Organizational Leadership
The GYF employs a professional staff of historians, sociologists, psychologists, educators, marine biologists, environmental scientists, anthropologists and wilderness experts. GYF’s team is highly specialized and focuses on land acquisition, design and development, greenway and green space project management, community mobilization and outreach. We are dedicated to the preservation of nature’s finite and historical resources. Collectively we have more than 400 years of experience facilitating youth programs that emphasize personal growth through hands-on experiences and challenges.
Angelou Ezeilo, Executive Director
Angelou’s love for the environment stretches far back to when she was a little girl who had the chance to escape the dense urban streets of Jersey City, New Jersey, to summer in upstate New York.
It was through her work as a Legal Specialist for the New Jersey State Agriculture and Development Committee that Angelou embarked upon a career as a conservationist.
Angelou further honed her skills as a Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL) in both its New Jersey and Georgia offices. In her position, Angelou acquired land for preservation and worked on the New York/New Jersey Highlands Program, Parks for People-Newark, the New York/New Jersey Harbor Program in New Jersey, and the Atlanta Beltline and the 20 County Regional Greenspace Initiative in Georgia. While at TPL, Angelou realized the disconnect between the land that was being preserved and the education of people about that preservation—particularly as it related to our next generation. This was the impetus for the Greening Youth Foundation. Under her leadership the Foundation has taken up the charge of providing environmental access to all children and young adults.
Angelou is a graduate of Spelman College. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida College of Law. Angelou is on the Board of Directors for Earth Share of Georgia, Keep DeKalb Beautiful and Fit-N-Fun Kidz, and is an active member of Keeping it Wild and The Million Mile Greenway, Inc.
Ruth Kitchen, Education Director
rkitchen@gyfoundation.org
Ruth has long been an active and passionate participant in outdoor sports and activities. Through her varied and extensive work as an educator, Ruth has always stressed to her students an active appreciation of nature’s beauty and the need to be responsible participants in protecting God’s gift. Her work with students, fellow teaching professionals, and parents has afforded her the ability to successfully organize, implement, and assess learning programs unique to environmental concerns. Ruth has successfully completed Georgia’s Native Seasons, Native Waters, and Project Learning Tree workshops.
Ruth’s passion for community activism is reflected in her participation in a host of civic activities she’s helped to spearhead, including: leading community recycling efforts among her family and neighbors; coaching Little League baseball; volunteering as a Girl Scout leader; volunteering for United Friends to Feed the Homeless; working on the board of The Sport of Giving (Volleyfest); and teaching in a middle school church program. Ruth is also a five-time marathon runner.
Ruth received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and her Masters degree from Texas Women’s University. She holds certifications in elementary and special education, diagnostics, supervision, and Reading Recovery.
Michael Fynn, LEED AP ® Technical Director
Michael’s passion for the environment was developed while he worked on a project in Ghana, his native country. While designing energy alternatives to wood and coal for commercial and residential use, his research and interaction with environmentalists made him aware of the need for more stewards of the Earth.
As an engineer, his design and construction management practices have always followed the LEED principles of designing, constructing, and operating, and emphasized natural resource conservation in structural maintenance. He is a state certified professional engineer with extensive experience in construction management and the design of mechanical and plumbing elements for commercial clients. He is also a state certified Erosion & Sedimentation Control Designer, as well as a third-party regulatory inspector with Fulton County and the City of Sandy Springs.
Prior to joining GYF, he spent ten years with a global manufacturing company in operations management and project management positions, successfully re-engineering processes and managing projects that led to more than $1 million in cost savings.
Michael has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Science & Technology in Ghana. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tuskegee University. In addition, Michael has earned an MBA in Operations Management from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Nick Chiles, Director of Communications
nchiles@gyfoundation.org
Over the course of his two-decades-plus career, Nick Chiles has distinguished himself as a bestselling author and an award-winning journalist. He has co-authored six books with his wife Denene Millner, including three Essence bestsellers. As a fiction writer, Nick also published a short story in the anthology, “Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America” (Ballantine), which won a 1996 American Book Award. As a journalist, he spent the bulk of his career as a newspaper education reporter, but he also covered politics, health and social services. He has won over a dozen major journalism awards, including a 1992 Pulitzer Prize as part of the New York Newsday staff covering a fatal subway crash. He also won the 1993 and 1989 National Education Reporting Award presented by the Education Writers Association. Nick was the creator and Editor-in-Chief of Odyssey Couleur travel magazine. He is a graduate of Yale University. He is responsible for molding GYF’s public image and keeping the public informed of all the foundation’s important work.
