Posts Categorized: News

Meet a Board Member: John Crowder

January 2026

A lifelong gardener joins the Capital Trees Board, bringing deep roots, design insight, and a passion for the natural world that connects and calms.

We’re delighted to introduce John Crowder, one of Capital Trees’ newest Board members. John brings a passion for gardening and landscape design to the Board, along with years of experience in landscape maintenance and a strong belief in the power of gardens and parks to connect and restore communities.

Molly Anderson has been involved with Capital Trees since the very beginning, and is now serving her second term on our Board of Trustees. She brings legal experience to the Board, and has used it to help us navigate personnel and governance issues. She is particularly interested in helping foster our community engagement, and her long-term commitment to our work is a testament to her passion for our mission. Read our Q & A below to learn more about her and her perspective.

We’re happy to have Lee Mallonee as one of our new Board Members. Lee was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia and has always preferred to spend his time outside. He sought out an environment-focused career that would allow him to do just that, starting out working as the Superintendent of Parks for the city of Wilmington, North Carolina before returning to Richmond where worked as a land planner/landscape architect. Lee is certified as a Professional Wetland Delineator and started a local company in the late 1980’s to provide wetland delineation and regulatory permitting,

We’re excited to feature Brian Kinnear, Treasurer and Capital Trees Board Member. Brian has been involved with Capital Trees in one way or another for a few years. He’s gotten his hands in the dirt during a volunteer workday with his previous employer and has served on multiple committees before joining the Board. Brian has spent many years as a city-dweller, giving him a keen perspective on just how important greenspaces are for those seeking respite from the fast-paced life in the city.

Capital Trees was honored to co-host, alongside the Richmond English Speaking Union, Mayor and Mayoress Pyne of Richmond upon Thames for a visit to Richmond, Virginia, including a tour of our Low Line project. This exchange highlighted the profound connections between our two cities, rooted in shared values for landscape strategies that promote resilience, vibrancy, and community well-being.

During the visit, we explored our mutual dedication to preserving and restoring vital natural landscapes.

Beth Gullette is a consulting psychologist and human resources leader with 30 years of experience spanning people operations, organizational consulting, executive coaching, applied psychology, and research. She currently serves as Chief People Officer at Well, a health tech company, where she has built and led the HR function since the company’s founding stage in 2019. We’re thrilled to have Beth on our Board of Trustees, her experience in leadership and organizational development is incredibly valuable to our organization as we continue to grow.

At the intersection of Chimborazo Blvd., Oakwood Ave., and P St. sits a small urban space with a handsome memorial celebrating the life of Richmonder James S. Christian, Jr.  A brief biography about Mr. Christian can be found here:  https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/christian-james-s-1918-1982/

The Church Hill Central Civic Association (CHCCA) reached out to Capital Trees to help apply for a grant to create a beautiful and functional open space at this intersection, in the heart of the community. 

August 21, 2023

Hotchkiss Green Groundbreaking

Contact:  Shelly Barrick Parsons, Executive Director for Capital Trees, 804.788.6450

Event date:  Monday, August 26, 2024, 5:30 pm

Event type:  Groundbreaking celebration and ice cream social

Location:  Hotchkiss Field Community Center, 701 E Brookland Park Blvd, Richmond, VA 23222

In partnership with City of Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities and thanks to investments by individuals,