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

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 works in the area of Donations and Communications at Louisville Grows. She lives in Henry County on a small farm and is an avid gardener and a family caretaker. She is a great believer in urban agriculture and small farms. When people grow things with their own hands, life has much more meaning! Louisville Grows is an awesome organization with a great message: Growing greener, healthier neighborhoods! 

donations@louisvillegrows.org

Born in Ethiopia, Tarik Maddox was adopted when she was five years old and raised in Louisville. At 19, she moved to California and lived there for five years. She is now back in Louisville and has two more semesters at JCTC before transferring to UofL in the Fall 2025. She is majoring in Sustainability with a minor in Social Justice. She enjoys music (listening and playing), walking/hiking, cooking, caring for her plants and her 16-year-old cat, PJ. Tarik served as an intern at Louisville Grows from May-November 2024 and is now the Urban Forestry Assistant. 

treeassistant@louisvillegrows.org