Staff

Krista started at Seed St. Louis in 2024 and is passionate about caring for the planet, gardening, and growing food. She has several years of experience in all things development, including in Missouri, Colorado, and Minnesota. Her skills include donor acquisition, grant management, funding strategies, and brand awareness. Krista is driven by her belief in building an equitable and healthy community, with green space, nutrient-dense food, and community revitalization to its core.

In her free time, she likes to hang out with her husband, daughter, and rescue dog. You’ll find her cooking, reading, and growing food (and making her husband do the weeding).

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English, Master of Social Work in Social and Economic Development

Future Education: Wolf Photographer

Megan was born in St. Louis and raised (mostly) in Wentzville, MO. She is overjoyed to be making her return home after many years in Nashville, where she attended college, met her husband, and adopted her beloved dog. She fell in love with gardening as a child, helping her grandpa on his produce farm. Caring for the planet and its people has always been something that sparked joy for her. Her degree in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences with an emphasis in communication and policy, followed by a year as an Americorp member led her to several years of connecting volunteers with various non-profit organizations in the greater Nashville area with Hands on Nashville (now under United Way Greater Nashville). That experience has her excited to connect volunteers to Seed St. Louis’ mission and learn more about the city and community gardens along the way.

In her free time, you can find her trying new restaurants with her husband, playing with her pittie mix, Bigsby, and watching reality TV.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences

Future Education: Animal sanctuary caretaker and part-time reality TV show critic

Dean Gunderson is from Glen Carbon, Illinois about 20 miles east of St. Louis. He attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) where he studied Agricultural and Food Geography. Dean then interned at Cahokia Mounds where he was able to study the prehistoric agriculture practiced at Cahokia. He found his way to Seed St. Louis as a volunteer, then an intern, which led to a seasonal position in the community garden program. He later became the Community Garden Program Manager and started our orchard program, the Giving Grove. He was then the Director of Education, coordinating our adult educational materials and classes while managing the Giving Grove program before taking his current position where he continues to lead our adult educational initiatives while also helping to make sure all of our programs work towards the betterment of our community.  His favorite thing about working at Seed St. Louis is getting to work with and learn from so many different people and getting to help them to grow food for their families and communities.

A few fun facts about Dean, he enjoys doing garden experiments on his family’s property, specifically trialing perennial crops and staple foods like grains and nuts, including almonds. He likes trying unusual edible foods, is a huge fan of Dr. Who, and in 2019 he and his wife welcomed their first child, a baby girl.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Geography. Master of Science in Geographical Studies with a focus on food and agricultural geography.

Future Education: Master of Time from the University of Gallifrey

Joe joined the Seed St. Louis team in 2024, with a passion to help make St. Louis a more sustainable and resilient region as we adapt to the challenges of climate change. Joe has a diverse background in non-profit management, having worked for national organizations like City Year, and local community development leaders like Beyond Housing. Joe also spent several years as an independent consultant doing project management work for numerous local non-profits. He has served on the board of directors for several organizations, and has ran his own small family business.

Joe grew up in St. Louis, and has spent much of his life in the City’s Dogtown neighborhood where he now lives with his wife and two young children. Joe’s hobbies include walks in the hidden trails of Forest Park, collecting every scrap of food waste for composting, and nerding out over local politics. His family is a big fan of supporting St. Louis Public Schools.

Education: BA in English and History, Webster University; Master’s in Social Work from Brown School – Washington University

Future Education: Chief of Staff for one of the kids when they become Mayor.

Megan Moncure grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska but has lived in St. Louis since 2001. She has led the Florissant Community Garden, where she was introduced to Seed St. Louis, since 2015. Megan joined Seed St. Louis in 2017 to lead our volunteer program. She now runs our social media, our store, events and more. She has a life-long passion for gardening, as well as music and animal rescue. (Ask her about the one time she rescued feral kittens at Seed St. Louis’s Carriage House!) Her favorite thing about working at Seed St. Louis is meeting fellow gardeners and learning from their experiences.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in English

Future Education: Animal Hugger with a part-time job of cake tasting

Vivian grew up in central Missouri but made St. Louis her home in 2021. Her year in AmeriCorps NCCC showed her the true impact of volunteer work in supporting and strengthening communities and is excited to work with all of the wonderful Seed St. Louis volunteers. The mission of Seed St. Louis- to empower people and communities to grow food- truly connects with her background in health and community engagement, her love for the outdoors and digging in the dirt, and her beliefs on the power of access and education on building a healthier and happier community. She hopes to learn a lot more about gardening herself along the way! In her free time, Vivian enjoys traveling, hiking, and eating delicious food. She also enjoys working in the restaurant industry and can tell you where to get some amazing tacos.

