Meet the SELP Staff

Members | Board | Staff | Newsletter

Melissa Gavin, Executive Director

(email: mgavin at selp.org)

Melissa holds a Masters of Public Affairs degree from the Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she focused on nonprofit management. She completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at Florida International University. An active member of the community, she has been a regular volunteer for Pelican Harbor Seabird Station, a mentor for Take Stock in Children, a Girl Scout troop leader and a fellow for Citizens for a Better South Florida. Melissa keeps busy with her toddler daughter and preschooler son, but as an avid gardener, spends her spare time working in her plot at the community garden as well as working alongside her fellow gardeners to organize a community gardening revolution. Melissa has been with SELP since spring, 2004.

Sara Joss, Staff Member

(email: sjoss at selp.org)

Sara graduated from Lawrence University with a BA in history and a passion for the earth. A recent transplant from Atlanta, Sara has been involved with organizations such as Greenfire, the Sustainable Living Network, and the Oakhurst Community Garden Project. With an ardor for the sustainable food movement and a strong sense of community, she has found her way to several urban farming and gardening projects across the country and loves nothing more than being able to get her hands dirty with fellow enthusiasts. Sara's work at SELP includes helping to organize the annual conference, national research, social media, and member outreach.