Board of Directors
Lana Dreyfuss, LCADC, CRC, HTR - President 2007-2009Ms. Dreyfuss is the Horticultural Therapy Coordinator at Melwood Training Center where she works with developmentally disabled adults in a vocational training setting. She also volunteers at the neighboring nursing homes bringing horticultural activities to the residents, and as a Master Gardener, she dedicates much time to their effort. Ms. Dreyfuss is the Founder and President of the Chesapeake Chapter of AHTA. She also just recently coordinated the "Celebration of HT", an educational seminar held at the US Botanical Garden in recognition of Horticultural Therapy Week. Ms. Dreyfuss is a member of the AHTA Nominations/Elections and Workshop Accreditation work teams.
Gabriela Harvey, HTR - Vice President 2007-2009
Ms. Harvey is the owner of the Horticultural Connection where she consults and provides therapeutic, recreational and educational services to individuals, schools and social service agencies. Previously she served as Coordinator of HT Contract Services for the Chicago Botanical Garden. Ms. Harvey serves at the Vice President of the AHTA Board, chairs the AHTA Certificate Program Accreditation work team and is a member of the AHTA Conference Planning work team.
Markus Wullimann, HTR - Treasurer 2007-2010
Mr. Wullimann manages the organizational structure of CooperRiis Healing Farm. He sees the most important aspects of his job as setting the right tone for staff so they will honor and uphold the CooperRiis mission: relationship and holistic centered care for residents. Mr. Wullimann recently completed his course work as a Registered Horticultural Therapist and serves as Treasurer for the AHTA Board of Directors. Born on a farm in Switzerland, Mr. Wullimann has an engineering degree in horticulture and managed his family farm in Switzerland until 1994 when he moved with his family to Atlanta, GA. In Atlanta he managed the Oglevee, GA Division of CooperRiis and their product network in Europe and Africa.
MaryAnne McMillan, HTR - Secretary 2007-2010
Ms. McMillan currently works at Rutgers Garden in New Jersey and serves as a Horticultural Therapist for Allies Inc. in Hamilton, NJ where she coordinates the Horticultural Therapy programs including development of the Farm Day Program for Special Needs Adults. Ms. McMillan also coordinates internships through these programs with Rutgers University and Temple University. Prior to her professional experience, Ms. McMillan attended Union College, Cook College, and received her Horticultural Therapy Certificate through the New York Botanical Garden. MaryAnne received her AHTA Professional Registration, HTR in December of 2008. Beyond her role with the AHTA Board of Directors, she also holds membership with the Master Gardeners RCE of Middlesex County, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of AHTA, the Meadows Foundation and the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Alumni Association.
Nancy Easterling, MSW, HTM - Immediate Past President
Ms. Easterling has worked for the North Carolina Botanical Garden since 1983 and is currently the Associate Director for Education. During the past 25 years, she has been involved in the NCBG Horticultural Therapy program providing management, professional training, consultation, undergraduate and graduate level internship supervision and direct services. Nancy holds a Masters Degree in Social Work and is professionally registered with AHTA at the Horticultural Therapy Masters (HTM) level. She has served on the AHTA Board of Directors since 1999, and as president from 2002-2007. Nancy was involved in the formation of the Carolinas Chapter of AHTA and served as president from 1998-2001. During her service with AHTA she has participated in the AHTA Professional Registration and Nominations and Elections workteams.
Directors at Large, 2006-2010 Term
Gwenn Fried
Ms. Fried has been a horticultural therapist for over 14 years. She is employed by The Glass Garden at New York University Langone Medical Center and ProjectFIND Aid for the Aged in New York City. She is the curator of the Children’s PlayGarden, Perennial Garden and Gimbel Garden and specializes in innovative program development for children and seniors. Gwenn serves on the Board of Directors of the American Horticultural Therapy Association and Metro Hort Group. She teaches in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Healthcare Garden Design Program and lectures internationally.
Sheila Taft, HTR
Ms. Taft has been registered as a horticultural therapist since 1992. Since 2001 she has led the nature classes at Cancer Lifeline in Seattle. Her past experience includes many years as work with the elderly, dementia patients, young adults with cerebral palsy, and with head injured and stroke patients. For twenty years she let interpretive tours for children of all ages at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle. Ms Taft has authored two articles on cancer support for the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, and is co-author of Indoor Nature and Plant Craft Activities, published in 2006. She is an Advisory Committee member of the University of Washington’s Healing Gardens Certificate Program, and has given many presentations both regionally and nationally. She currently serves as the Chapter and Regional Group work team leader for the AHTA in conjunction with her position on the AHTA Board of Directors. She is also the immediate past president of the NW Chapter of AHTA.
