is the Blue Palo Verde because they provide shade and a snack during spring!
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jennifer@treesmatter.org Jennifer is a retired Systems Analyst with a background in languages and race and ethnic studies. She was born in Utah but spent much of her childhood on USAID water projects in Somalia, Kenya and Lesotho. Because of those early experiences, she has a deep appreciation for peoples' cultural connection to their land and water. She loves to discover indigenous innovations that solve climate challenges in easily accessible ways. Jennifer is a Certified Permaculture Designer and Certified Water Harvester. An experimenter by nature, Jennifer developed partnerships with local social service nonprofits to design and install sustainable projects that uniquely served their target community. Jennifer is passionate about water harvesting and rehydrating our desert landscape by slowing, sinking and spreading the flow for a greener Phoenix future. |
Jacob Ivy Program Events Lead Jacob loves trees! Especially in the Sonoran Desert, where he was born and raised. His favorite trees include Velvet Mesquite, Desert Ironwood, and Elephant Tree (Bursera Microphylla). His passions include sustainability, backpacking, mountain biking, triathlon, and gardening. Jacob’s professional background started in technical accounting and programming. He later received a Master’s degree in Sustainable Solutions through ASU and worked in ESG consulting. In 2022, Jacob traded his keyboard for a shovel. He received a Water Harvesting Design Certification through Watershed Management and started a landscaping company, Sustainable Sonoran Landscapes. He continues to design and install passive water harvesting systems while simultaneously working for Trees Matter. He believes Phoenix residents can reduce water usage, work towards food sovereignty, increase native habitat, and improve their own well-being by connecting to the Sonoran Desert through their landscapes. Let’s plant more trees! |
Keetra Bippus
Keetra is a Journalism and Computer Science major at Arizona State University. She has been passionate about the environment since childhood and has loved working for Trees Matter for the past two and a half years, as an intern. She is a recipient of multiple national awards for reporting, including the 2024 Hearst Award for Investigative Journalism. Keetra's work in her position consists of supporting the management of all TM social media platforms. Apart from reading and volunteering, she loves to exercise and hang out with her cat! Her favorite tree is the Ponderosa Pine. |
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Emily studied at ASU, graduating with a BA in Sustainability and a track emphasis in International Development. She's also obtaining an Environmental Education Certificate and was recently admitted into ASU's accelerated masters program. She hopes to continue gaining leadership experience from this experience with Trees Matter while fostering relationships with the community outreach we provide. She's excited to participate in all of the upcoming events we have planned! Her passions are volunteering, gardening, and watching either a sunrise or sunset everyday. Emily's favorite tree is the Arecaceae (palm tree) even though it is not native to Arizona it reminds her of home in southern California.
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The Office734 W. Polk St. Phoenix, AZ 85007 | Our office is in the building of The McKinley Club, a co-sharing workspace. Feel free to ask around--we all know each other. We look forward to seeing you soon! To mail something, please use our mailing address listed on the right. | Mailing AddressPO Box 2648 Phoenix, AZ 85002 |