Our Team
SHELLY ZACKS - CO-FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR
After reading “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv, Shelly Zacks was inspired to create a children’s garden to foster nature play and environmental stewardship in our community. She has over 40 years of experience as an Early Childhood Educator and has a BS in Elementary Education and a MS in Early Childhood Education. She is also a Palm Beach county certified Master Gardener and a long time member of National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She was an Educator at Sunflower Creative Arts in its early years and has a long-lasting passion for empowering children to lead their own play. Shelly tends our red wiggler worm farm and educates our visitors about cultivating compost. In 2022, she was invited to be a speaker at the World Forum Foundation.
JEANNIE FERNSWORTH - CO-Founder & Botanist
Jeannie is a graduate of the New York Botanical Garden School of Horticulture and a member of the Rare Fruits Council. She is passionate about plants, the environment and community. Jeannie has an extensive background as a Botanist and Horticulturist and helped to curate the diverse plants growing at the garden including over 50 fruit trees, medicinal herbs and native flowering plants. Her vision for the garden helped to transform it into the eco-wonderland that it is today. She helped to build the soil with nutrients and tirelessly tend to the land. She has worked for The New York Botanical Garden and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Christina Nicodemou - Executive Director
Christina is a multi-dimensional leader with a BA in Business Administration and over 20 years of consulting development experience in NY and FL. She is an experienced grant-writer and fundraiser who has worked with non-profits serving youth. Christina is a certified Nature School Educator (Eastern Regional Association of Forest and Nature Schools - ERAFANS) and Founder of the Nature Education Cooperative, a collaborative nature school for Pre-K through elementary aged homeschool children. She manages our curriculum development, member & donor relations and fundraising for our organization. Six years ago, Christina began as a volunteer for our garden and helped our organization to write the Impact 100 grant, which we were awarded. She is passionate about empowering youth, providing outreach to underserved communities, and exploring nature and science with children of all ages.
Veronica Green - Program Manager
Veronica is our garden’s Program Manager, a certified Nature School Educator (ERAFANS) and a children’s book Author. She is the lead facilitator of Mother Nature & Me, our cherished early childhood program. She leads an amazing and delicious plant-based cooking class at our Nature Education Cooperative and facilitates Weekend Garden Play and field trips. Veronica has a BA in Communications & Sociology and is a children’s book author who has penned a popular series called “Veggie Vero” which shares stories about compassion towards animals, veganism and eco-consciousness. Veronica, with her efficient organizational skills and cheerful disposition, is talented at keeping our bustling children’s programs running smoothly. She has been an important part of our garden team for 6 years.
Cayla Coco - Party Host & GARDEN leader
Cayla is an arts educator with 15 years of experience teaching art to all ages. Cayla specializes in fostering creativity. She has worked with teachers and underserved youth to spread the power of creativity in her communities through workshops, collaborative murals/installations, and student art shows. She loves supporting children’s artistic explorations and working with the natural materials at the garden. Cayla is a seasoned host of our amazing children’s birthday parties here at DBCG, bringing her infectious smile and sunny attitude to our community.
MARISSA JAYE - GARDEN LEADER & EDUCATOR
Marissa has spent the past 25 years caring for children and she is passionate about supporting their natural curiosity. Marissa holds a MS in Early Childhood Education and a Social & Emotional Intelligence Coaching certificate. She is the founder and lead teacher of Sunflowers Education Services which offers Grown up & Me playgroups for children ranging from 4 months to 2 years. Her playgroups incorporate reading, music and sensory exploration through child led play. In addition Sunflowers Ed offers private or group tutoring for elementary age students in English Language Arts and Mathematics. She is excited to support our parties and programs.
Micah Robbins - Board Member
Micah is a well respected community leader in the field of prevention and coalition building and has loved this work for over 25 years. He is a sought after group facilitator, public speaker, moderator, and serves as the Director of Special Projects for the Palm Beach County Behavioral Health Coalition. As a talented grant writer, Micah is excited to support the garden with funding goals this year. He feels that supporting the Delray Beach Children’s Garden is a natural fit as connection to nature is a cornerstone for healthy communities. The impact it has had on his wife Nicole and son River are an immeasurable gift of nature, growth, play and enchantment.
BRIDGET LANGFORD - Board Member
As a founding contributor of the garden, Bridget has devoted much of her time over the years tending to our garden, working with members and managing volunteers. Bridget has a M.Ed and is an elementary science teacher at Gulf Stream School. Bridget is an active member of Boca Junior League and a Committee Member of Boca Junior League Gardening Club. Bridget served as a founding board member for Delray Beach Children’s Garden through 2021. She spent the last year traveling the Unites States with her two boys with a mission to visit as many national parks as they could. Bridget is a devoted activist of the Earth and a long-standing member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
Linnea Bailey - Board Member
Linnea Bailey serves as president and CEO of West Palm Beach-based Linnea Bailey Public Relations. Prior to starting her own company in 2016, she spent six years as the Director of Public Relations for the Maltz Jupiter Theatre, the largest regional theater in the southern half of the United States. She has served as a daily newspaper reporter for The Tampa Tribune and as the senior public relations associate for Kaplan University. A native of Gainesville, Fla., Linnea holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Florida. Linnea’s freelance writing work can be found in Art & Culture magazine, Florida Weekly and the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County’s travel blog, among others. She currently serves on the board of the Gold Coast PR Council and has previously served on the executive board for the not-for-profit organization South Florida Mothers of Multiples (2021 Light in Shining Armor Award nominee) and Discover The Palm Beaches’ Providencia Award selection committee.
