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Aimee Esposito
Executive Director
Aimee was born and raised in Phoenix, growing up next to Piestewa Park. She has always had an appreciation for both the function and beauty of the desert environment. Aimee attended ASU where she learned the importance of bridging fields, receiving a BS in Geography and a BA in English Literature. Later Aimee ventured to Monterey, California where she spent two years earning a Master's degree in International Environmental Policy. Aimee returned to the Valley and has been with Trees Matter since 2013 becoming Executive Director in 2016. She is currently studying to become a certified arborist. Aimee’s favorite tree changes often, but a favorite trees is the Native Mesquite.
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Amie Perea
Operations Manager
Hailing from Colorado, Amie embraced Arizona as her new home in 2018, drawn to its desert landscapes and thriving communities. She brings expertise in urban forestry, nonprofit management, and anthropology to her role as Operations Manager at Trees Matter. Passionate about fostering sustainable, community-focused initiatives, Amie is committed to expanding Arizona's tree canopy and ensuring everyone benefits from trees. With years of experience managing diverse projects, she enjoys building systems that streamline operations and support growth. Inspired by the Trees Matter mission, Amie thrives on empowering individuals and creating meaningful partnerships. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring creative ways to share her values of kindness and building connections in her community. While food-producing trees like citrus and native mesquites are her favorite, she has a soft spot for the beauty and scent of the Texas Mountain Laurel. | Ariel Stone Outreach Manager
Ariel is born and raised in Arizona, having grown up in downtown Phoenix. She graduated from ASU with a BS in Nonprofit Leadership and Management, and has volunteered for nonprofits since a young age. She volunteered with Trees Matter while a freshman at ASU and is glad to be back as part of the team! Ariel values the importance of trees and other plants native to the desert southwest, and is particularly interested in ensuring that they thrive in a rapidly growing urban setting. While she’s excited how fast Phoenix has been growing both culturally and economically in recent years, she believes Trees Matter can have impact on making sure this growth happens in the most sustainable way. She loves traveling, drawing, yoga, and live music. Ariel’s favorite tree is the Palo Verde.
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Brittany Rinear Brittany has an extensive background in customer service, and is passionate about supporting our organization. After graduating from McClintock High School in Tempe, she lived in Portland, OR, and Santa Rosa, CA, where she developed a deep appreciation for ocean winds and cypress trees. Brittany is now a visual artist, creating and selling abstract paintings with various mediums, and is a ceramics student at Phoenix Center for the Arts. Her passion for gardening is mostly limited to indoor plants, especially in the summer! After providing occasional support for past projects, she is excited to move into a more substantial role at TM! | Ali Guttenberg Ali was born and raised in North Carolina and recently moved to Arizona to join the Trees Matter team. Ali will be working with the Trees for Schools program to expand environmental education for students and teachers. They graduated in May 2021 with a BA in Environmental Studies and a minor in Geological Sciences. They spent many summers working and attending summer camp and are excited to join their passion for the environment and working with kids. Ali deeply values trees for environmental stewardship mitigation impacts as well as their beauty. Ali is enjoying learning about Arizona trees and cannot wait to be in the classroom teaching! Outside of work they enjoy hiking, crafting, live music, and are currently learning to play the banjo. Ali’s favorite tree in the Tulip Poplar! | Oscar Valencia Oscar is currently an ASU senior studying Sustainability with a focus in ecosystems sustainability. He loves to go hiking and camping, and wants to help build a more sustainable city. He can’t wait to make a positive contribution to the community and start off his professional career with such an impactful organization. His favorite tree is the Blue Palo Verde because they provide shade and a snack during spring! |
