Louisville Grows Green Team

The #mightyLGteam is passionate about improving our environment. We believe it is the right of every resident in our community to live in a neighborhood with good air quality, clean water and healthy, fresh food. Our team strives to educate, advocate and assist our community in being proactive in responding to the ecological and health risks associated with environmental inequity.

Lisa Dettlinger

Executive Director

Lisa Dettlinger is a people and tree hugger. She brings years of experience for engaging residents of neighborhoods to create a healthier and safer environment to Louisville Grows. Her career working for other local nonprofits has encompassed many aspects of community development addressing environmental and social justice issues within our urban communities.

At a very young age, Lisa’s mom led her in civic engagement by canvassing door-to-door and volunteering for various community organizations and political campaigns. Lisa served as the first woman to chair the Board of Supervisors for the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District. She has received the Earth Day Award from the Kentucky Environmental Quality Commission and the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Louisville Defender.

Lisa is most proud of her two sons, Max and Zach, and their interest to preserve and protect the environment and motivation to live sustainably. She finds tranquility in the peace of nature, especially when hiking among the trees and in the mountains. Lisa and her dog, HoneyB, escape to the local state parks as often as possible to enjoy the outdoors. Her other interests include growing her own veggies and fruits, kayaking, traveling, listening to music and dancing.

Ellie Davenport

Community Engagement Manager

Ellie is a Louisville native who you might’ve seen knock on your door to talk about free trees.

She is most passionate about building relationships with residents and helping them choose what trees they want for their property. She enjoys leading volunteer greenhouse and planting groups and throwing a shovel in the ground.

Ellie enjoys working at LG as she daily increases both her knowledge of tree species and her curiosity about the natural world. Trees provide numerous environmental, aesthetic, and health benefits and Ellie will happily tell you all about it. She is extremely grateful to have a role where she can be outside speaking with the community most days and trying to find places to put more trees into the ground (especially her current favorite tree, the tulip poplar.)

Ellie graduated from Centre College where she discovered her interest in working in environmental justice.

She currently lives in Germantown with human friends and cat-friend Gizmo. She enjoys hiking, gardening, and yoga, and is always exploring new hot sauces and music. She hopes that planting trees can bring shade and peace to both the current and future residents all around our city.

outreach@louisvillegrows.org

George Barnett

Urban Ag Manager

George Barnett is a Louisville native who originally grew up in the Beechmont area. He’s a self-directed student of botany, ecology, agroforestry, ethnobotany, archaeology, and natural history. He’s an avid reader, writer, conservationist, forager, backpacker, and angler. George is thrilled to be a part of the Louisville Grows team to help bring quality food sources and food sovereignty education to the Louisville community.

Additionally, George is the founder of The Hungry Forager, an environmental education program based in the southeastern region of North America. In the spring of 2024, George’s first book, Foraging Kentucky: An Introduction to the Edible Plants, Fungi, and Tree Crops of the Southeast, was published by the University Press of Kentucky.

When George isn’t propagating trees, gathering hickory nuts to eat, or growing vegetables, he enjoys running, meditative walks in the woods with a pen and pad of paper to write down seasonal observations, and spending quality time at home or in the backcountry with his wife Samantha and their three sons Levi, Cedar, and Emerson.

gardens@louisvillegrows.org

Colin Meadows

Urban Forestry Manager

Colin is a new Louisville resident who loves giving back to the community and forming relationships with new people. Whether it be running, swimming, or getting out on the trails, you will always find Colin moving and active. They love trying new things, challenging themselves and they find excitement in involving people in activities they are passionate about. If they’re not spending time in nature you can find Colin at concerts or getting lost at music festivals. They live happily with their two cats, Gaia and Smidge.

Colin was an intern with Louisville Grows for four months before joining the team as the Urban Forestry Manager. Working at LG allows them the opportunity to expand their tree knowledge and learn about new parts of Louisville every day. They are passionate about social and environmental justice and find purpose in making their community a healthier, greener place.

trees@louisvillegrows.org   

Shelia Joneleit

Donation and Communications Specialist

Shelia works in the area of Donations and Member Communications at Louisville Grows. She lives in Henry County on a small farm and is an avid gardener when not working as a freelance content specialist.

She is a great believer in urban agriculture and small farms. When people grow things with their own hands, life has much more meaning!

donations@louisvillegrows.org

Arthur Lemmons, III

Urban Forestry Assistant

I’m Arthur Lemons III, proud resident of Louisville, KY, and I am passionate about outdoor outreach and community development. With a background in data analytics, I’ve witnessed firsthand how local decisions can have significant impacts on our community.

As an urban gardener, I actively contribute to the well-being of our city and strive to be conscious of my environmental involvement. I believe in the power of community and look forward to growing together with all of you at Louisville Grows!

Board of Directors

Board Officers

Julie Donna – Chair
Kentuckians For The Commonwealth

Wade Jordahl – Vice Chair
Centene Corporation

Don Blocker – Treasurer
Eason Horticultural Resources

Kelly Wilkinson – Secretary
Louisville Public Media

Board Members

Mariah Baum — Wiley

Abbey Bowman-Rogers — Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness Center for Health Equity

Rita Butler – Retired

Julianna Clarke – Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness

 Shannon Delahanty — Owsley Brown II Family Foundation and Portland Museum

Michael Garton – Advantage Investment Management

Robin Hook – United States Census Bureau

Lisa Howard – Beechmont Buds

Kaye McAfee – Kentucky Housing Corporation

Tracy Malone – OneWest

Jane Morrison – Script and Ledger

Garth Padgett – Everstream Solutions

Alicia Race – Union of Concerned Scientists

James Russell Bushong – RFX Technologies

Jim Zoeller — UPS

JOIN LOUISVILLE GROWS BUZZ!