Heather McMann, Executive Director

Heather began consulting with Groundwork Lawrence in December 2005 and joined the staff as the Operations Director in 2006. This past June Heather assumed the Acting Executive Director’s position while Kate went on maternity leave and with Kate's resignation, the Board appointed Heather Executive Director in October. She holds a breadth of experience in nonprofit management, with a focus on preparing organizations for growth. Since returning to Massachusetts in 2001, much of Heather’s experience has been with youth organizations focused on creating our communities’ next generation of social justice leaders. Heather is currently an MBA Candidate at The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She received her B.A. from Smith College and has more than fifteen years of experience in the non-profit sector. In addition to her work with GWL, A resident of Haverhill, she is also a member of Haverhill's Brownfields Steering Commission.

Rose Gonzalez, Deputy Director

Rose joined GWL as Program Manager in May 2006 and this July assumed the role of Deputy Director. A resident of Lawrence and with a passion for arboriculture, fresh locally-grown food, gardening, and community organizing, Rose connects GWL directly to youth, families, and institutions in our community. Three years ago she developed our “Eat Right / Move More” curriculum, piloted with local 6th graders, which is now the foundation of a schoolyard gardening program at the Leonard and Cronin schools. In addition to implementing healthy community programming with local youth in schools and as part of our Green Team program, Rose also works more broadly to develop dynamic partnership opportunities from which our youth can learn and thrive. Prior to joining GWL, Rose worked with the non-profit Lawrence Grassroots Initiative as an Environmental Justice Coordinator and as a Community Organizer of "Human Rights Week." Rose graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Communication. Rose is pursuing certification as an Arborist, is certified as a Master Urban Gardener and ServSafe and has received training in Asthma Environmental and Clinical Issues.

Kathryn Prybylski, Project Manager

Kathryn joined the GWL staff as Project Manager in May 2007. In this capacity, she is responsible for coordination with contractors and professionals involved in a variety of landscape and infrastructure improvements throughout Lawrence, including the Riverwalk Trail, Spicket River Greenway, and the community garden sites. She is overseeing GWL's expanding role in supporting low-impact development (LID) practices in the city and Lawrence's Open Space and Recreation Plan renewal. Kathryn most recently worked as a Project Engineer for Environmental Partners Group in Quincy, MA designing infrastructure improvements for public and private entities on the South Shore and Cape Cod. Previously she served for four years as a Civil Engineer for the Town of Ithaca, where she oversaw enforcement of Erosion Control Practices at construction sites within the Town as well as site design for public works improvements. Kathryn holds a B.S. in Agricultural and Biological Engineering with an Environmental Engineering Concentration from Cornell University.

Janel Wright, Community Programs Manager

Janel began working with GWL as the Program Coordinator for the Live Lawrence! Initiative, a series of arts and cultural events aimed at celebrating culture, creating civic pride, and fostering a healthy creative economy. As of October 2008, she joined GWL full-time and manages our Community Food Programs, including the Farmers Market, the Community-Supported Agriculture and the Share-a-Share program, and the city's growing network of Community Gardens and gardeners. Janel also assists with Community Education and manages the Schoolyard Gardens program. Prior to joining GWL, Janel worked as a Community Advocate at North Shore Community Action Programs in Peabody, MA assisting the low-income, immigrant, and disabled populations of the North Shore in the areas of immigration, affordable housing, and public benefits. Janel has also volunteered on organic farms, both locally and in Italy, where she spent six weeks in the fall of 2007. She is a near-fluent Spanish speaker and learned Spanish while studying abroad in Latin America. She holds a B.A. in Sociology and Social Work from Gordon College.

The Green Team

Green Team-Summer '09The Groundwork Lawrence Green Team is a year-round program that offers part-time, paid employment for 10 Lawrence high school students each year. Members learn about and lead local environmental and healthy community initiatives, conduct research, raise awareness, challenge their peers to do community service and participate in hands-on improvement projects throughout the city. The program is intended to promote the protection and restoration of Lawrence’s critical ecological systems, natural resources and public health by engaging teens in advocacy and service-learning focused on the community’s parks, streets, gardens, waterways and vacant open spaces. The Green Team program has dual goals: to prepare Lawrence’s youth for a lifetime of environmental and healthy community leadership, and to invest in Lawrence’s future capacity to improve its physical environment.

