Heather McMann, Executive Director

Heather began consulting with Groundwork Lawrence in December 2005 and joined the staff as the Operations Director in 2006. In June 2009 Heather assumed the Acting Executive Director’s position and was appointed Executive Director in October. She holds a breadth of experience in nonprofit management, with a focus on preparing organizations for growth. Since returning to Massachusetts in 2001, much of Heather’s experience has been with youth organizations focused on creating our communities’ next generation of social justice leaders. Heather is currently an MBA Candidate at The Heller School of Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She received her B.A. from Smith College and has more than fifteen years of experience in the non-profit sector. In addition to her work with GWL, A resident of Haverhill, she is also a member of Haverhill's Brownfields Steering Commission.

Rose Gonzalez, Deputy Director

Rose joined GWL as Program Manager in May 2006 and this July assumed the role of Deputy Director. A resident of Lawrence and with a passion for arboriculture, fresh locally-grown food, gardening, and community organizing, Rose connects GWL directly to youth, families, and institutions in our community. Three years ago she developed our “Eat Right / Move More” curriculum, piloted with local 6th graders, which is now the foundation of a schoolyard gardening program at the Leonard and Cronin schools. In addition to implementing healthy community programming with local youth in schools and as part of our Green Team program, Rose also works more broadly to develop dynamic partnership opportunities from which our youth can learn and thrive. Prior to joining GWL, Rose worked with the non-profit Lawrence Grassroots Initiative as an Environmental Justice Coordinator and as a Community Organizer of "Human Rights Week." Rose graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Communication. Rose is pursuing certification as an Arborist, is certified as a Master Urban Gardener and ServSafe and has received training in Asthma Environmental and Clinical Issues.

Brad Buschur, Project Manager

Brad is responsible for managing the design and construction of landscape and infrastructure improvements throughout Lawrence, including the Spicket River Greenway, Riverwalk Trail, and community garden sites. He is overseeing GWL's expanding role in supporting low-impact development (LID) practices in the city and implementing Lawrence's Open Space and Recreation Plan. Brad most recently worked as a Project Coordinator for Cabot, Cabot & Forbes in Boston, MA where he coordinated the firm’s build to suit projects, leasing of existing properties and prepared feasibility studies for multifamily housing development. Previously he worked as a Landscape Designer on park projects in Boston as well as large commercial and institutional projects in Russia and Pakistan and as a Land Protection and Conservation Associate with The Nature Conservancy. Brad holds a B.A. in Urban Planning and Political Science from Miami University and a Masters in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts.

Anna Rickards, Program Manager

Anna began working with GWL as a 2010 LISC AmeriCorps Summer Intern and she’s joined the staff full-time as GWL’s new Program Manager. Anna will be leading GWL’s education programs including the Green Team and Schoolyard Gardening, as managing the Farmers Market, the Community-Supported Agriculture and the Share-a-Share programs. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Anna moved to Lawrence in 2009 to work as a dance teacher for Movement City, part of Lawrence CommunityWorks. Anna received her B.S. in Biology from Oberlin College, and since graduating has been growing food and educating youth on both rural and urban farms in Ohio and Milwaukee. She loves dancing, gardening, cooking, and working with youth.

The Green Team

Green Team-Summer '09The Groundwork Lawrence Green Team is a year-round program that offers part-time, paid employment for 10 Lawrence high school students each year. Members learn about and lead local environmental and healthy community initiatives, conduct research, raise awareness, challenge their peers to do community service and participate in hands-on improvement projects throughout the city. The program is intended to promote the protection and restoration of Lawrence’s critical ecological systems, natural resources and public health by engaging teens in advocacy and service-learning focused on the community’s parks, streets, gardens, waterways and vacant open spaces. The Green Team program has dual goals: to prepare Lawrence’s youth for a lifetime of environmental and healthy community leadership, and to invest in Lawrence’s future capacity to improve its physical environment.

John Haak, Summer Intern

John is interning at GWL for the summer. At GWL, he will be working on policy research as well as multiple community outreach events such as National Night Out and the Spicket River Cleanup. He will also work with Groundwork USA, GWL’s national affiliate, which works on behalf of all Groundwork trusts. John recently finished his freshman year at Northwestern University where he is the Community Service Chair of his fraternity and a member of the Roosevelt Institute, a public policy think-tank for college students. John is excited to be working for GWL this summer.