Directors at Large, 2007-2010 Term
Leigh Anne Starling, MS, CRC, HTR
Ms. Starling is a registered horticultural therapist and has been working in the field of horticultural therapy for the past 20 years. She is an independent consultant providing rehabilitative, vocational, and therapeutic services to groups and individuals. She also provides services in adaptive garden and greenhouse design. She currently supervises interns working towards their registration with AHTA, and lectures and leads workshops about horticultural therapy throughout California. Ms. Starling received her B.S. in Horticulture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and her M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Francisco State University. In addition, Ms. Starling has had articles published in The Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture and the California Chapter newsletter, the People/Plant Connection. She is a founding member of the California Chapter of AHTA and served as president from 2000-2004. Currently Ms. Starling serves on the Board of Directors of AHTA, chairs the Membership work team, and serves on both the Chapter and Conference work teams.
Directors at Large, 2008-2011 Term
Jack Carman, FASLA, RLA, CAPS
Mr. Carman is currently the president of Design for Generations LLC and a Landscape Architect with 20 years of experience in the analysis, planning, design, and management of outdoor spaces. As a design consultant, Jack has specialized in creating therapeutic exterior environments for senior communities and healthcare facilities. His design experience includes the creation of over 100 landscape plans for Assisted Living and Alzheimer residences, adult day health care centers, long term care facilities, continuing care retirement communities and healthcare facilities in over 12 states throughout the US. Mr. Carman is co-editor and contributing writer to the recently published book Re-creating Neighborhoods for Successful Aging. Additional book contributions include Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults and Interaction by Design. As a contributing writer for national publications, he has written numerous articles on the topic of connecting people. Jack actively works to promote the design and development on therapeutic gardens and landscapes through speaking engagements, audio-conferences and contributing to the publication of technical papers. He is an adjunct faculty member at Temple University teaching "Healing Garden Design" and "Introduction to Horticultural Therapy" and at the Chicago Botanic Garden School of Healthcare Garden Design Certificate Program.
Johanna Leos MAG, MBA, HTM
Johanna G. Leos has served on the AHTA Board of Directors since October of 2008; and, is a member of the Research and Professional Registration Work Team and is the Board Representative and Leader for the Internship Task Force. Ms. Leos served as the Vice-President of the Carolinas Chapter of the AHTA from 2002 until 2005. In 2002 the AHTA granted professional registration to Ms. Leos at the HTM level.
Steve Mitrione, MD
Mr. Mitrione was born and raised in the Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. He attended Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut where he received his BA degree in 1983 and met his future wife. After completing medical school at New York Medical College in 1987, Mitrione moved west where he completed residency in Family Practice at the University of Minnesota and now resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and daughter. Mr. Mitrione has practiced medicine in a variety of settings however it was during a cross country bicycle trip in 1999 that developed Mitrione’s idea to obtain a degree in Landscape Architecture. He received his degree in Landscape Architecture in 2006 and now divides his time between practicing medicine and as a research fellow at the University of Minnesota, Dept. of Landscape Architecture.
Rene Thompson, MS, CTRS, HTR
Ms. Thompson can thank her grandmother for her love of doting over and coaxing the earth to produce. Thompson first heard of the words “horticulture” and “therapy” put together while attending a 1998 master gardening course in Tennessee, her home state. Thompson immediately left her position as a research technician at the University of TN Veterinary School and received her Master’s of Science in Recreational Therapy two years later. Combined with courses in horticulture, horticultural therapy and a 500-hour internship at the Holden Arboretum (east of Cleveland, OH), Rene received her HTR shortly thereafter. Her earlier experiences have included using horticultural therapy with adults with mental retardation/developmental disabilities, children with special needs as well as individuals with physical disabilities. In 2003 Rene moved to Bloomington, Indiana where she developed horticultural therapy programs at three long-term care sister facilities in the recreation therapy departments. After more than four years in this capacity however, she left her position and launched her own business, The Therapeutic Vine, where she works to “branch out” and implement horticultural therapy programs in healthcare settings across Bloomington, Indianapolis and Columbus on a contract basis. Thompson also does garden design and gives presentations on plants for healthy indoor environments.
