Board of Directors

Anne

Anne Boucher aboucher@nanps.org

Anne is a social entrepreneur with a focus on environmental sustainability. With a background in nonprofit leadership, sales, and business consulting, she brings a skillset in organizational growth & development to support NANPS’ own mission & growth. In her spare time, Anne is transforming her Toronto garden into a sanctuary for native plants and insects.

Evan

Evan Prodromou eprodromou@nanps.org

Evan Prodromou is a social entrepreneur and technologist based in Montreal, Quebec. As a startup founder, he has worked at companies like Microsoft and RSA, and started companies like Breather, Wikitravel, StatusNet and Fuzzy.ai. In non-profits, he has led product management at Wikipedia, engineering at the Open Earth Foundation, and now works as research director of the Social Web Foundation. He tends a native plant garden and a small vineyard in the town of Richmond in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.

Husayn

Husayn Hirji hhirji@nanps.org

John

John Foster jfoster@nanps.org

President

John is a retired teacher and botanist, who enjoys volunteering with environmental groups
that advocate for native plants and their habitats.

Justine

Justine Barone jbarone@nanps.org

Justine Barone (they/she) is a non-profit leader with over 19 years of experience working in program and community development roles. Her passion for native plants is rooted in a lifelong commitment to conservation and biodiversity that was shaped through their work with Indigenous communities across Ontario where she learned about traditional foods, reciprocal relationships, and the interconnectedness of healthy ecosystems. Starting in 2023, she has transformed her front yard into an evolving pollinator garden featuring more than 15 native plant species and counting.

Kurt

Kurt Kroesen kkroesen@nanps.org

Mark

Mark Bekkering mbekkering@nanps.org

Starting in 2017, Mark Bekkering has transformed his Toronto home into a thriving pollinator garden featuring 30+ native plant species. Now retired, Mark spent over three decades in city government, focusing on environmental policy, and guiding initiatives like TransformTO and PollinateTO during his time as Manager of Policy in Toronto’s Environment & Climate Change Division. His work has consistently aimed to balance environmental sustainability with economic and community well-being.

Rabeya

Rabeya Shikdar Orpa rshikdarorpa@nanps.org

Rabeya has a profound interest in native plants and their role in sustaining healthy ecosystems, conserving biodiversity, and strengthening connections between people and the land. As an agrologist and biologist, she is interested in how native plant communities contribute to ecosystem resilience, soil health, habitat provision, and the long-term ecological functioning of disturbed landscapes. She hopes to advance her professional practice in land reclamation and restoration by developing approaches that support the successful establishment of native plant species and their persistence over time. Her research interests include native plant establishment, soil amendments, and the application of ecological knowledge to improve reclamation outcomes in challenging environments. Rabeya has joined the Board of the North American Native Plant Society as a Director to contribute to the conservation and appreciation of native plants, learn from others working in native plant conservation, and support initiatives that promote their use in ecological restoration, education, and stewardship. Through her scientific background and experience in environmental education and community outreach, she hopes to help bridge research, practical conservation, and public engagement. She is passionate about making knowledge of native plants more accessible and encouraging people to recognize their ecological value and the importance of protecting and re-establishing native plant communities.

Terrie

Terrie Miller tmiller@nanps.org

Treasurer

Terrie is a retired financial executive with a strong interest in the environment and a background in strategic planning.

Valerie

Valerie Groves vgroves@nanps.org

Secretary

Valerie’s passion for native plants began upon reading Doug Tallamy’s Bringing Nature Home in 2009. As a professional gardener, her work focuses on native plant installations and ecologically-minded garden maintenance. She is excited to bring her practical knowledge to the NANPS.
Valerie is an active volunteer in her community, serving as an executive on school councils, and leading community garden planting and maintenance efforts.