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Aimee Esposito
Executive Director
Aimee is a native Phoenician, 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.
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 climate change 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! | Ariel Stone Outreach Manager
(602) 390-6792 | ariel@treesmatter.org
Ariel is an Arizona native, 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.
Oscar Valencia
Community Outreach Coordinator
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! | 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!
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Thomas Touti Thomas graduated from ASU in 2014 with his Bachelor's in anthropology, with a focus on ethnobotany and behavioral ecology. Tom went on to serve as Coordinator and Project Manager for Chandler Gilbert Community College's community garden and Environmental Technology Center, and, in that position, he observed and developed the value of experiential learning in cultivating a "sense of place" through direct action. In 2018, combined skills from conventional landscaping with his experience in urban agriculture to start a business doing edible landscaping and permaculture design throughout the Valley. In his position at Trees Matter, his priorities continue to be equity, diversity, and community engagement. If you catch him at an event, stop to ask a question or chat about mycorhizzae, how we might address the staggering losses to our planet's collective store of germplasm, and the value of agroforestry in restoring complexity to our environment and fighting aridification in urban spaces. His favorite tree changes by the week! Currently he recommends the Amla, for its aridification toleration and reliability of its fruit. |
Flor Chávez Customer Communications Coordinator Flor was raised in Phoenix to first-generation immigrant parents. She received an M.S. in educational leadership from NAU and a B.S. in nonprofit leadership and management from ASU. She is a nonprofit professional with over a decade of experience in the sector and is passionate about empowering communities that are disproportionality affected by social inequalities. Flor believes that everyone deserves to experience the beauty of nature and that includes enjoying trees, especially in urban settings. She looks forward to supporting the Spanish-speaking community in the Valley through The SRP Shade Tree Program and is excited to be a resource for all. During her free time, Flor enjoys baking new recipes, biking Rio Salado Pathway, visiting the arboretum, and going on hikes with her family and their Whippet mix, Luna. Her favorite tree is the Red Push Pistache because although the leaves mature to green, during the fall season, they turn into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. | 
Keetra Bippus Social Media & Marketing 2023 Intern Keetra Bippus is a Journalism major at Arizona State University. She has been passionate about the environment since a kid. She looks forward to learning more about how she can serve her community through Trees Matter! Apart from writing and volunteering, she loves to read and hang out with her cat! Her favorite tree is a Ponderosa Pine. |
The Office734 W. Polk St. Phoenix, AZ 85007 |
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| 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!If you want to mail something to us please use our mailing address listed on the right. |
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