Allie Evarts, LISC AmeriCorps Intern

Allie Evarts joined the GWL team in May 2010 when she returned to her hometown of Concord, MA after her freshman year of college at George Washington University. Allie was first introduced to Groundwork at the beginning of her spring semester in Washington, DC when she interned for Groundwork Anacostia River, DC. Allie had a desire to continue working with Groundwork after a semester of work with the two-year-old branch in Washington, DC, so she joined the Groundwork Lawrence branch as a LISC AmeriCorps intern this summer. Her continued work with Groundwork represents her desire to study Environmental Studies and Political Science at GWU. Allie also has a passion for Outdoor education, in previous summers Allie has been involved in a number of outdoor youth programs including the National Outdoor Leadership School in Montana and Idaho and the Chewonki Foundation in Maine and Vermont. She will be co-leading the Green Team program this summer, and is excited about the week-long Youth Summit to the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire to kick off the summer.

John Haak, Summer Intern

John is interning at GWL for the summer. At GWL, he will be working on policy research as well as multiple community outreach events such as National Night Out and the Spicket River Cleanup. He will also work with Groundwork USA, GWL’s national affiliate, which works on behalf of all Groundwork trusts. John recently finished his freshman year at Northwestern University where he is the Community Service Chair of his fraternity and a member of the Roosevelt Institute, a public policy think-tank for college students. John is excited to be working for GWL this summer.

Chelsea Hogan, Forest Foundation Summer Intern

Chelsea is working with GWL this summer as a Forest Foundation intern. She will be supporting GWL’s youth programs with a focus on Green City Corps and the Green Team, as well as other various community projects. Chelsea will be a junior at Tufts University in the fall, where she is studying environmental studies and chemistry. Last year she was involved in the Leadership Campaign, as a Tufts media coordinator, in its effort to encourage Massachusetts to pass a bill supporting 100% clean electricity in the state by 2020.

Wanny Munoz, Bank of America AmeriCorps Intern

Wanny began working for GWL as a part of our Green Team in the summer of 2006. At the time she was a sophomore at Lawrence High School. Since then Wanny has graduated at the top of her class in 2009 with honors and she’s continued to work closely with our organization as well as with other non-profits in Lawrence. Previously she was an academic mentor and administrative assistant at Lawrence CommunityWorks’ Movement City, a youth center that is focused on students who have a passion for the arts. She now attends Stonehill College and has returned to GWL as a LISC AmeriCorps/Bank of America intern for our organization. Wanny continues to show her passion for her community through her work with the youth of her city, in hopes of making a positive lasting impact.

Jennifer Pagan, Bank of America AmeriCorps Intern

Jennifer Pagan has been a part of the GWL team for over 5 years. She first began working with the GWL Green Team at the age of 13 where she participated in many of GWL’s projects, engaged youths and residents in city-wide events, and practiced becoming a role model for future members. She has been given the opportunity to rise into a higher position in GWL, becoming a LISC AmeriCorps/Bank of America intern and serving as one of two leaders in the first- time Summer Stewards program this summer. Jennifer recently graduated from Lawrence High School’s Humanities and Leadership Development School. She is a proud recipient of the POSSE Foundation Leadership Scholarship which awards full-tuition scholarships to attend select colleges and universities. This upcoming fall Jennifer will be attending Bryn Mawr College.

Samantha Palazzo, Forest Foundation Summer Intern

After being selected for the Forest Foundation Internship Program, Samantha was been paired with GWL for the 2010 summer season. She will be working on a variety of different projects for GWL that include outreach and development of CSA and Farmers Market Programs and designing new outreach and informational materials including an overhaul of GWL’s website. In the fall, Samantha will be traveling to Champlain College’s Dublin Campus for her junior year, where she will continue her studies in Graphic Design.

Anna Rickards, LISC AmeriCorps Intern

Anna is a GWL 2010 LISC AmeriCorps Summer Intern. She is one of the co-leaders of Green Team this summer, but is also helping to manage the various Farmers’ Markets in Lawrence as well as working with Community and Schoolyard Gardening programs. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Anna moved to Lawrence this year to work as a dance teacher for Movement City, part of Lawrence CommunityWorks. Anna received her B.S. in Biology from Oberlin College, and since graduating has been growing food and educating youth on both rural and urban farms in Ohio and Milwaukee. She loves dancing, gardening, cooking, and working with youth.