Staff & Board

Staff

Natasha Harrison - Executive Director 

Natasha has been in non-profit management for over 27 years. She was the Executive Director at the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, RI for 12 years and prior to that founded and ran the non-profit arts organization Island Arts in Newport, RI for 16 years.  She is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Newport with her husband where they raised their two now grown daughters.

Adriana Buller - Program Director

Adriana’s love of nature began as a toddler! She spent her childhood in Washington and Oklahoma where she found peace, bewilderment, and joy from the living world around her. After graduating from Vassar College, Adriana has worked as an environmental educator where she is able to share her passion for the outdoors with the next generation. 

Pilar Brenner - Operations Manager

Originally from Oregon, Pilar has made Newport her home for the past 23 years. She believes in the importance of Newport's continued beautification, preservation and understanding the storied history of horticulture in our lovely city. 

James Galloway - Communications Manager

Jim grew up in Tiverton where he developed a deep appreciation for the natural and cultural history of New England.  He received a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University and spent the next decade plus working on Everglades restoration as the site manager of 30,000 acres of constructed wetlands designed to improve water quality.   While there he also received an MBA in Environmental Management from Florida Atlantic University.   With time, the draw to return to Rhode Island became too strong to resist.  He now lives in Jamestown with his wife, their young son, and an old rescue mutt named Athena.

Morgan Palmer - Plant Production Manager

Morgan originates from Maine, where she grew up on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest and gained a fascination and love of all things nature through time spent exploring the woods. As a resident of the South Coast, she has spent the last 10 years gaining experience in growing as a landscaper, gardener, nursery grower, and cut flower farmer. She also holds a B.S. in Geoscience with a concentration in Geospatial Technologies from Southern New Hampshire University.

Joe Verstandig - Living Collections Manager

Joe graduated from the University of the Rhode Island in 2017 with a B.S. in ornamental horticultural. While in college, he interned at the Mohonk Mountain House, in New Paltz, New York, as a gardener. During his schooling at U.R.I., Joe worked part-time in the University Greenhouses. After school, Joe worked as a full-time horticulturist at Blithewold Mansion, Gardens, and Arboretum. During his time there, he helped maintain world-class gardens, supervised volunteer groups, taught classes, and wrote horticultural articles and blogs. Joe also holds RICH certification. Joe lives in Providence and is a big soccer fan.

Board

Lilly Dick - President

Maureen Cronin

Robert Currier

Dory Hamilton Benson

Lisa Lewis

Lauren Parmalee

William “Rocky” Steeves

Ex-Officio:

Scott Wheeler - Newport Tree Warden