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KEY STAFF
Stephen W. Coleman, President
Steve Coleman has led Washington Parks & People’s award-winning alliance of community-based greening partnerships since it began as a volunteer neighborhood park crime patrol in 1990. In 30 years of non-profit service, he has been a vice president and director of research for a national organization seeking to reverse the arms race, program director of an international environmental advocacy network founded by Ted Turner, staff officer for a national foundation, a fundraising consultant for environmental media initiatives, a community organizer with the American Friends Service Committee, and an intern reporter for Public Broadcasting’s MacNeil/ Lehrer Report. Here in Washington, Steve has served on the Environmental Planning Commission and been an elected officer of the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, Washington Innercity Self Help (WISH), and the city-wide Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners Assembly. Steve has appeared in media stories about the urban parks movement across the U.S. and abroad. He is chair of Parks for Life, the international urban parks alliance; a Trustee of the City Parks Alliance and the National Recreation and Park Association; and a former faculty member of the American Planning Association’s City Parks Forum and the Urban Open Space Leadership Institute He has been a keynote speaker on urban greening in 20 cities across three continents. He began leading community tree-planting and environmental reclamation projects at the age of 12, and had his first job with a small timber company at the age of 19. Born in India, Steve has lived in DC's diverse Reed-Cooke neighborhood for 27 years.
Behnam Mehrabkhani, Maintenance Chief
Behnam Mehrabkhani has helped train and coordinate thousands of Parks & People volunteers helping in all aspects of park and landscape revitalization and building restoration and construction. He came to Parks & People in 2001 as a refugee from Iran, helping to assist the award-winning exterior restoration of the Josephine Butler Parks Center before he could speak more than a few words of English. Prior to coming to the United States, Behnam supervised a staff of 18 machinists in a Teheran factory and worked as a welder in Turkey. He is fluent in Persian and Turkish.
Brian Rodgers, Riverside Community Greening & Training
A trained master gardener and six-year veteran of Johnson's Florist and Garden Center, Brian was one of the 2001 co-founders of the Down by the Riverside Campaign and Watts Branch Community Alliance. Brian is a lifelong resident of Ward 7 and has been a leading advocate for community greening east of the River. He is a graduate of Denison University with additional experience in youth development.
Kenneth Barbour, Park Assistant
A lifelong DC resident, Kenny assists all aspects of maintenance and improvements at Marvin Gaye Park and the Riverside Center.
Roža Oblak, Program Coordinator
Roža leads Parks & People's arts, music, dance, youth, health, and wellness programming. Trained in art therapy and early childhood education, Roža created the event management system for Parks & People's Josephine Butler Parks Center, assisting hundreds of non-profit organizations in using this "greenhouse" for rebuilding innercity Washington. Working in several hospitals, including George Washington University and Howard University, she has practiced and helped develop therapy and wellness programs for patients facing cancer, heart problems, HIV, sickle cell anemia, burn trauma, and mental health needs. Roža is a certified Reiki Master with a private therapy practice in art, flower essence, and reiki. A native of Slovenia, she is fluent in Slovenian, Serbo-Croatian, and European Sign Language.