Jessica Hyman became Executive Director in March 2011. Jess began working with Friends of Burlington Gardens in 2003 as a volunteer and went on to serve on the FBG board from 2009-2010. Growing up on a dairy farm in the Eastern Townships of Quebec instilled a lifelong connection to growing, preserving, and sharing food. She has lived in Vermont for 16 years and is deeply connected to her Old North End neighborhood where she helped start and coordinate two vibrant neighborhood gardens with the grassroots group Grow Team O.N.E. A former community journalist and food systems researcher, she is passionate about the importance of information, resources, and encouragement in healthy and engaged communities. Jess has a Master's in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont. She is a fellow at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, serves on the board of Burlington Area Community Gardens, and is an active member of the Burlington Food Council and its Urban Agriculture Task Force.

Libby Weiland joined VCGN as Program Manager in January 2013. Libby has been passionately involved with food systems related work for 12 years, specifically in regard to food access and community engagement. She is a seasoned community organizer who has worked to increase access to healthy foods by serving as a food stamp outreach educator, a food bank garden coordinator, a nutrition and gardening educator, a project manager for workplace gardens, and a workshop coordinator for garden leaders. She recently completed a Master's in Environmental Studies with a focus on Environmental Education from Antioch University New England. During her time there she co-developed a Community Garden Connections program where she lead workshops for new garden leaders, and developed a Garden Leader Education Program Manual. Libby is driven in this work by the way gardening opens up individuals and communities to the discovery of new skills, abilities, and insights. When she is not busy planning programs or fighting for food access she can be found singing and playing her guitar or searching for mountains to climb!

Ann Pearce joined VCGN in May of 2012 as the Administrative Assistant after serving many years as a volunteer. She is a native Vermonter who has been gardening from childhood. Ann dug into her first community garden plot in 1987 in Northampton, Mass. where she spent seven seasons gardening, four of which as the head of her community garden’s organizing committee. Upon returning to the Green Mountain state she became involved with Burlington Area Community Gardens as both a gardener and a board member, and soon after began working for the National Gardening Association. In 2003, Ann received her Bachelor's Degree in Plant and Soil Science, and began her landscape gardening business. Although Ann misses the English cottage style garden plot that she maintained at Tommy Thompson Community Garden for 12 years, she keeps quite busy. Ann is an accomplished quilter, active contra dancer, faculty assistant at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, and member of Burlington's Social Band.

Denise Quick joined the staff in May 2010 as Lead Teacher for the 22-week Community Teaching Garden program. Denise is also a biology and nutrition instructor with the Community College of Vermont.

Hannah Aitken is the spring Communications and Events Intern. She has been working at Bella Farm since 2011 and manages the farm's new CSA program. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies, and a focus on Environmental Education. For her undergraduate thesis, Hannah developed and piloted a farm to school garden and nutrition curriculum for Brewster Pierce Memorial Elementary School in Huntington. While completing her work she fell in love with the community of gardening and nutrition champions reigning throughout Vermont.

We also work with many University of Vermont students in Community and Applied Economics, the Rubenstein School, and Nutrition and Food Sciences.

Tim Kranz, Board Treasurer
The Farmhouse Group

Ellen Ecker Ogden
Food and Garden Writer and Consultant

Founder and Emeritus Director
Jim Flint, 2001-2011

Jim Flint founded Friends of Burlington Gardens in 1996 and served as executive director from 2001 through 2011.

Jim completed his service by successfully implementing FBG's 2010-2011 federal grant to support 40 school community gardens across Vermont. He is now executive director at Wonder & Wisdom, a community-centered nonprofit in Greensboro, Vermont providing year-round lifelong learning opportunities for children and seniors.

Jules Fishelman, 2002-2006 (president 2004-2006)

Jaime Gagnon, 2006

Jeff Govoni, 2008-2010

Huck Gutman, 2002-2006

Nancy Hulett, 2003-2006

Maggie Leugers, 2003-2008

Jean Sienkewicz, 2005-2007

Beth Truzansky, 2006-2009

Gavin Wallace, 2004-2006

Bart Westdijk, 2007-2012 (president 2009-2012)

Lisa Winkler, 2010-2012