Our Team

Roseann Bongiovanni has led on environmental justice for almost 30 years. She founded GreenRoots in 2016 as an independent organization after previously leading this work as an unincorporated grassroots committee. She helped lead a collective response to the COVID-19 crisis in Chelsea and East Boston. Her work and leadership have resulted in Chelsea’s recognition as a Culture of Health Prize Winner in 2017; and GreenRoots being recognized as a Social Innovator in 2018 and a US EPA Merit Award in 2021. Under Roseann's leadership, GreenRoots celebrated the grand opening of our "Teaching Kitchen," a space created by Chelsea residents to promote healthy eating and cultural exchange. She has raised and managed millions of dollars for various projects and has won several awards for her work. A Chelsea native, Roseann has served as a City Councilor, holds a Master of Public Health and is a proud mother of two strong-minded children.

Ceci grew up in Guatemala and has a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences & Latin American Studies from Smith College and a Master of Forestry from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

Ceci has researched topics such as conservation genetics, forest and land governance, environmental justice, and gender equality issues related to the distribution and access to natural resources in Latin America and the United States. Additionally, she has led initiatives to increase capacity building and technology transfers tailored to local communities in human-impacted/modified landscapes.

Over the years, she has sharpened her ability to apply a social and environmental justice lens to create sustainability and environmental programming, communication tools, and inclusive and equitable strategies. As a result, she’s more effective in envisioning a thriving world that does not exist, but that can be co-created with and for the wellbeing of the community.

Mónica, a lifelong resident of Chelsea, brings a community-focused approach to policy development, advocacy, and organizing. With a robust background in DEI awareness, social justice strategy, and non-profit administration, she is dedicated to leading transformative campaigns in health equity, transit justice, and anti-displacement.

In her previous roles, she ensured equitable access to services for Multilingual Learners at Boston Public Schools. Transitioning to The Neighborhood Developers as the Chelsea Community Building Manager, she adeptly identified community needs, oversaw impactful programs to bolster housing and economic self-sufficiency, and played a role in fostering community leaders. She now works as the Director of Health Equity and Mobility of GreenRoots.

Mónica's dedication extends to her volunteer work, including event planning for Concert of Hope and serving on boards such as the City of Chelsea Board of Library Trustees. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2016, with a minor in Asian American Studies.

Mónica's leadership and commitment have earned her prestigious accolades, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Young Adult Dreamers and Achievers Award. With her expertise and passion, Mónica continues to drive positive change, making a tangible difference in her community and beyond. 

Samay is a queer Andean descendant, a proud brujandera originally from Quito, Ecuador, and rooted in the values they learned growing up in a colonized country where their community has had to constantly defend their sovereignty and their right to honor their land. Growing up, Samay learned from organizers who have fought against the brutality, dehumanization, and social and economic devastation caused by oil extraction in the Amazon. As well as from the elders and fellow guerrerxs who continue to demand autonomy over women's bodies and rights of the LGBTQIA community in Latin America. Samay migrated to Nipmuc Land (Massachusetts)  as a teenager and continued their commitment to liberation movements as an organizer, a policy advocate, a community weaver, artist, and healer. Samay has over 13 years of experience working in grassroots movements, government, schools, nonprofit, philanthropy, public health, and higher education. Samay is also a Doula and a Spanish medical and community interpreter. As the Director of People & Culture at GreenRoots, I approach the visioning and implementation of systems, and relationship and
culture building from a deep commitment to contribute to our shared liberation. For Samay, culture building is dynamic, a living process, and one that requires: intention, creativity,
accountability, consent, self and collective reflection, and community care.

Sascha brings over 25 years of experience advancing health, nutrition, and well-being for children and families. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to equity, community voice, and systems-level change.

She has partnered with community-based organizations, governments, and nonprofits across the U.S. and globally to design and strengthen programs that reflect local priorities. Sascha has led fundraising and development efforts that align resources with community-driven solutions, supporting sustainable, mission-focused growth. Her approach to development is rooted in relationship-building, collaboration, and the elevation of community voices.

