Tonya Aikens is President and CEO of Howard County Library System, a nationally recognized Five Star Library for delivering excellence in public education for all ages. She is keenly focused on building the collective leadership of the organization, its partners, the community, and customers to provide equitable, high-quality educational opportunities for all. Tonya served as part of the Leadership Howard County community impact project team supporting CEI’s purchase of Freetown Farm in 2019.

Chelsea Clark (Secretary) has been the Columbia Families in Nature "Seedlings" leader since 2015.  She has her Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development with a focus in Child Life, has worked as a Child Life Specialist, and has extensive knowledge of developmentally appropriate activities for young children, ways to help caregivers promote healthy development, and maintaining a safe space during exploration.​

Akil Cole is a committed youth mentor, student advocate, and entrepreneur with experience in leadership development and student life optimization. He currently attends Georgetown University as an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies and Justice and Peace Studies. As host and producer of CEI's podcast, Community Blooms, Akil highlights the positive environmental, health, and educational work of folks in Howard County and beyond. He also founded Your Better Four, a life skills development service for high-school students.

Patrick Curtis (Treasurer) is a certified public accountant that specializes in providing audit, consulting, and advisory services to government contractors, nonprofit organizations and closely held businesses of varying sizes. He has been in the accounting profession since 1999. Patrick is the engagement partner for audits and reviews of nonprofits, government contractors and other closely held businesses. 

Margo Duesterhaus is President and co-owner of Triple TeQ, a small business that focuses on integrating people, processes and technology to create successful projects and organizations. She has degrees in Computer Science, Astronomy and Organizational Learning and has worked with a variety of organizations including NASA, and NOAA. She is a founding member of Transition Howard County, which focuses on creating locally sustainable and resilient communities. She believes in walking the talk and has been “greening” her home and yard with solar PV, a food forest, rain gardens, etc. She is on the Advisory Board for the Earth Forum of Howard County. 

James Handley is an attorney who practices employment law and civil litigation in Baltimore. Prior to becoming a lawyer James served five years on active duty in the U.S. Army as a Cavalry Officer with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. James, originally from the suburbs of Chicago, moved to Maryland when he was eight and grew up in Salisbury on Maryland's Eastern Shore. James was a part of the Leadership Howard County community impact project team supporting CEI in the spring of 2020. James and his family live in Ellicott City.

Erica Jones, is a Howard County native, chef, and master gardener. For over 19 years, she has been passionate about growing and cooking food. Her charge is to be an educator on how to sustain life through growing and preparing healthy, nourishing, local, delicious food. She supports CEI’s mission by utilizing her vegetable gardening and culinary expertise to support, encourage, and inspire our community to create an enriched life for themselves and their families while, in tandem, helping to protect our Earth.

Monica Lewis (Vice President) has been a health educator and certified fitness instructor for over twenty  years.  She has a BS in Clinical Laboratory Science and a Master’s degree in Nutrition. She previously worked in the county promoting healthy environments in areas facing health disparities; advocating for community gardens and increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and environments for physical activity.  While living in Wisconsin, she developed a deep love of sustainable food systems and environmental wellness while partnering with a farm.  She continues to foster the same passion and desire with partnering with CEI. She currently works at HCC as an adjunct and MLT clinical coordinator.

Leah Miller has twenty years of experience in sustainability and environmental education program management. She has a BA in Political Science and Organismal Biology from Yale and is a LEED Green Associate. She currently serves as the Energy Manager for Howard County. Previously, she worked as the Sustainability Program Manager for Montgomery County and the Clean Water Program Director for the Izaak Walton League of America. Her family has lived in Columbia since 2012, where they enjoy participating in Columbia Families in Nature events.

Gary Pilarchik has loved gardening since his grandfather taught him about vegetable gardening in first grade. Gary started his YouTube channel, The Rusted Garden, in 2011 as a way to enjoy himself and teach others about gardening. He has since grown his following to over 450,000 subscribers. His belief is that a garden wants to give, vegetables want to grow, and everyone can have a successful garden. Gary is also a clinical mental health therapist who worked for Johns Hopkins for the last 15 years, before retiring in 2020. He sees vegetable gardening as a global practice that brings people together across cultures and geographical boundaries. 

Jean Silver-Isenstadt (President), M.D., Ph.D. is a writer, nature-lover, and social historian whose work has focused on patient-centered health reform.  Jean served as the founding Executive Director of the National Physicians Alliance (now Doctors for America) and has fifteen years’ leadership experience in the non-profit sector.  She is the author of Shameless: The Visionary Life of Mary Gove Nichols (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002).  Raised in Columbia, Maryland, Jean is a grateful beneficiary of open-space neighborhoods, open-space schools, and developer James Rouse’s bold commitment to racial, religious, and socioeconomic integration.

Jason VanKirk is a Vice President with Elm Street Development. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a Commissioner on the Patuxent River Commission, a member of the Leadership Howard County class of 2019, where he served on CEI’s project team to purchase and protect our farm property, and is the Vice Chair of Finance for the Boy Scouts of America National Pike District. 

Jason Zhao has a B.Sc  in civil engineering and M.Sc in computer science.  He has twenty years of experience in civil and environmental engineering,  technology application, and public policy enactment and implementation. He believes community engagement on environmental issues not only improves the environment but also promotes diversity and inclusion for all. He has lived in Columbia since 2013 and participates in various activities at Freetown Farm with his entire family.