Joe Barros, a practicing Endodontist in Miami, follows the tradition of the late Dr. Robert Kelley in wanting to share his love of South Florida’s environment with everyone he comes across. Just like Dr. Kelley, he is president of the Tropical Audubon Society, a founding member of the Miami Blue Chapter of the North America Butterfly Association and a person who loves leading walks at FTBG. 

Sean Bernal,  born in Puerto Rico,  realized at a young age that his true passion in life was cooking. While enrolled in Johnson & Wales University, he apprenticed at The Bistro in Coral Gables. With this foundation he was able to make a name for himself and has since played a major role in the Miami restaurant scene. He is currently Executive Chef at Oceanaire Seafood Room in Mary Brickell Village. 

Bob Brennan, a fifty plus year resident of Coconut Grove, along with his wife, Eileen, have raised their three children, all the while giving back to the community in many areas. As a Certified Arborist, Bob is happy to share his forty years of knowledge about proper tree care and proud to be the Arborist at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. 

Frances Brown is a professionally trained Pastry Chef and former owner of The Pineapple Blossom Tea Room in Miami’s Upper East Side. She has worked in South Florida for 15 years in top restaurants and hotels, both as a Pastry Chef and as a Chef. Strongly committed to eating local and seasonal, she strives to keep her delights fresh, flavorful, fun and balanced.

Christopher Bulgarin, a graduate of Johnson and Wales, is well versed in the workings of the Florida cuisine community. Chef and owner of Delicious Catering, he has worked with many local chefs, taught classes and made guest appearances on television. 

Helen Burgos studied in England and the U.S. She holds an M.F.A. from FIU where she is an adjunct professor and teaches drawing and painting. She has been teaching her popular drawing and oils classes at Fairchild for eight years.

Carolyne Coppolo is the owner of the Redland Herb Farm, where she has been a commercial herb grower since 1997.

Yolanda Cuesta is the owner of Quest Orchids which is located in western Miami. Her love and passion for plants came from her father. She has been hybridizing orchids since 1983 and enjoys sharing her knowledge of orchids and flower arranging. She has taught numerous workshops in South Florida.

Betty Eber has been cultivating and collecting orchids for many years and recently completed a UF Orchidology course. Past president of the Orchid Society of Coral Gables, she is a popular speaker.

Elaine Farquharson, formerly a Horticultural Technician at the Broward County Extension Service, has been growing tomatoes for over ten years. She is an experienced teacher who has mastered the technique of growing tomatoes in South Florida and is eager to share the secret of her success with others.

Eric Fleites, certified as an arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture, has a love and passion for our native flora and fauna. He stresses the importance of world-wide restoration and is currently the spray technician at Fairchild and Four Fillies Farm.

Dottie Greene is a signature member of both the National and Florida Watercolor Societies. Her love for the natural world began at an early age and is a central theme in her art. Having taught all ages, Fairchild is proud to have her as an instructor in our Lifelong Learning program.

Marilyn Griffiths has been working in Plant Records in the Horticulture Department at Fairchild since 1993. She is responsible for maintaining the documentation of the plants in the Garden by labeling and mapping the plants and recording plant information in the database.

Paula Hamelik has lived in Florida for over 30 years. She is a former volunteer at Fairchild, a massage therapist who uses some of her own plants in massage oils, and she also dances hula.

Roger Hammer is a retired naturalist for Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department and the author of Everglades Wildflowers, Florida Keys Wildflowers, and Exploring Everglades National Park. His extensive knowledge of South Florida makes him a popular instructor.

Scott Hyndman joined Fairchild as the nursery manager in July 2009. With a background in the ornamental plant industry, Scott has a B.S. in horticulture from Purdue University where he focused on plant tissue culture research. He is very happy to be a member of the Fairchild staff.

Maida Yap Jimenez is an experienced flower artist with a B.A. in advertising and graphic design. She brings all the colors and energy from her native country of Panama to her paintings.

Billo Jolly co-owned Taste of India and Punjab Palace restaurants. She has taught Indian cooking at Fairchild, Bobbie and Carole’s Cook Shop and at MDC Kendall Campus.

Diane V. Jones has been beading for over ten years and has studied with some of the most famous bead artists in the United States. A very popular and patient instructor, she has taught classes at Bead Need in Davie.

Judy Kay has a B.S. in medical technology. She has practiced Tai Chi for over 15 years and teaches at Mercy Hospital’s Kohly Center for Rehabilitation.

Peter Kouchalakos is a Past President of the Bromeliad Society of South Florida and the Pan American Orchid Society, a Certified Horticultural Professional with the Florida Nursery Growers Association, and a Coral Gables native. Peter has been growing bromeliads for over 15 years.