Sascha is passionate about working alongside communities to co-create solutions that are respectful, responsive, and sustainable. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that inspire action.

She holds a PhD in International Nutrition and a Master’s in Food Policy and Applied Nutrition from Tufts University and is fluent in English and Spanish.

Yaritza began her career advocating for environmental justice at the age of 14 as an ECO member. She has worked on campaigns fighting for improved air quality; organized teens around issues related to youth spaces and waterfront access; and organized community events including the Chelsea River Revel. 

Throughout her tenure at GreenRoots, Yaritza has taken on various roles, progressing from an organizer to program coordinator, to the Director of Operations and now as the Deputy Director. In 2023, Yaritza led GreenRoots through a comprehensive organizational assessment, initiating a restructuring process that allowed the team to pause, reflect, and reimagine strategies to ensure the organization’s long-term sustainability while prioritizing the health and wellness of its staff. As Deputy Director, she oversees the finance, operations, communications, and human resources teams, ensuring the continued growth and success of the organization.

A lifelong Chelsea resident, Yaritza holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and is fluent in Spanish. She is a proud wife and mother of three daughters.

John is an East Boston resident who has been a committed advocate for environmental justice and immigrant rights in his neighborhood for the past twenty years. Starting in 2017, John has led GreenRoots’ work in East Boston and along the waterfront of the Chelsea Creek. John worked for a decade in hazard risk assessment and mitigation, and natural resource management in Central America and the Caribbean for NGOs, the US government, and the United Nations. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Archaeological Sciences from Boston University and a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Kiera Alventosa is passionate about environmental justice, and the fundamental right of every person to live, work, and play in healthy environments. She believes in recognizing and uplifting the leadership of community members in decision making spaces. She came to the work from her family’s history with environmental injustice and her parent’s immigration from Spain to the United States. 

She graduated from the University of Oxford with a Master’s of Science in Environmental Governance, and from the University of Warwick with a Master’s of Arts in Writing, where she specialized in environmental justice storytelling. She attended Amherst College to study English and environmental studies and cares deeply about who is centered in conversations about environmental change.

Prior to joining the team at GreenRoots, Kiera was an organizer for Clean Water Action, where she worked in Chelsea and other communities on the environmental health issue of lead in drinking water. In her free time, she loves to read, write, and spend time under trees.

Jazmin is full of Chelsea Pride and a passion for all things that are alive. She is excited to be a part of the fight to foster community and access to nature in the very same community that offered her family a home in the United States.

Jazmin graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors in Biology and Marine Science in 2020. Since then she has worked as a teacher in Chelsea, both at the ILP and various local youth groups. During the pandemic, she researched longitudinal immunity in COVID patients. Later, she worked with NOAA collecting data on commercial fishing vessels to inform their policy and marine conservation efforts. Each of these experiences taught her different skills and shaped the lens through which she sees the world. She is excited to continue sharpening her professional toolkit and shaping her perspective on the world through her work at Greenroots.

In her free time, she loves to further explore the world through hiking and food. She loves to identify different plant and animal species on her hikes and learn about their different dynamics. She also loves to try different foods by patronizing restaurants around the world and recreating her favorites. 
 

Mitikei was born and raised in Ethiopia and came to the US in 2016. She majored in mathematics and minored in physics at Addis Ababa University. She has worked as a math tutor, clerk, accountant and translator. She loves to learn foreign languages and has taught English, French, German and Amharic (the national language of Ethiopia).

Mitikei was a founding member, finance officer and volunteer at a local organization called Empower Youth Ethiopia, where she worked on youth HIV awareness. She is passionate about making an impact on young people’s futures, public health, housing equity and environmental justice. She now works to support her Chelsea neighbors as a GreenRoots community health worker and supports the transit justice team. 

Mitikei enjoys writing poems in Amharic, listening to church hymns and reading. She likes to share her life experience to benefit others, especially young people, in order to motivate and inspire them. 

