Staff

	Kahlil Baker Co-Executive Director and Co-founder Kahlil Baker has over 10 years of experience working with farming communities and reforestation projects in Central America and 5 years of experience in the Canadian silviculture industry. At Taking Root, Kahlil’s main responsibilities include the development of international partnerships, the development and maintenance of forest related research and methodologies, and the supervision of the operational team. In addition, Kahlil is pursuing graduate level forest research at the University of British Columbia. Working with the biometrics lab, he is developing bioeconomic analyses of the tree species used by Taking Root. Kahlil holds a degree in economics from Concordia University, a permaculture design certificate from Costa Rica and a professional specialization certificate in business development. He is fluent in French, English and Spanish.
	Samuel Gervais Co-Executive Director and Co-founder After obtaining a degree at Concordia, Samuel has dedicated his career to community development. In Canada, he has worked as a project manager for various organizations including Montreal Urban Community Sustainment (MUCS) and Santropol Roulant, a volunteer driven organization that uses food as a vehicle to break social and economic isolation and strengthen their local community. He has travelled around Africa and Latin America working with organizations like CIDA, OXFAM, International Development Desjardins and Alternatives using photography, among other media, to document and support community projects. Samuel is fluent in French, English and Spanish. With a particular interest in finding community-based and -led solutions to pressing development and environmental issues, Samuel’s extensive business network, vision and attention to detail make him an excellent business developer.
	David Baumann Policy and Technical Analyst With a fluency in Spanish, policy analysis experience, and a knack for all things technical, David brings a unique skill set to Taking Root. Previously, he has worked for a McGill University policy institute, an orphanage in Honduras, an environmental consulting firm in Washington, D.C. and a community center in Louisville, Kentucky. He has also consulted for social justice and environmental policy projects in the Dominican Republic, Texas, and Alaska. His interests include quantitative and spatial analysis, global environmental change, and climate change policy. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Literature and Political Science from the University of Louisville and a Master’s of Public Affairs from the University of Texas – LBJ School of Public Affairs.
	Brooke van Mossel-Forrester Communications Coordinator and Co-founder Brooke has a B.A in Communication Studies, with a Minor in Art History, Studio Art, as well as a Graduate Diploma in Community Economic Development from Concordia University in Montreal. She worked for over four years as the Online Communications Officer for Icograda (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations) and Icsid (the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design) before joining Taking Root as the Communications Coordinator. Brooke supports Taking Root combining her art and design talents with her strong interest in environmental and community development. Through working with the Taking Root team, Brooke hopes to help strengthen a movement that she believes is essential to the protection and survival of this planet.
	Elvín Castellón Operations Officer, Nicaragua After a lifetime career in community work, Elvin, an agronomist, represents Taking Root on the ground. He is responsible for the proper development of all reforestation projects on an administrative and operational level. He has spent his professional career working in local development and co-founded FEDICAMP (Federation for the holistic development of Nicaraguan farmers) and APRODEIN (Association of Professionals for the holistic development of Nicaragua), two successful NGOs.
	Ronald Ignacio Martinez Centeno Community Technician, Nicaragua Ronald is an agronomist who works and lives in Platanares, one of Taking Root’s partner communities. He is responsible for identifying, training and supporting the participating farmers as well as managing the tree nurseries.
	Elsa Gonzales Community Technician, Nicaragua Elsa is an engineer in agricultural production systems, living in the municipality of Condega, in northern Nicaragua. She is responsible for managing the information exchange between Canada and Nicaragua as well as tree monitoring on the ground.
	Deybing Ariel Lanuza Hernandez Community Technician, Nicaragua Deybing is a graduate of the Catholic Agricultural University of the Dry Tropics (Universidad Católica Agropecuaria del Trópico Seco – UCATSE) in Esteli and now lives in Platanares, Nicaragua. He is responsible for identifying, training and supporting participating farmers in the annual planting cycle.
	Randolph Bayardo Castellón Betanco Technical Assistant and Community Technician, Nicaragua Randolph is a fifth year engineering student at the University of Northern Nicaragua, specializing in Agricultural Production Systems. He works part time for Taking Root as a Technical Assistant and Community Technician.