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BNAN Staff Descriptions

Valerie Burns has been with BNAN since 1987, first as Executive Director, then as President. She oversees strategic planning and the long-term vision of the organization as well as day-to-day operations, programming and fundraising. Before joining BNAN, Valerie served as Planning Director for the Boston Harbor Association, and Director of Planning for the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. Valerie earned her Bachelor of Arts in art history, film and photography from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and also completed special studies in art history at Loyola University in Rome, Italy.

Vidya Tikku has served as Vice President with BNAN since 2005, responsible for development and fundraising as well as overall supervision of Urban Wilds, the Greenway projects and various special projects. She came to BNAN after working as Program Manager for the City of San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council, and Program Manager for the Sustainable Living program in India. Vidya earned her certificate in Enterprise Management, IIT, India, and her Masters in Urban Design & Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Jeremy Dick is BNAN’s Horticulturist, responsible for operating BNAN’s City Natives campus, developing and implementing horticultural programming, and providing maintenance services to BNAN’s community gardens. Before joining BNAN, Jeremy served on a re-vegetation crew working within Mount Rainier National Park in Ashford, Washington. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from the University of New Hampshire and completed the Horticultural Training Program of the Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain. Jeremy was an Americorps volunteer, and currently serves as a Plant Conservation Volunteer with the New England Wildflower Society.

Jo Ann Whitehead has been BNAN’s Garden Educator for more than a decade, responsible for developing gardening and environmental education curricula, including for the annual Master Urban Gardener certification program. Before joining BNAN, Jo Ann was Education Manager for Garden Futures and Project Manager for the Dorchester Safe Yards Program, Jo Ann earned her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology, sociology, health and physical education and recreation from Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana.

Candice Cook has joined BNAN as the Program Manager in early 2007. Candice has worked with urban middle and high school youth in education and environmental science for the past four years, here in Boston and out in the woods in Oregon. She served as a Teaching Fellow for Citizen Schools in Boston and as Education Outreach Coordinator for the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library. She also worked as Outdoor School Program Leader for the Multnomah Education Service District in Portland, Oregon, and as Education Assistant for the Urban Ecology Institute in Chestnut Hill.Candice just completed her Masters in Education, specializing in curriculum and instruction from Lesley University. Candice earned her undergraduate degree in Geography from Arizona State.

Shea Ennen has been with BNAN since 1987 and is the Operations Manager, providing administrative support for all aspects of BNAN operations. He also plays a vital role as the field coordinator for many of the BNAN programs. Shea is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts/Boston/College of Public and Community Service. Linking open space advocacy with civic responsibility, Shea is a member of the Executive Committee of the Clam Point Civic Association in Dorchester; he is a veteran of the US Navy.

Karen Chaffee comes to BNAN with a background in horticulture, environmental education and landscape design. After building her career in New York City as an environmental educator in the public schools, an Urban Park Ranger, and a horticulturalist with the Battery Parks City Parks Conservancy she returned to her hometown of Boston in 2006. Since pursuing a Masters degree in landscape design from the Conway School of Landscape Design and Planning in 2007, she has worked towards strengthening her Bostonian roots through continuing her work as a garden educator with youth and guiding communities through the landscape design process. Most recently she worked as a CityRoots Project Coordinator with the Urban Ecology Institute collaborating with Boston neighborhood groups to help them actualize their visions to turn underused or neglected land into vibrant green community spaces.

Kim Kudrna has been a program assistant with BNAN since 2001, managing all aspects of membership recruitment and retention, serving as a coordinator for various BNAN programs, and acting as key liaison for community gardeners. In the past year, she has also taken on the role of newsletter production manager, driving the layout and printing on the organization’s primary communication tool. Before joining BNAN, Kim was a personnel assistant for the U.S. Census Bureau and a publicity assistant for Houghton Mifflin Publishing.