Our Board

Raised in Southern California by a pianist mother and the influence of an horticulturist grandfather meant an inherited passion for creative placemaking with art, music, and green spaces in urban communities. Her involvement with Growing Roots began in 2020 while conducting a case study for her final course at California Polytechnic University, Pomona to complete her degree in Urban Planning. Since then she has been supporting the organization’s longevity and expansion through researching and submitting grant applications. She also works full-time as a Utility Arborist in the utility vegetation management sector protecting key environmental resources while committed to enhancing public safety. 

Kari Kalinich grew up in the Inland Empire which influenced a deep appreciation for the natural resources that abound there. Her volunteerism through the years with various groups combined with her past adventures of traveling, and becoming a mother, gave her insight on how important urban agriculture is to a city becoming healthy, sustainable, economically and environmentally viable. Currently she’s the Program Resource Manager for nearby community garden/farm nonprofit, Huerta del Valle. She has been a volunteer with the Growing Roots development team since 2020 and is working on the pathway for expansion to more garden locations within the Pomona Valley.

Nathalie Aceves is a person born and raised in Pomona. She started volunteering at Growing Roots in the year 2019. Nathalie is passionate about composting ,mycology, and art. Growing Roots has helped her gain new experiences like being Compost Manager. Nathalie has also gained community fulfillment by being around the plants, soil and people who pass through the garden.

Growing Roots is a special gem in Pomona, where our roots grow deep. Nathalie’s heart is full of joy by being part of this community.

Hevelynn Nealy is the owner of Greeners STEMS, an Educator and a longtime supporter of homeschooling families. She offers her professional experience as an Operations Analyst and serves the community as a Programs Coordinator.

Derek Farias (he/they) is a self-taught gardener, land steward, artist, and a student at Cal Poly Pomona pursuing a degree in Architecture with minors in Regenerative Studies and Botany. Outside of school, he dedicates his time to community activism, native plant gardening, and ancestral lifeways. He has been volunteering at Growing Roots for over a year and growing locally native plants from seed for over 2 years as a means of healing the local ecology. Derek looks forward to applying his values and experiences by serving the community as a board member of Growing Roots.

Julieta Muñoz is an urban farmer based in Pomona, CA. Her passion for urban farming germinated out of a love for soil conservation and has become more ardent as she’s learned about the inequities in our current food system. Julieta is a graduate from Cal Poly, Pomona with a B.S. in Plant Science and a minor in Soil Science. She attributes her knowledge to having worked at Spadra farm, and cultural practices already present in the community.

Julieta chose to pursue urban farming in Pomona because of the strong sense of community in the city and the active organizations striving to localize the food system. In 2017, after volunteering at Center Street Community Garden for 3 years, she founded Growing Roots. Julieta is currently learning about indigenous growing methods and how to incorporate them in the gardens. When she’s not farming, Julieta enjoys resting, cooking, and catching up with friends.