MEET OUR TEAM
Scott Quitel, Founder and CEO
Founder and CEO Scott Quitel, JD, MBA has extensive experience in ecologically-based land use planning, ecological restoration analysis, and ecological landscape design and construction. Scott is a faculty member at the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University, where he is also the Director of Social Entrepreneurship. He also teaches at Philadelphia University/Jefferson, serves on several local boards, and is a frequent invited speaker on planning, design, and ecology. He has led hundreds of educational ecology and design-oriented tours/hikes for people of all ages in natural areas in and around Philadelphia. Scott graduated from Brown University, has an MBA and JD from Temple University, holds a wetland delineation certificate and is an ISA Certified Arborist. Prior to founding LandHealth, Scott was a Principle Ecologist for Philadelphia's Applied Ecological Services (AES), where he led the visioning, public process, and design of a wide range of design-build projects, including the Washington Avenue Pier and the Meadow at Longwoods Garden.
Steve Jones, Nursery Operations Director
Steve Jones contributes to operations at LandHealth's Nursery and to LandHealth's education programs. Steve is the President of Wissahickon Restoration Volunteers, a nonprofit, community-based ecological restoration program in the Wissahickon section of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. He serves on the Kelly Green Committee, a community/student/teacher collaboration at J.B. Kelly School in Germantown, and the Wissahickon Sustainability Council at Cook-Wissahickon school in Roxborough.
Mayci Shimon, Operations Manager
Mayci was born and raised to be a nature lover. She spent the last six years engaging community members as an environmental educator, watershed ecologist and global change scientist, exploring the waterways and marshes throughout Philly. She is excited to use her background to bring new ideas, events, projects, and programs to LandHealth.
Tali Anisfeld, Nursery Programs Manager
After working at various farms in Chicago, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, and Puerto Rico over the past few years, Tali (they/them) is really excited to be joining LandHealth's team as the Nursery Programs Manager. They believe deeply in the power of connecting people to each other and to the ecosystems around them through art, education, history, storytelling, and hands-on exploration. In their free time, they like to write, make art, cook, and hang out with friends. If you'd like to connect with Tali, don't hesitate to reach out at tali@landhealthinstitute.org.
Dedicated Volunteers
Dan Garlen
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Dan Garlen is a volunteer for LandHealth who believes in putting nature back through better understanding of the challenges and opportunities of land restoration and improvement. Dan's career spanned the direction of projects in software electronics and product design through the preparation of technical proposals, specifications, documentation, testing, deployment, and support. Dan enjoys the water... boating, scuba diving, and simply looking out his window onto the Delaware River. He also respects water and the damage it can cause. A life-long advocate of respecting nature and sustainable resources, Dan believes conservation and restoration is our responsibility and is a proud volunteer at The Franklin Institute (Science Demonstrator) and at the Adventure Aquarium (Volunteer Diver).
We Remember
In Memory of Paulette Rhone
We remember Paulette Rhone who passed away in February 2019. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Paulette served as the Executive Director of LandHealth. Paulette's passion for nature and community empowerment through experiential educational opportunities in nature A founding board member of the Friends of Mount Moriah Cemetery, Paulette served its president, 2012-19. The restoration and preservation of this 200-acre cemetery, abandoned in 2011, was a great passion of hers. She also served on the Board of the Mount Moriah Cemetery Preservation Corporation. Paulette was with US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics as the region's Budget Analyst until 2007. She enjoyed her family, her church, lifelong learning, reading, and gardening.