Laura Lafata has been cooking since she was eight years old and combines her knowledge of the kitchen with over twenty years of experience as a cocktail bartender. A comedian, writer, traveler, and hospitality trainer, she has lived in Sydney, Australia and across the United States. Laura, aka "La Diva," mixes in her varied experiences to season her culinary point of view - adding sass and class!

Pedro Lastra realized his passion for photography in high school and later served as Brown University’s yearbook photo editor. After leaving a successful 12-year international corporate career, he is currently pursuing his deferred vocation as a photographer, digital photo printer and digital darkroom expert. A world traveler, his award winning photographs have appeared on numerous magazine covers.

David Maddern, a musician and visual artist who transfers the elements of music to his paintings, has work in many collections here and abroad. For more than ten years he has gently guided numerous students in watercolor techniques.

Shelly Mascaro, an avid craftsperson specializing in woodworking, has also been using string to crochet fine doilies and other items for over 40 years. She is also an accomplished archer and coach, winning various state and local tournaments in three different disciplines: Compound, Olympic Recurve and Traditional. 

Chris Migliaccio teaches natural science at Miami-Dade College and has taught palm and native plant classes at Fairchild for many years. 

Martin Motes is president of Motes Orchids, a hybridizer and author of Vandas, Their Botany, History and Culture and his newest book, Florida Vanda Growing: Month by Month. He has observed wild orchids worldwide. 

Maureen O’Rourke, a Pilates instructor and former dancer, teaches anatomy and kinesiology at the New World School of the Arts’ Dance Division. She uses Pilates to rehabilitate injured dancers and also has a private practice in massage therapy.

Susan Petersen, educated in design and experienced in construction, used her background to develop her business “Another Dimension Mosaics.”

Jennifer Possley has spent over nine years as a field biologist at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Center for Tropical Plant Conservation. She works to map, monitor and conduct research on the flora of Miami-Dade County. Prior to joining Fairchild, Jennifer completed a master’s degree in Agronomy at UF.

Michael Price, owner of Bees N the Keys, a Florida Keys-based honey producer, purchased his first beehive in 1973. An experienced teacher who enjoys sharing his extensive knowledge with others, he has become a sought after speaker.

Gary Rich has grown bamboo for over 20 years and has been an active member of the Florida Caribbean Chapter of the American Bamboo Society for more than a decade.

Surey Rios, Fairchild Education Outreach Coordinator, has a B.S. and M.S. in Biology and Science Education. She uses a hands-on approach along with learning strategies to make connections between abstract and concrete concepts.

Sandy Roth, owner of Sandy Scapes, has been creating landscape designs for 17 years. She has been creating mosaics in her studio for over ten years. 

Lanette Sobel is co-founder of the Fertile Earth Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to environmental awareness and environmentally focused research. Her dream is to bring commercial composting to Miami-Dade. 

Steve Stein is a University of Miami wine historian and is working on an extensive, multi­faceted project on the history of the Argentine wine industry. His edited volume, El vino y sus revoluciones (Mendoza 2008), is the first comprehensive treatment of the industry from its 19th century origins to the present. Dr. Stein teaches wine classes at the Societá Dante Alighieri of Miami and works with the Miami International Wine Fair. 

Johnson Teh, Executive Chef of Lan Pan-Asian Cafe, specializes in East Asian cuisine. Chef Teh has over 20 years of culinary experience, including cooking at the Mandarin in Beverly Hills. 

Donna Torres has an M.F.A. from FIU and is an accomplished botanical illustrator. She draws on her extensive travels for inspiration. Donna Torres has been teaching botanical illustration courses at Fairchild for eight years. 

Alison Walker, Fairchild Youth Education Manager has a B.S. in Plant Sciences and a M.S. in Entomology. During her studies at the University of Florida and while working at the US Department of Agriculture she conducted extensive research on the biological control of exotic and invasive pests in Florida. Alison, an avid gardener, teaches several workshops for local school and community garden groups. 

Jeff Wasielewski has taught horticulture classes for over 15 years at Fairchild and Miami-Dade College. He is also a Certified Arborist with a master's degree in education. Jeff has held positions at Fairchild as a Horticulturist and as the Assistant Curator of Tropical Fruit. He currently works in the Marketing Department. 

Lynda Wellens graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in education. She loves to teach and enjoys assisting students as they prepare for their exciting journey into watercolors. 

Marcelle Zanetti has a B.S. in painting and art education from Southern Connecticut State University and attended the University of Massachusetts. Represented by galleries nationwide during the past 25 years, her paintings are in permanent museum, corporate, and private collections. See www.marcellezanetti.com for more information.