Jojo is a culinary educator with a background in professional baking, team building, and community health. She studied Community Health and Sociology at Tufts University, going on to earn her Master’s in Public Health and Epidemiology. After years of conducting public health research at Tufts Medical Center, Jojo took a hard pivot to pursue her passion and became a professional baker. She most recently served as Head Baker at Somerville’s Forge Baking Company, where she taught community baking classes and developed her love of culinary education.
Jojo most enjoys applying the training skills honed in professional kitchens to community programming. She believes in collective cooking as a means of community building and cultural exchange, and strives to make the teaching kitchen a rich community space that helps empower those who use it. In her free time, you can find Jojo traversing the trails of Massachusetts as she trains for her next marathon.

Barbara is passionate about community building, storytelling, and working together to create an environment that supports everyone’s health. She also believes in making health and science information accessible to all. She holds a master's degree in environmental health from Boston University School of Public Health, which has supported her work in lead remediation, air quality, extreme heat, and community health initiatives. She is a proud writer and spends her free time freelancing as a writer. 

In 2024, she was funded by the Pulitzer Center to travel to Ecuador, her home, where she reported on an active volcano threatening nearby towns. She published this story in a national newspaper. In 2025, she was funded by the Center for Media Innovation and Social Impact at Boston University to write an op-ed about the climate movement and faith. If she is not at GreenRoots or writing on her couch, she is usually playing soccer with her friends and her husband, video-calling her mom, or reading mystery books. She lives in Chelsea and loves it, and appreciates the warm welcome and kindness from the residents.

Oscar is a local gardener and art director. As a former member of the Urban Farm Crew, Oscar has become increasingly engaged with GreenRoots’ urban growing space for several years. Now, he manages our hydroponic freight farm. Oscar has grown from a teen leader to a sophisticated farmer who has been growing his knowledge and experience with hydroponic farming. As a talented artist, Oscar has combined his love for and skill for art with his work to achieve health equity. An example of this can be found in his educational comics focusing on air quality and public health. Oscar’s favorite activity outside of distributing locally grown crops is carrying out free and fun art classes at our urban farm for the public. 

Meet Jamily - a vibrant and adventurous soul with a passion for life. She was born and raised in Chelsea and still is a lifelong resident. She came from retailing and leasing apartments to now being GreenRoots’ Admin Specialist. 

As a proud dog mom, Jamily finds joy in the playful antics and unconditional love of her furry baby. Jamily has discovered a new love for exploring the world and embracing new adventures, from breathtaking landscapes to culturally rich cuisine. When the sun is shining, you can catch her indulging in one of her favorite pastimes – sunbathing. Jamily's active lifestyle extends to her love for exercise, where she finds peace. She understands the importance of keeping both the body and mind in sync. 

In Jamily, you'll find a woman who cherishes the simple joys of life, embraces adventure, and spreads warmth and love wherever she goes.

Monica Barrera has been involved with GreenRoots for three years, starting as a seasonal Urban Farm Crew Member in 2023. Monica's extensive agricultural skills and familiarity with the communities of Chelsea and East Boston quickly made her a vital part of our urban growing spaces work. She is thrilled to now have a permanent position as GreenRoots' Senior Urban Farmer doing one of the things she enjoys most and knowing that the fruits of her labor are benefiting an entire community with fresh, organic food. 

Monica and her family have also volunteered with Tree Eastie in the past, caring for and planting trees. Monica has loved gardening since she was very young.  For the past nine years, she has maintained a raised bed at East Boston Hospital and helps build raised beds at some neighbors' homes in East Boston. 

She and her husband have two teenage sons and two cats. Monica completed her university studies in Colombia, earning a degree in Public Accounting and two specializations in Taxation and Auditing.  She has lived in the United States for 12 years, and during that time she has volunteered with various organizations. She also holds licenses to care for the elderly and young children.

Sari was born and raised in the Greater Boston Area before attending Case Western Reserve University to pursue a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. He started his career working in New York City as part of the construction management team for the Q-Line Subway Expansion. After a national energy crisis left his family in Lebanon without reliable access to electricity for months, Sari returned to Boston to join the movement for energy justice in and around his home city.

He is excited to be a part of the Microgrid initiative at GreenRoots and hopes its success can act as a proof of concept for communities around the world. In his free time, Sari enjoys reading, playing the trumpet, and losing at chess.

