Our Staff

Victoria Beaty
Executive Director
Victoria is an accomplished marketing and public relations professional with nearly 10 years of experience in delivering strategic thinking, public relations leadership, and innovative experiential marketing ideas. Born and raised in the Midwest, Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University.
After years of working for world-class brands like McDonald’s and learning how the food system works, she decided to resign from her corporate leadership position and enroll in an urban farming program, where she found her true passion for educating her community on the importance of the farm-to-table movement and eradicating food deserts plaguing people of color. Additionally, she helped Eastern Star Church, Indianapolis’ largest black church, develop their first urban farm where she also runs the day-to-day farming operations.

Christine Kelley
Farm Manager
Christine Kelley is a 6th generation Indiana farmer. She works with agricultural systems that echo natural ecosystems to provide a harmonious cohabitation between farming and nature. She is passionate about advancing her agricultural knowledge to secure a sustainable future for food and environment to enhance the community through education, food accessibility, and modeling appropriate land stewardship.
Chris has experience in being a dairywoman, greenhouse manager, market gardener, and horse farm manager. Her hobbies include hiking, mountain biking, crafts-sewing, embroidery, pyrography, and wrangling her nine-year-old son, Bash. She is currently advancing her knowledge through studies in urban horticulture.

Danielle Guerin
Farm Manager

Natalie Mahlan
Financial Manager
Natalie grew up on a farm in Brazil, although plants are not exactly her strong suit! Luckily, as the financial manager, Natalie does very little planting! She has enjoyed her role as the Financial Manager at Growing Places Indy, and is particularly thankful for the flexibility it allows her so she has more time to stay home with her four children!
Board members

Melanie Priest
President

Ed Rice
Treasurer
Director of Product Design, Eli Lilly

Germaine Willett
Secretary
Senior Counsel, Ice Miller LLP

Stacia Buechler
Partner, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Laura Henderson
Growing Places Indy Founder
Program Manager, Big Green Indianapolis

Lyndsay Crespo
Director of Grants, John Boner Neighborhood Centers

Lauren Day
Owner, CityStrategies, LLC

Charlie Redd
Owner & Creative Director, Haven Yoga Studio

Ryan Hunley
Owner & Art Director, Second Street Creative

Candace Boyd Wiley
Food Creative, Board Member

Danielle M. Dove
Director of Marketing & Sales, Indiana Repertory Theater

Tonya Sisco
Project Director of External Diversity Initiatives at Cummins
Sponsors & Partners
We could not do the work we do without the generous support of our partners. We thank them for their continuous support and attempt to recognize them as often as possible.













