Molly Burhans
Founder / Executive Director,
GoodLands

Molly combines her passion for people and the planet with her experience in design thinking, business development, and scientific research to understand and transform complex systems, manage diverse teams, and communicate ideas and processes through broadly-accessible media that brings people together.

Molly is an Ashoka Fellow (2018).  Molly was the Chief Cartographer for the first global data-based maps of the Catholic Church and has exhibited these on numerous occasions in the Vatican.

Molly has an M.S. in Ecological Design from the Conway School, where she was her class’ Sustainable Communities Initiative Fellow, and a B.A. in Philosophy from Canisius College. She worked in a yeast genetics lab and has designed and developed professional graphic and web media for over ten years, some of which been featured in publications such as Landscape Architecture Magazine, Nucleic Acids Research, and the Association for Advancement of Artificial Intelligence proceedings. She co-founded GroOperative, Inc. 5(a), an indoor-vertical farming worker-owned cooperative in Buffalo, NY, USA in 2013. She has been involved with the Vatican Youth Symposium, Vatican Arts and Technology Council, United Nations Youth Assembly, the Buckminster Fuller Catalyst program and is an Echoing Green Fellowship finalist. She has also been an invited speaker at numerous conferences and institutions, including but not limited to Harvard University, Yale University, Esri, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and ICT4D

Christine Wacta
Services Director (volunteer)

Christine Wacta is an African born, French Architect D.P.L.G. from Paris La-Défense School of Architecture (France). She also holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota (2001). Christine is finishing her PhD in advance GeoSpatial Sciences for Architecture, Urban Design and History preservation at the University Of Paris Sorbonne-Paris Cité & Paris Diderot [graduation spring 2019].

Liz Hanna
Manager (volunteer)

Liz Hanna (MA, MT-BC) is a singer, composer, music therapist, and writer specializing in interweaving creative and contemplative practices to facilitate relational wellbeing. A graduate of Berklee College of Music (Music Therapy) and Yale Divinity School (Religion & Ecology), Liz integrates experience in performance, clinical work, sacred music, and contemplative ecology to explore mutuality, healing, and spiritual life. With a particular focus on reconciliation, Liz’s work aims to help reawaken a more holistic sense not only of human interdependence with all life, but of the human capacity to co-create restorative relationship. In addition to administrative and collaborative work with GoodLands, Liz sings professionally in the tri-state area, teaches private lessons, and serves as Spiritual Programs and Retreats Coordinator for Kairos Earth, facilitating workshops in contemplative ecology.

Elias Crim
Director of Development and Partnerships (volunteer)

Elias Crim is the founder and publisher at Solidarity Hall, a group blog focused on community regeneration. He was a founding board member of the Lumen Christi Institute (University of Chicago) and New City Press (Focolare–U.S.). He has served in management positions at the Chicago Board of Trade, Accenture, and with several dot-com startups.

Jon Mrowczynski
Services and Projects Lead

Physicist by day, computer scientist by night. Jon Mrowczynski is a highly dedicated problem solver, challenge seeker, and tech zealot. He has written software to assist with the analysis of particle collisions at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, redeveloped a wearable, wireless medical technology from scratch to improve physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease sufferers, and designed an AI that determines people’s emotional states based on their facial expressions. On his time off, he enjoys optimizing complex systems, automating menial tasks, upgrading existing technology, and playing his oboe.

Tayler Schweigel
Services and Projects Lead

Tayler Schweigel holds a BS (University of Rochester) and MS (University at Buffalo) in Geological Science.  The first year of her master’s program was spent in Italy at the Universita degli Studi di Milano Bicocca. As a geology student she digitized published data from older maps, checking for inconsistencies and creating a repository of structural, sedimentological, and core data that she used to update structural domains related to the tectonic history of the Mohawk Valley. The presentation of her graduate research won the 2015 Outstanding Graduate Poster prize at the Northeastern section meeting of the Geological Society of America and the top prize at the 2017 Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists student poster competition.  Tayler has been involved in outreach activities to engage elementary and middle school students in the study of geology and science in general.