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Maya Jay Rawn Maya was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She is a passionate advocate for sustainability and nature, with a background in architecture and landscape design. Thrilled to collaborate with Trees Matter, she contributes to initiatives that bring shade to Arizona's valley, optimizing our city for future generations. Maya's hobbies include birdwatching, stargazing, photography, music, and designing environmentally conscious wildlife habitats. Her current favorite tree is the Jacaranda, with its beautiful purple flowers that attract hummingbirds. | Jessica Hummel Jessica’s vision is to protect and create a thriving future for our natural ecosystems and communities while influencing others into action towards creating a resilient and sustainable world. Before moving to the Phoenix area in 2016, Jessica grew up in a small Iowa town of 3,000 people. After moving to the desert, she fell in love with the desert environment through completing two rounds of the 52 Hike Challenge – hiking 52 hikes in 52 weeks. From this love she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sustainability with an emphasis on ecosystems. She will receive her master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership in 2025, as well as a graduate certificate in Project Management. Jessica interned with Trees Matter for two semesters in her undergrad before joining the staff. Her mission is to use her communication skills to inspire others to make sustainable changes in their lives and cultivate a desire to protect our environment and to help others. Her favorite tree is Grandmother Willow from Pocahontas. | Jacob Ivy Jacob loves trees! Especially in the Sonoran Desert, where he was born and raised. His favorite trees include Velvet Mesquite, Desert Ironwood, and Elephant Tree (Bursera Microphylla). His passions include sustainability, backpacking, mountain biking, triathlon, and gardening. Jacob’s professional background started in technical accounting and programming. He later received a Master’s degree in Sustainable Solutions through ASU and worked in ESG consulting. In 2022, Jacob traded his keyboard for a shovel. He received a Water Harvesting Design Certification through Watershed Management and started a landscaping company, Sustainable Sonoran Landscapes. He continues to design and install passive water harvesting systems while simultaneously working for Trees Matter. He believes Phoenix residents can reduce water usage, work towards food sovereignty, increase native habitat, and improve their own well-being by connecting to the Sonoran Desert through their landscapes. Let’s plant more trees! |
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Keetra Bippus Keetra is a Journalism and Computer Science major at Arizona State University. She has been passionate about the environment since childhood and has loved working for Trees Matter for the past two and a half years, as an intern. She is a recipient of multiple national awards for reporting, including the 2024 Hearst Award for Investigative Journalism. Keetra's work in her position consists of supporting the management of all TM social media platforms. Apart from reading and volunteering, she loves to exercise and hang out with her cat! Her favorite tree is the Ponderosa Pine. | Emily Noelke Emily is a senior at Arizona State University, graduating in May 2025 with a Bachelor's of Landscape Architecture alongside a minor in Sustainability Studies. She enjoys spending her free time practicing yoga, or spending time outdoors with friends, exploring and connecting with nature. During her time at Trees Matter, Emily aims to develop an expertise in nonprofit operations and gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of this field. She is eager to learn effective strategies for engaging with the community and build meaningful connections with colleagues and community members, while increasing Phoenix's tree canopy. Emily is thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with a dynamic and inspiring team, gaining valuable insights, to grow personally and professionally. Emily's favorite tree is the desert willow, admired for its trumpet-shaped flowers that attract and sustain our lovely pollinator species here in the Valley. Emily's favorite tree is the Desert Willow! | Alec Bracken Alec was born and raised in the Valley, which inspired a deep appreciation for the desert environment. In college he studied political science for his BA and Liberal Studies for his Masters. In these programs he centered his projects and studies on environmental and sustainable matters. During the Trees Matter internship, he hopes to witness those environmental studies in action. Alec wants to gain valuable experience and work towards the sustainable and lush world he actually wants to live in. Alec enjoys yoga, working out, hiking, exploring, cooking, or sitting in a coffee shop catching up with friends. Alec's favorite tree is the Fremont Cottonwood! |
The Office734 W. Polk St. Phoenix, AZ 85007 | Our office is in the building of The McKinley Club, a co-sharing workspace. Feel free to ask around--we all know each other. We look forward to seeing you soon! To mail something, please use our mailing address listed on the right. | Mailing AddressPO Box 2648 Phoenix, AZ 85002 |