Our Team
Mariya is a dedicated agroecologist, urban farmer, ecological designer, mom, and educator with nearly two decades of experience teaching, sustainable agriculture, ecoliteracy, and community engagement. As Farm Manager, she integrates regenerative practices and permaculture principles into the landscape—transforming it into a vibrant learning environment rooted in food sovereignty, ecological restoration, and collective care. Mariya holds a Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership and Policy with a specialization in Sustainability Education, a graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems, and an undergraduate minor in Child and Family Studies. At the heart of Mariya’s work is a philosophy of land stewardship rooted in reciprocity, equity, justice, and deep gratitude—and a leadership approach that centers environmental and social justice as the foundation for meaningful education and transformative change.
Gil began their journey as a land steward by ripping up turf netting and burying lemons in their family’s backyard in Los Angeles. Their first engagement with food justice work was pestering their mother into organizing a food drive at their preschool. After being introduced to sustainability concerns in agriculture by a caring mentor through classroom aquaponics, they moved to Portland to study Environmental Studies at Lewis & Clark College, with a focus on the social, cultural, and ecological intersection of food and agriculture. Their experiences in self advocacy as a disabled and transgender student motivated them to pursue their Masters in Leadership for Sustainability Education as well as a graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. They approach their work with an intersectional and relational lens, and their role as a land steward and educator allows them to mentor students who are experiencing their own difficulties by showing them the incredible diversity of life in the garden, and how the ecosystem works together to thrive.
Camila is a Latina farmer, organizer, and educator from the Colombian and Mexican Diaspora, now living in Portland. She joined the garden in July 2024 after falling in love with the space as a grad student in the Leadership for Sustainability Education program. Camila organizes in a way that combines art, food, storytelling, and heritage to better understand how to be in community with each other and our more than human friends. Their work is informed by an intersectional feminist and ecological approach to learning, working, and being. In addition to stewarding the land at LGL, Camila facilitates educational experiences for groups of all ages and manages our communications and social media. At LGL you can find her talking to plants while weeding, making silly videos for LGL’s Instagram, or frolicking around our flower meadow.
The Board
Sybil Kelley (she/her)
Board President
Sybil is a white, straight, cis-gendered woman, mother, scholar, and activist. She brings extensive experience in fostering university-community partnerships, particularly in the fields of sustainability, urban agriculture, environmental justice, and STEM education. Having been at Portland State University for over 20 years, Sybil has led initiatives that bridge university resources with community-driven goals, with a particular focus on advancing equity and environmental justice. Her work has included co-leading the NSF-funded Science in the Learning Gardens, which supports underserved students in STEM. Sybil currently serves as both the Learning Gardens Lab Faculty Coordinator through PSU and as the founding Board President of LGL the nonprofit. She is most happy with her hands in the dirt, or sitting quietly with the crows in the Mindfulness Sanctuary at LGL.
Amie Riley (she/they)
Board Member
Amie is an equity-focused educator, systems thinker, & organizational leader with over 25 years of experience facilitating land-based, experiential learning around the world, including Central America, Europe, & the PNW. She holds a PhD in Educational Leadership & Policy, teaches community-based learning at PSU, & has extensive experience in organizational development, helping nonprofits scale programs & strengthen systems. Amie’s relationship with LGL is long & deeply personal. As an alum of PSU’s Leadership for Sustainability Education program, she helped steward LGL before it became a nonprofit, apprenticed on the land, & taught undergrad & grad students in experiential learning courses. Amie can often be found paddling the local rivers, tending her favorite chard varieties, or trying to get her kiddo to notice the birdsong or season changes from up in a tree.
Jackie Boliba-Soule (she/her)
Secretary
Jackie works in food systems and sustainability education, with experience across food pantries, farmers markets, and outdoor education programs. Her work is grounded in a commitment to equitable food access , environmental stewardship, and experiential learning, supporting community-centered approaches that strengthen connections between people, land, and local food systems. Jackie has been connected with LGL since 2021 when she began her Masters in Leadership for Sustainability Education. She now serves on the board because she believes gardens are powerful living classrooms that foster curiosity, resilience, & collective care. She is honored to support LGL’s work at the intersection of learning, land, and community. In Jackie’s free time she can be found spending time in her garden with her two dogs, cat, and partner. She enjoys preserving, baking, and bird watching.
Kate Sappell (she/her)
Board Member
Kate is passionate about cultivating community & fostering her relationship with the natural world. She brings over a decade of experience in public service, currently developing funding programs for a statewide economic development agency. She has experience working with farmers markets & hunger relief organizations, is completing a graduate certificate in Sustainable Food Systems at PSU & has previously interned at LGL. Her own relationship tending to a garden & the natural rhythms of the earth awakened her senses & sense of empowerment. She seeks to share this felt sense with others & enjoys teaching embodied movement practices that engage with the elemental realm. Through observing & being with the more-than-human world she accesses creativity and interconnectedness. You can find her usually diving into a new hobby, she’s currently taking dance and sewing classes.
Kris Jensen (he/him)
Treasurer
Kris is an accounting director in the legal field, but his passion is in education and food systems. That passion lead him from literature to academia where he earned a Masters in Leadership for Sustainability Education and a Sustainable Food Systems Graduate certificate. LGL was home to study, volunteer work, and connection during Kris’ academic journey, leaving a lifelong mark and cultivating a desire to support the space in a pursuit to positively impact his community. Outside of work and LGL, Kris enjoys tending to a community garden plot with his wife, spending time with his dog and cat watching sports, and getting out on the weekend to try new brunch and coffee spots.
Anne Ajayi
Board Member
Read about Who We Are, The Land, What We Do, & LGL’s Impact
Learning Gardens Laboratory
6745 SE 60th Ave, Portland, OR 97206
Learning Gardens Laboratory 