Our Team

Cara Montoya, MSW

Executive Director

Cara is the fearless leader of Soulful Seeds and unofficial apiculturist. She is known for her compassion and ability to anticipate the organization’s needs. With a Master’s degree in Social Work, she has a background in addressing systemic barriers to food insecurity and well-being and building strong teams. Cara is responsible for expanding our volunteer program and developing our workforce development initiatives, significantly impacting the community. Passionate about improving access to healthy food, she is dedicated to giving back to her hometown of Reno as it continues to grow.

Kimberly Esse, MSW

Program Coordinator

Kimberly is our energetic Program Coordinator who is skilled at identifying systemic service gaps. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Nevada, Reno. With twelve years of experience in corporate finance and a pivot to personal finance in 2022, Kimberly is an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®). Her expertise in building financial resilience and addressing economic justice aligns perfectly with Soulful Seeds’ mission. Kimberly is passionate about our work because her background in finance has revealed the deeper systemic issues we aim to address, and she believes in our effective approach to tackling these challenges.

Brooke O'Byrne, MBA, CADC

Consultant

Brooke is a consultant at Soulful Seeds, helping to execute the organization’s strategic plan. With 15 years of experience in program administration and grant management, she works with multidisciplinary teams in the public and non-profit sectors across the country. Brooke excels in developing data-driven implementation plans, focusing on sustaining innovative solutions to address low social determinants of health. She is passionate about Soulful Seeds’ mission because she believes in breaking down barriers and working outside traditional silos to effectively tackle systemic issues.
Ella habla español.

Sage Tomita

Garden Manager

Sage Tomita is the welcoming face and Garden Manager at Soulful Seeds, where he oversees crop planning and farm operations across all garden sites. With over a decade of experience in organic farming, Sage has honed his skills in Korean Natural Farming, which he studied in Hawaii. His farming journey has taken him across northern and southern California, focusing on improving food access in various food deserts. Sage is passionate about urban agriculture and its potential to strengthen communal networks. His dedication to sustainable agriculture is driven by his belief that food is a fundamental human right, and he is committed to fostering resilient communities through the power of local, sustainable food systems.
El habla español.

Alana Boies

Garden Assistant

Alana is our Garden Assistant and native plant guru, providing thoughtful input into everything we do. As an experienced field botanist with a strong background in ecology, seed collection, native plant species, and natural resource management, she brings invaluable expertise to our team. Alana is passionate about Soulful Seeds’ mission because she believes that gardening fosters a sense of community through shared triumphs and setbacks, tying us closer to the land. She loves teaching others about patience and gratitude through gardening and enjoys sharing the bounty of fresh, healthy food with those around her.

Our Board

Meet the individuals who work hard every day to carry out Soulful Seeds' mission. Our board is a 100% giving, volunteer, working board.

Earstin Whitten

Co-founder

Earstin Whitten is our gregarious Co-Founder who has created a new definition of life after retirement. With his extensive experience as a retired insurance executive and Army veteran, Earstin brings invaluable skills to starting and running a community garden nonprofit. Since retiring and moving to Reno 15 years ago, he has actively served on several local boards, including the Great Basin Community Cooperative and the Nevada Women’s Fund. Born to sharecroppers in Arkansas as one of fourteen children, Earstin is a testament to how growing your own food can transform lives by providing purpose, meaning, confidence, and essential life skills. His passion for Soulful Seeds stems from his desire to share the life-changing opportunities that gardening has provided him with the community he now calls home. El habla español.

Cori Zancanella

Secratary

Cori Zancanella joined the Soulful Seeds Board with a deep commitment to neighborhood gardens and community nourishment. She began her career in urban agriculture as an AmeriCorps member and later worked with several small farms in the Reno area before transitioning into education. After earning her master’s degree in arts integration, she spent more than seven years as a STEAM educator, leading a school garden program and establishing a native pollinator habitat. Cori now serves as a bilingual elementary educator in Washoe County and continues to support the school garden. She believes that language, land, and nourishment are deeply interconnected, and she is guided by the conviction that everyone shares responsibility for ensuring access to outdoor spaces and fresh, healthy food.

Joleen Palmer

Joleen is a dedicated member of our board who initially joined us as a volunteer, spending two Saturdays a month with our crew in the gardens. As a speech pathologist, she brings extensive experience working with at-risk populations. Joleen was drawn to Soulful Seeds through her passion for supporting women in crisis. She is dedicated to Soulful Seeds’ mission because she has witnessed firsthand the impact of systemic barriers to basic necessities like healthy food access on other parts of a person’s life. Her commitment to breaking down these barriers and improving community well-being drives her dedication to our cause.

Dee Schafer-Whitten

Board Chair and Co-Founder

Dee Schafer-Whitten is the Co-Founder and strategic mastermind behind Soulful Seeds. Hailing from Virginia City, Dee has dedicated her career to making our community a better place. As a retired Healthcare and Non-Profit Executive, she brings a wealth of experience to the team. Dee was the President and Founder of Corporate Solutions, Inc., a strategic planning firm for nonprofits, government, and law enforcement agencies. After retiring, she took a year off to establish Soulful Seeds with her husband, Earstin Whitten, aiming to provide fresh, healthy food to the most vulnerable and help individuals move from poverty to sustainability. Dee is the Director for Client Experience at American Wealth Management in Reno. Her passion for Soulful Seeds is driven by her commitment to improving community well-being through sustainable food systems.

Brittany Gamboa

Treasurer

Bio coming soon!

Mark Tulman

Bio coming soon!

Joseph Schmitt

Joseph brings to the Soulful Seeds Board a lifelong connection to land, food, and community shaped by his roots in the American heartland and his years traveling the world as a Navy sailor. His career has spanned teaching, government, entrepreneurship, and corporate finance, giving him a broad perspective on systems, stewardship, and community wellbeing. After relocating to the Reno–Tahoe area, Joseph’s passion for regenerative agriculture, pollinators, and soil health led him to Soulful Seeds, where he sees neighborhood gardens as a powerful tool for reducing food insecurity and helping people heal and thrive. He believes our food system is at a critical crossroads and is committed to advancing Soulful Seeds’ mission by championing education, advocacy, and hands‑on community engagement.