As part of her involvement in citizen science projects, Tayler is a volunteer with Buffalo-Niagara Waterkeeper’s Riverwatch program In addition to working with Goodlands, Tayler is a volleyball coach in the Buffalo Public Schools

Barry Threw
Arts and Technology Associate
(volunteer)

Barry Threw is curator, technologist, designer, cultural producer & strategist with over 15 years of experience developing innovative & influential platforms, products, teams, and businesses across art, built environments, and experiential & immersive media. He served on the Executive Steering Committee for Arts and Technology for the Vatican, an advisory group for the Vatican Secretariat of Communications, and was a core contributor to its strategic plan. He is Cofounder of Fabricatorz, Director of #NEWPALMYRA, on the Board of Gray Area and is based in San Francisco, CA.

Debra Burhans
Services and Projects Lead

Debra Burhans is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Canisius College.  She has over 30 years of experience in data modeling, data extraction, and software development. Her areas of current research include bioinformatics data analysis, technology ethics, analysis of sensor data in real-time, and the integration of art and technology. Dr. Burhans has served as the Academic Mentor for an inner-city high-school STEP Program in Buffalo for the past 15 years.

Keith Zaltzberg
Advisor, Catholic Parks Network (volunteer)

Keith Zaltzberg is a founding principal of Regenerative Design Group. He aims to connect sustainable agriculture, urban planning, green infrastructure, restoration, and social justice in his work. Keith’s approach is grounded in understanding the potential of a place, rigorous analysis, and systematic assessment. He combines this process with energetic creativity and a ground-level perspective gleaned from a decade working as an organic farmer, homesteader, and green builder. He is a popular lecturer and instructor on permaculture design, urban agriculture, community resilience planning, and food systems. Keith holds faculty positions at The Conway School and Smith College, where he teaches masters and undergraduate students digital design tools such as GIS and CAD. He is a certified Permaculture Designer, and holds a BS in Environmental Design from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at UMass-Amherst.

Board

Geoff Taylor
3D Solutions Engineer, Esri

Geoff Taylor is a Solutions Engineer for 3D markets at Esri. He was a founding partner at HewittNassar Studio, and is a GIS Systems Engineer at Clemson University Land Assets.  He was a second Professional Masters of Landscape Architecture, GIS, Advanced Technology, BIM, Spatial Analysis, Internet Applications, Social Interactions from Clemson University. His Bachelors degree is in Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Horticulture, Advanced 3d Modeling, GIS, and Spanish and Clemson University.

Rosanne Haggerty
CEO Community Solutions

Rosanne Haggerty is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Solutions. She is an internationally recognized leader in developing innovative strategies to end homelessness and strengthen communities. In 1990, Rosanne founded Common Ground Community, a pioneer in the development of supportive housing and research-based practices that end homelessness.

To have greater impact, she and her senior team launched Community Solutions in 2011 to help communities solve the problems that create and sustain homelessness. Rosanne is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow, Ashoka Senior Fellow and Hunt Alternative Fund Prime Mover. In 2012, she was awarded the Jane Jacobs medal for New Ideas and Activism from the Rockefeller Foundation. She serves on the boards of the Alliance for Veterans, Citizens Housing and Planning Council and Iraq-Afghanistan Veterans of America. She is a Life Trustee of Amherst College.

Stephen Thor Johnston
President, North American Land Trust

Stephen Thor Johnson is the President of North American Land Trust. He has a long career in conservation as a scientist, state government official, land trust executive, real estate development professional and as a consultant.

John A. Mundell, P.E., L.P.G.
President, Mundell and Associates

John has over 38 years of experience in civil engineering and environmental remendiation. He is the principle at Mundell and associates. He has a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University (M.S. focus on Geotechnical Engineering) and Doctoral Studies (abd) in Civil Engineering, University of Notre Dame. His areas of expertise include: Hydrogeology, Site Characterization, Groundwater and Contaminant Modeling, Geochemistry, Risk Assessment, Plume Stability Evaluation, Remediation Design, Regulatory Negotiation, Environmental Construction Oversight, Brownfield Redevelopment and Expert Testimony/Litigation Support, Superfund, RCRA Investigation/Remediation, LUST Investigations, Indiana VRP Programs