Executive Director: Amy Collins joined the TreeUtah staff in 2010 after working for ten years in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, she served as the development and program director at Glen Canyon Institute, where she worked for five years to promote the restoration of Glen Canyon and a free-flowing Colorado River. Before that, she was the development coordinator for RESTORE: The North Woods, a New England regional organization working to create a Maine Woods National Park, and a member of the external relations staff at Harvard Business School. Currently, Amy serves on the Board of Directors of Wasatch Community Gardens, the Utah Community Forest Council and the Jordan River Commission.
Education Coordinator: Alex Porpora Is excited to bring her love of teaching, learning and the natural world to TreeUtah. A native Floridian, Alex relocated to Utah in 2009 for panoramic vistas and grad school. She completed her Master’s in Environmental Humanities at the University of Utah, focusing on place-based learning and creating curriculum related to the natural history of the Salt Lake Valley. Previously, Alex developed distance learning and community programs at the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Florida and coordinated outreach programs at the Living Planet Aquarium. Alex is currently pursuing her Environmental Education Certification through the Utah Society for Environmental Education.
Planting Coordinator: Ross Sequoyah Chambless brings a rich variety of project organizing and media skills to TreeUtah. Ross grew into tree planting after implementing an orchard restoration project at the University of Utah’s Rio Mesa Research Center near Moab. Since completing his Master’s degree in Environmental Humanities at the University, he is eager to develop his skills in the fields of arboriculture and ecological restoration. Ross has worked as an independent producer for public radio and creative media consultant for ten years. He also lived in Japan for four years where he taught English and met his wife.
Volunteer Coordinator: Hannah Whitney considers herself a ‘snow loving tree hugging dirt worshipper’ looking to make a difference. Originally from Maine, Hannah loves frolicking between mountains, meadows, rivers, lakes and the ocean. She studied Ecology and Environmental Science at Western State College of Colorado, with a minor in Photography. For the past few years, she has been a professional skier touring the country and an active volunteer with the national organization She Jumps. She says “I am so excited to be working with TreeUtah and our many dedicated volunteers who like me, care so deeply for our earth and the environments that we live in every day!”
