meet the green team
City Sprouts continues to grow due to the commitment of our dedicated staff and Board of Directors, community partners, and volunteers.
City Sprouts Staff Pictured left to right:
Addie Gengenbach, Former Communications & Development Manager
Laura Simpson, Programs Coordinator
Aaron French, Manager of Farm Initiatives
Katie Kresha, Executive Director
Jasmine Marr, Former City Sprouts South Manager
Shannon Gennardo, City Sprouts North Manager
Cian Brun, Education Manager
Katie Kresha
She/Her
Executive Director
Katie joined us as the Executive Director of City Sprouts at the beginning of 2020. Katie is an Omaha native with a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from UNO and a Masters in Public Administration from Bellevue University. She previously worked in higher education for 10 years where she oversaw budgetary and financial operations, marketing and community engagement efforts, administrative staffing, and event planning. At City Sprouts, she’s excited to support efforts towards continued growth, strengthen existing programs, and create new opportunities to build sustainable, equitable food systems where they are most needed. When Katie isn’t leading City Sprouts she can be found spending time with her husband and three children and enjoying a variety of active and artsy activities.
Aaron French
He/Him
Manager of Urban Farm Initiatives
Aaron joined our team in 2018 and brings loads of agriculture, education, market, and outreach experience to City Sprouts. Aaron manages City Sprouts' Urban Farming Internship and City Sprouts' multiple growing sites.
Cian Brun
They/Them
Education Manager
Cian has been with our team since 2018 and serves as our Education Manager. They oversee the Little Sprouts youth summer program, Truck Farm Omaha, the Garden to Table middle school program, and the Growing Gardeners Workshop Series, as well as tours and outreach programs.
Laura Simpson
She/Her
Programs Coordinator
Laura is an Omaha native, she grew up in the Keystone neighborhood of Northwest Omaha.
Laura graduated from MCC in 2013 with a degree in Business Management and Marketing, and from UNO in 2018 with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts - 3D Media. Over the past few years, she has worked with a local arts non-profit, BFF.
In 2018, Laura was a Resident Farmer at Big Muddy Urban Farm and in 2019, she completed the New Roots internship with The Big Garden. Laura joined the City Sprouts team in 2020.
Shannon Kyler
She/Her
City Sprouts North Manager
Shannon joined the City Sprouts team in 2016. She manages our North Community Garden, coordinates volunteers for both sites, is an educator for Garden to Table, and is our resident Chicken Wranger and Beekeeper. When she is not at City Sprouts she is attempting DIY home improvement projects and having dance parties with her kids.
our staff
Our Board of Directors consists of community volunteers, who help provide oversight and direction for City Sprouts.
2020 Board Pictured (left to right)
Kirby Simmering, Cassie Goulet, Jose Labrador, Kimbler Harrold, Dan Walsh, Courtney Herrington, Katie Kresha, Octavia Butler
Not Pictured: Brittani Tanhueco,
Candy Zollicoffer, Jane Hartig,
Jamil Bah, Jeff Phelps, LeAnne Kaiser, LaLeesha Haynes, Joey Vickery
New in 2021: Candy Zollicoffer,
Jane Hartig, Jamil Bah, Jeff Phelps
Executive Board
Dan Walsh, President
Creighton University, Senior Program Administrator
Octavia Butler, Vice President
Omaha Public Schools, Teacher, Gomez Heritage Elementary
LeAnne Kaiser, Treasurer
Seim Johnson, Audit Senior Manager
LaLeesha Haynes, Secretary
Conagra, Manager of Talent Development
Board Members
Brittani Tanhueco
Arbor Day Foundations' Lied Lodge, Human Resources Manager
Candy Zollicoffer
Self Employed, Brave Avenue & Feeding Royals
Cassie Goulet
CHI Health, Sr. HR Business Partner
Courtney Herrington
Union Pacific, Manager of Marketing & Sales
Jane Hartig
Google, Facilities Specialist
Jamil Bah
Self Employed, House of Bah & Eat N' Talk Africa
Jeff Phelps
McGill Brothers Inc, Director Of Operations
Jose Labrador
HDR Engineering, Project Manager
Joey Vickery
Omaha Public Schools, Teacher, R.M. Marrs Magnet Center
Kimbler Harrold
Scott Center, Banquet Chef
Team A:
Decatur
Urban Farm
team lead
Jasmine Marr
Interns
Hser
Taeh
Jean
Justine
Mae Paw
James
Team B:
City SProuts South
& Habitat for Humanity
team lead
Mia Webb
interns
Carmina
Maira
Ella
Cassie
Team C:
Cooper Farm
& Sky Ranch
team lead
Laura Simpson
Interns
Jay
Alex
KJ
Taeh
Sye
McKenzie Blaine
Virtual Program Assistant Intern
McKenzie is the temporary Virtual Program Assistant for the summer of 2020 and she will be working directly with the team to organize virtual Little Sprouts programs, Garden to Table programs, and Growing Gardeners workshops. Along with that, she will also be helping with many online projects as well as occasionally working in the garden on the weekends. When she is not busy being a full-time student at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in Minnesota, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, or working on her self-owned jewelry business, called Celestial Body Jewelry.