Education: Bachelors of Science in Health Science, Minor in Communication

Future Education: Juggling Extraordinaire

Tonia has always had a passion for education, beginning her career as an English teacher. Eventually, however, she found herself feeling limited teaching in an indoor classroom setting. Tonia felt inspired to take the school curriculum outdoors and foster stronger connections between her students and the natural world around them.

Tonia joined the Seed St. Louis team in 2017 as an Educator where she provided direct garden-based education to youth in St. Louis school districts. Since 2020, Tonia has worked as the Director of Schools, providing professional development and support to teachers and garden leaders in areas such as capacity-building, garden maintenance, and academic engagement.  Through Seed St. Louis, she has found that giving a child the responsibility to nurture living plants in the garden has numerous academic, physical, and socioemotional benefits, which in return has the potential to improve the overall health of a community.

When not working, you can find Tonia getting lost in nature, going to concerts, upcycling thrifted finds, and dabbling in different forms of art.

Education: Bachelor of Sciences in Secondary Education, Missouri Master Naturalist Certified

Future Education: Professional Air Guitarist

A native of St. Louis, Matt Schindler has been with Seed St. Louis since 2015. Through meaningful partnerships, creative programming, and educational opportunities, Matt has successfully led the organization in support of sustainable community development through community gardens, school gardens, urban orchards, and urban farms.

Throughout his career, Matt has worked to support and create a better community in both St. Louis and internationally.  His experience in St. Louis includes Downtown STL, Inc. and the International Institute of St. Louis.  During this time, he initiated various programs that included public improvements, transportation studies, as well as business consulting and development.  Internationally, Matt volunteered with the US Peace Corp in Armenia as the Advanced Business Development Volunteer.  In 2018, Matt was elected to the Parkway School Board and is on his second term.

Education: Master of Arts in International Relations, Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, and German

Future Education: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Flying class

Born and raised in St. Louis, Abbey returned to her hometown in 2022 after many years in Chicago. Abbey first fell in love with gardening as a college student when she tended a community garden plot for a friend and discovered the joys of pulling carrots, making tomatillo salsa, and digging in the dirt surrounded by flowers. Since then, Abbey has tended a number of community garden plots, worked with a variety of food distribution and food salvage operations, and volunteered with a nonprofit urban farm on Chicago’s south side, the Karma Garden at Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, and her son’s preschool garden. Abbey is passionate about environmental justice, food sovereignty, and community-based, experiential education. She loves being in a garden and exploring nature with young people, especially her own littles.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish, Master of Arts in Theology, Master Gardener, Life Lab Certified Garden Educator

Future Education: Professional Folk Singer

Jayla was born and raised in South City St. Louis. Her interests in community mental wellness and third spaces have led her to join the Seed St. Louis team. Prior to joining as Data and Operations Coordinator, Jayla interned as a couple and family therapist in Kansas where she grasped the critical significance of community resources. She is excited to learn more about community engagement in the city and gardening. In her free time, you can catch Jayla reading or spending time with her friends and family.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science with a concentration in Couple and Family Therapy.

Future Education: Coffee Connoisseur

Chani (pronounced [xani]) was born and raised in St. Louis, but moved to Windhoek, Namibia as a teenager. There they started their education in botany and ecology, then moved back to STL and completed their degree at WashU. Along the way, their love of plants grew (pun intended) and started work as a horticulturist in 2016. Their main interests are substrate uses, biological controls, and xerophytic plants. They joined Seed St. Louis in 2024 ready to do more direct work with their community, sustainability, and agriculture.

In their free time, Chani loves reading fiction, taking care of their hundreds of house plants, working on the board of the Henry Shaw Cactus and Succulent Society, and eating chocolate. Their favorite plants to grow are Welwitschia mirabailis, rosemary, and Aloes.

Education: Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Earth Science WashU in St. Louis

Future Education: Ph.D. in Plant Hoarding

Howard grew up in St Louis. He taught math in Rolla and returned to St Louis in 2011. Since then he has been involved with several volunteer organizations including the Audubon Society removing invasives and planting trees and Forest ReLeaf helping to pot up and care for trees grown to be provided to parks and schools throughout the Missouri area.

Howard was hired in 2020 as an AARP intern for one year and then hired in 2022 as a Community project associate helping build and install hardscaping materials and installing them in local community gardens. When he is not working or volunteering he enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren including the newest baby girl born 2021.