Shelly Barrick Parsons is the Executive Director for Capital Trees. Shelly is a leader and collaborator that cares deeply about the relationship between people and the natural environment. She believes that green space provides a connection to our best selves, to one another, and to nature.
Shelly is a graduate of Meredith College (B.A.) and Union Presbyterian Seminary (MACE, MDiv, Phd). Shelly has led established ministries and non-profits. She served as founding Executive Director of Harless Center, a public-private partnership to build student housing. She brings wisdom on best practices for growing and sustaining an organization along with an understanding of success that includes both the return on investment and the transformation of individuals and communities.
She was drawn to Capital Trees because of her own love of getting outside to take a walk to reflect and to connect. During the pandemic, she experienced first hand how the need for inner reflection and interpersonal connection could be met by accessing public green spaces. For Shelly, green spaces build and sustain communities, teach us about our responsibility to be careful stewards of the natural world, and provide space for renewal and wellbeing. Email Shelly or call her at 804-788-6450.
Meg Clinard is Director of Administration for Capital Trees. Meg oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization, manages all correspondence with donors, coordinates board activities and works closely with our volunteers. For the last 15 years, she has assisted small businesses with office management and accounting, and she has been active in the Richmond community as a volunteer. Meg received her B.A. from Hollins University in 1978 and currently lives in Richmond with her husband Noel.
Email Meg or call her at 804-788-6450.
Anne Poarch is the Director of Advancement for Capital Trees. A Richmond-based author and entrepreneur, Anne grew up the youngest of five in North Carolina. After graduating cum laude from Wake Forest University, Anne traveled to Paris, where she worked as an au pair for the Picasso family, and attended the University of Paris, Sorbonne; finding herself sending more time in the public gardens than the museums. After her year-long sojourn abroad, she returned to live and work in Richmond where she lives today with her husband and two sons. Anne worked for twenty-two years in the financial services industry before leaving to start her own company and pursue her creative interests supporting environmental stewardship.
In 2016 Anne founded BASKET & BIKE, a bicycle tour company that promotes leisurely excursions in nature and along the bike lanes of Richmond, including The Low Line. Through her business and her poetry, Anne has empowered thousands of people to connect with the land and their communities in graceful, new ways. BASKET & BIKE gives back a portion of every tour to conservation causes in the Richmond area. Her two books of nature-based poetry, Flight: of butterflies and robins and other winged dreams (2017) and The Grit & Joy of Being (2019), both published by local press Belle Isle Books, round out a creative drive for authenticity and communing with our natural world. Visiting parks and gardens with her family, friends, and clients, remain among her most enduring and cherished memories, whether in Richmond or elsewhere. She considers supporting our public parks a civic responsibility and a gift to our shared community.
Email Anne or call her at 804-788-6450.
Jesse Palma is the Community Engagement Manager for Capital Trees. Jesse’s background is in environmental health research which primarily focuses on coastal geography and the synergy of ecology and socioeconomics within the Southeastern United States. She studied Environmental Geography, Civil Engineering, and Geographic Information Systems at Old Dominion University and is still contributing work to their Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience. Examples of such work include resilience assessments in rural and underserved communities and strategic planning for natural hazards and emergency management.
Palma spent her childhood playing in the swamps and marshlands of Virginia’s Tidewater region, affording her a deep understanding of the expansive and intrinsic value of conservation and green infrastructure. She is now dedicated to advancing knowledge on coastal development, green infrastructure planning, and public health. After being highly focused on STEM topics during her academic career, Jesse quickly realized that incorporating community engagement and education into climate resilience efforts is the way to advocate for long-term sustainable change. She believes that all communities deserve to not only have their voices heard, they are entitled to accessible information pertaining to the health and wellbeing of their families. Jesse is grateful to Capital Trees for the opportunity to share how green spaces directly influence climate resilience as well as physical and mental health with the residents of Richmond.
Email Jesse or call her at 804-788-6450.