Ade Oguntoye, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Community Outreach
Ade Oguntoye has a BA in Psychology and Economics from Emory University and a Master’s Degree from Columbia University in Social Policy. He was an intern at the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs, serving in the Youth Unit. He has supervised national and regional AmeriCorps programs.
In addition to his invaluable contributions to GYF, he currently serves as the director of the TEAM AmeriCorps program (Technology Environment And Math). As the director he writes and administers the AmeriCorps grant as well as developing all policies and procedures.
James Ezeilo, Operations Director
A tireless advocate of land conservation, James has worked with organizations throughout the Southeastern United States to promote environmental stewardship, amplify the need for more environmental education, and increase grassroots participation in environmental concerns affecting urban communities.
James is also deeply passionate about the preservation of historic landmarks in Southeast Georgia. Working with the county government, land trusts, and the St. Simons African American Heritage Coalition, James is personally committed to the restoration of the oldest African American schoolhouse on St. Simons Island.
Before joining GYF, James served as the president of Beulah Land Real Estate Holdings (BLREH), a conservation subdivision development company. While at BLREH, James negotiated and structured the acquisition of over 736 acres of undeveloped land rezoned to allow for 358 acres of restricted residential land and 332 acres of agricultural green space planned for permanent conservation. Additionally, while with BLREH, James negotiated the sale of more than eleven acres of commercial land purchased by KIPP Foundation to be utilized as one of the organization’s largest charter school sites. He received his BA from Florida A & M University and holds a law degree from the University of Florida College Of Law.
Ayinde Summers, Senior Director of Programs and Training
Ayinde is a freelance naturalist, an outdoor education program facilitator and a seasoned educator with proven leadership skills. He is responsible for GYF workplace performance analysis and improvement. Ayinde manages the development and implementation of various GYF training programs including face-to-face and instructor-led for both
adults and adolescents.
He also serves as a consultant for North Carolina Outward Bound. Prior to joining GYF, Ayinde served three years as a Lead Educator for Atlanta Outward Bound. He has also worked as a Lead Facilitator for Coppage and Associates. For the past six years, he has facilitated cultural immersion programs for youth and adults interested in the Gullah Geechee culture to Sapelo Island, the Penn Center and the Ocmulgee River. Ayinde has gained extensive outdoor experience while hiking, backpacking, canoeing, camping, and observing wildlife in their natural habitats across the United States
Stephen Chukumba, Director of Social Media and Online Activity
Stephen is responsible for framing GYF’s online, mobile and social media presence, and using technology to connect with GYF’s core audiences. Stephen has an extensive marketing and promotions background from his years working with record labels, radio stations, artists, production and promotions companies. As such he is uniquely suited to push the GYF message in all quarters. The founder of Shadow Propaganda, a creative agency, Stephen is a social media specialist, who has been instrumental in framing the online, mobile and social media presence of the numerous individuals and brands his company represents. Stephen holds a law degree from Rutgers University. One who believes in practicing what one preaches, you can follow @stephen, or catch his blog.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Richard M. Tucker, Associate Georgia State Director, The Trust for Public Land (Chairman)
Denene Millner, Author | Columnist (Secretary)
Christa Sanders, Associate Director of the New York University in Ghana International program
Audrey Peterman, Publisher, Earthwise Production, Inc.
Al Edwards, Managing Partner, C.E.R.M.
A. Anthony Gee, Managing Partner, Carthage Capital Group
Laurene Hamilton, Keep DeKalb Beautiful
Akilah S. Richards, Author | Writer
Andrew Schock, The Conservation Fund