After 2 years of working as a volunteer with GreenRoots, Vladimir is joining the GreenRoots team. Vladimir is originally from San Salvador, El Salvador. He studied accounting at the Universidad Tecnológica de El Salvador and comes with 15 years of work experience with a specialization in taxes. Vladimir enjoys serving his community and giving back to what this great nation has given to him and his family. In his spare time, he likes to be with his family and enjoys experiencing the changes of each season. In addition, Vladimir likes to fish, play soccer, roller skate and bike. 

Noemy is Salvadoreña. She graduated high school in El Salvador and completed two years in the University Panamerican of El Salvador. In 2013, Noemy moved to East Boston for a better quality of life and easy access to the MBTA. When living in East Boston, Noemy faced eviction with three of her young sons which is when she got heavily involved with organizing around displacement with City Life / Vida Urbana as a community member. Since then, she’s organized East Boston residents facing similar struggles. Noemy is a dynamic leader who is widely recognized for her perseverance, ability to organize and her constant positivity. She has participated in various public forums, presentations and community events.

In her free time. She enjoys inviting people to join the movement, la lucha, for a better life free of forced displacement, free from depression, and for environmental justice to ensure clean air for all families in her neighborhood of East Boston.

Giovanny Zuniga Piamba is a Colombian who emigrated to Chelsea five years ago with his wife and two wonderful children, Valentina and Sebastián. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management, a Master's Degree in Project Management from the University of Lebrija in Madrid, and an MBA in Business Management from EALDE Business School in Florida.

He has experience working in public, cooperative, and solidarity economy entities, supporting vulnerable communities through social investment projects. In these roles, education and information access were fundamental pillars in achieving goals and positive outcomes. 

He has participated as a volunteer in different community programs, events, and festivals in Chelsea and East Boston. Additionally, he has facilitated training sessions on topics of interest for Latino communities.

As an immigrant who has gone through the process of adaptation and inclusion, Giovanny has sought to contribute to creating more effective communication channels between Latino communities and their environments. He believes that everyone should have the opportunity to realize what they can achieve with their previous knowledge and experience.

Anderson enjoys taking walks during the summer and staying active at the gym. He joined ECO because he is concerned about the impact of climate change on the City of Chelsea — summers are no longer as enjoyable as they once were. He believes the environment is very important, and we need to protect our access to trees and parks.

Hi my name is Denis the reason I decided to join ECO is because I wanted to make an impact on the earth and help out the community as much as I can!

Having a family member that was involved heavily in the Chelsea community sparked my interest in the community as a little girl. To be apart of ECO gives me the opportunity to further my passion for the environment and advocate for the social issues Chelsea residents face. Through ECO not only do I have a voice but so do the people of Chelsea.

The reason I wanted to join GreenRoots was because I’ve always loved to help others and helping the community I live in. And I want the people who live here to feel that they have a safe space to go to and to feel comfortable in.

Michael joined ECO to better help his community and to learn more about the environment. He enjoys working on small mechanical projects and computer programming

Nakoa loves listening to music and uses it in all aspects of her life, whether she is walking, cooking, or going about her day. She cares deeply about environmental justice because she can often advocate for both people's health and our environment. That is why she joined ECO.

Gloribel Rivas is Chief of Staff to State Representative Adrian C. Madaro, who represents East Boston in the Massachusetts Legislature. As an immigrant from El Salvador and a long-time East Boston resident, she has always been distinctly aware of the ways in which she and her loved ones are forced to fight for their basic health and wellness and locked out of opportunity simply because of who they are. This has driven her passion for social justice and solidified her solidarity with oppressed people, leading her to a career in public service.

Gloribel is enthusiastic about building genuine relationships within communities like hers that have traditionally been marginalized and excluded from the political process in order to achieve a more representative and responsive democracy. Through Representative Madaro’s office, she enjoys fostering those relationships to support Representative Madaro's work with residents from East Boston, Chelsea, and other communities across the Commonwealth in reclaiming open space and advancing environmental justice.

