Jes Takeda

Greenway Coordinator

Jes was born and raised in Los Angeles and has made the Bay Area their home. They began their career as an intern zookeeper at the Los Angeles Zoo through the North Hollywood High School Zoo Magnet, where they developed a passion for the natural world. Jes worked with the petting zoo programs and the Avian Conservation Center, which led to their selection as one of 10 fellows for the 2019 Duttenhaver Conservation Field Study Program in Costa Rica, where they researched pollinator responses to climate change.

Jes later earned a B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology with a focus on Biodiversity from UC Berkeley. During the pandemic, they researched moth diversity in Sulawesi, Indonesia, at the Essig Museum of Entomology and also completed a minor in Food Systems & Agroecology. Their interest in urban farming and community-building drew them to the Greenway Gardens at Urban Tilth. If you see them, say hi! If you see a bird, tell them about that too!

Contact: Jes@urbantilth.org

Brenda Rodriguez

Greenway Community Engagement Assistant

Brenda is the Green Community Engagement Assistant and a lifelong North Richmond resident. She is passionate about working closely with monolingual Spanish speakers and advocating for their voices to be heard. This dedication to supporting immigrant communities began early, inspired by her parents, who are immigrants, and her volunteer work at a nonprofit that champions immigrant rights and legal cases. Brenda loves spending time in nature, whether hiking, biking, fishing, or kayaking.

Contact: Brenda@urbantilth.org

Jorge Mendoza

Greenway Coordinator

Jorge Mendoza joined the Greenway team as a coordinator in 2023. Born and raised in South Central LA, Jorge is passionate about fitness, hiking, and leading a healthy lifestyle. His commitment to wellness inspired him to work with Urban Tilth, an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of communities. Growing up in a neighborhood similar to Richmond, where food deserts prevail and healthy options are scarce, Jorge wanted to contribute to meaningful change. At Greenway, he helps create a clean, safe space where Richmond residents can walk, enjoy the trails, and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables. For Jorge, the joy of seeing the community come together at local events and volunteer activities makes his efforts truly rewarding.

Contact: Jorge@urbantilth.org

Bruno Lara

Orchard for ALL! Project Manager

Bruno joined Urban Tilth in early 2016 and had the opportunity to experience all the growth within every program and site. Having been raised in Richmond and observing all the positive contributions made to the community, it motivated him to continue working with his community and give back. Witnessing the transformation of areas he was cautioned to avoid as a kid, now turned into parks and growing spaces for fruits and vegetables, served as inspiration for Bruno to strive for a better environment for future generations and the existing community. He now holds the position of Orchard for All manager, with the aim of providing people in the community the chance to access and cultivate different varieties of fruits and vegetables, while also contributing to the ongoing improvement of Richmond. Additionally, Bruno has been a source of inspiration for youth and others, encouraging them to take initiative in enhancing their community, much like Urban Tilth did for him.

Josue Mejia

CSA Coordinator/Greenway Community Engagement Assistant

Josue works as a Coordinator at CSA, where he packs and delivers 400 bags of goods weekly. He is also an invaluable assistant to the Greenway Community organizer, where he skillfully handles the Newsletter and manages Greenway Social Media and flyers. Josue is passionate about being a contributing member of his community. He is inspired by the sense of community that uplifts and supports each other.

Josue is a creative individual, and he thrives in his job’s freedom of expression and creativity. In his free time, he enjoys playing games with friends, walking his dog, hiking, exploring charming towns, spoiling his girlfriend, camping, shopping, and watching TV. Although Josue was born in San Francisco, he moved to Richmond when he was six. As he spent his entire school life in San Francisco, Urban Tilth has been his introduction to the community in his neighborhood.

Latifah Abdullah

North Richmond Farm Community Engagement Manager and Community Advisory Committee Convener

Latifah Abdullah, originally from Champaign, Illinois, now resides as a homeowner in unincorporated North Richmond. Within Urban Tilth, she plays a vital role in facilitating the North Richmond Farm Community Advisory Committee and serves as the editor of Restoring Tilth – The North Richmond Farm magazine.

Latifah actively engages with the community, participating in events like the fruit tree giveaway, the free farmer’s market with the Black Neighborhood, and supporting Verde Elementary’s Black Student Union. As a North Richmond resident, she actively participates in community initiatives and maintains open communication with community-based organizations, regulatory bodies, and elected officials regarding land use, hazardous materials, and sustainability.

Her aim is to unlock the full potential of the community – its people, land, and shoreline. Latifah prioritizes amplifying the voice of the community to enhance the quality of life for residents. She also spoke at the Green and Greener conference, emphasizing residents as stakeholders and advocating for comprehensive visioning, including funding to realize the vision.

With a corporate background in legal, compliance, and corporate governance, Latifah has worked across various industries, including benefits consulting, law, mortgage, and real estate. She previously utilized her business expertise to support women, small business owners, corporate executives, and nonprofits.

The #NoShade campaign drew Latifah to the North Richmond Farm. Additionally, she champions mental well-being and has created the course “Journey to Your Authentic Self.” She is also a co-author of Breaking the Silence: Unleashing the Power of Your Voice.

Latifah, of Choctaw and African descent, finds solace in spending time with her family and enjoys returning to Champaign to unwind and recharge.

Dominique Miller

Greenwway Gardens Coordinator

Daniela Tabora

Rudy Lozito Fellowship Program Manager

My name is Daniela, I joined Urban Tilth this year, as the Rudy Lozito Fellowship manager where we teach 6 adults of mixed ages and experience Land based skills. My journey reconnecting back with the land began through herbalism, and wanting to preserve the inter-generational wisdom that surrounded plant medicine and my lineage. My passion lies in bridging the access to resources to my community, be it knowledge, space or opportunity, I strongly believe that our Black and Brown communities should be at the forefront of access to these things. I love how Urban Tilth centers so much of their work around community engagement and truly feel like I’ve gotten a step closer to my purposeful work with working at UT. Aside from being a lover of the land, I also find my creative expression through painting, writing and dancing. Overall I love creating room for joy and child-like excitement in everything I do.

Arleide Da Silva Santos

Greenway Community Organizer

Arleide is a passionate educator originally from Brazil who has been living in the Bay Area since 2017. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Postgraduate specialization in Educational Psychology and Education Management.
Arleide has spent over twelve years working with underprivileged communities, and she finds great fulfillment in connecting with people and discovering the best version of themselves.She is committed to uplifting her community and feels that using her skills as an educator is a vital part of her life’s mission.
In her free time, Arleide enjoys running, dancing, and spending quality time with her husband and beloved dog and friends.

Maria Hernandez

North Richmond Farm Collective Member

Maria Hernandez was born on a ranch in a small town in Oaxaca, Mexico. She came to the United States with her family in the year 2000. Maria has known about farming, ranches, growing food, and harvesting just to name a few things since she was a little girl. She has learned these things by working alongside her parents and grandparents, all of whom tended to the land. She remembers growing and harvesting corn, squash, and beans throughout the majority of her childhood. She started working at Urban Tilth in 2013 with the help of Tania Pulido, who she is so thankful for because this job is what she loves to do most. Knowing a single seed can grow and feed many others makes the job so rewarding.