Abdi Ali is a community organizer and racial justice advocate who is a lifelong resident of East Boston. His most recent work focuses on systemic racism, housing, and immigration issues. To that end, Abdi has been the lead organizer of the Eastie Antiracism Community Coalition – a grassroots community led group advancing equity and racial justice in East Boston. In addition, Abdi has been involved in supporting numerous causes including housing justice efforts through City Life/Vida Urbana, the immigration and Human Rights Clinic at St. Mary’s University of Law, and various political campaigns to elect women of color in Massachusetts. 

Abdi currently works in the financial services sector and holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Denison University.

Marcos is a Professor of Geography & Sustainability and the Coordinator of the Geo-Information Sciences Graduate Program at Salem State University. He uses GIS technology to work with community partners to identify and address environmental justice issues locally and in the region, from transit (in)justice to climate change. He lives in East Boston with his wife and cats.

Elaine was born and raised in Governador Valadares, a city near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is the third of nine children. To Elaine, being in a large family started her in her ‘organizing path’, a path that continued from the age of fourteen when she got involved in community events.

She graduated from university with a degree in education and a diploma in child psychology. She taught for ten years. At that point she took a course in philanthropy and thus began a travel adventure that took her through the countries in the southern cone of South America. Elaine worked with indigenous communities and youth throughout while learning Spanish and appreciating other cultures.

Upon returning to Brazil, she continued her studies with a master’s degree in theology. For the past thirteen years Elaine has been in Chelsea as pastor of a community church and center that has as a basic tenet “we may not be able to change the world, but we can change lives.”  

The Revival Center offers classes in English, Martial Arts, twice-a-week food pantries, support groups all with an emphasis on health and social justice.

Beejan Asady is a microbiologist, public health researcher, and law student whose work has focused on the connection between environmental conditions and community health. A graduate of the University of Georgia and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, he is currently pursuing a law degree at Boston University. Beejan also provides pro-bono legal support to residents facing housing and record-sealing challenges. Through his experiences living in East Boston, he developed an appreciation for the critical work GreenRoots does in the community and is excited to contribute as a Board member. He is passionate about environmental justice, expanding green space, and improving public access to the waterfront.

Kesia Ascencio is a lifelong resident of Chelsea, Massachusetts. She graduated from Chelsea High School and has an Associate Degree in Business Administration. With 13 years of experience in the banking industry, Kesia has worked in various roles including Lead Recruiter for Randstad, Customer Service, Executive Assistant to the President of the Bank, and Banking Center Manager. She managed a banking center, volunteered in community events, and built business and customer relationships to meet their banking needs. Currently, Kesia is working in the Chelsea Public Schools system. She is also an active member of the Chelsea Restoration Corporation board and is a MA Notary Public and Tax Preparer. Bilingual in Spanish and English, Kesia is currently learning Portuguese. She loves plants and participating in community events. Kesia is the proud mother of two children: a beautiful and strong-willed daughter and a handsome and smart son.

Cara Christous is a newer East Boston resident, living there since 2023. She was first introduced to GreenRoots through multiple volunteer opportunities with her employer. She helped clean up garden beds and plant street trees in Chelsea. She was reintroduced through GreenRoots Teaching Kitchen, where you will often see her with her niece.

Cara likes to stay active in her neighborhood: organizing cleanups, maintaining gardens, and participating in many other volunteer opportunities that come up. She has worked in financial services for over 10 years, but previously taught high school English in South Korea for 2.5 years.

Grace Muwina is a dedicated and passionate community leader and activist. She plays a prominent role in many organizations and has been involved in the Chelsea Public Schools as an engaged parent. Grace has been a GreenRoots member for many years and has spoken at numerous conferences and events, participated in marches and protests and works persistently to bring about social and environmental justice. Grace is a former Chelsea resident, wife, mother, and fierce advocate for the health and well-being of all Chelsea residents.

Yahya is vastly knowledgeable in community-wide activities as he manages the website ourchelseama.org; and he works with several refugee populations and residents in need of medical attention. Yahya is a Chelsea homeowner, father, humble community leader and the owner of Tawakal Halal Cafe in East Boston.