Board

ANNA SIRIANO

Board President

Anna is the IT Manager at Aviation Medicine Advisory Service. She brings her previous work experience in nonprofit communications, technology, fundraising, and community building, as well as curriculum development and after school childcare, to her board role with the Highland Youth Garden. She joined the board to be part of a nonprofit doing great work in her own neighborhood. She enjoys the boisterous moments of discovery and food-sharing with kids and neighbors, as well as the private, peaceful moments enjoying the space and smelling all the flowers. Anna lives on the Hilltop!

Nilu Ekanayake

Board Vice President

Nilu came to the garden in 2020 as a gardening novice with a desire to volunteer in her community. She is passionate about the mission and vision for the Highland Youth Garden. In her time at the garden, she has learned a lot about children's programming and gardening too. One of her favorite activities is participating in a Q&A with the Green Teens each summer about the law and government. In her spare time, she tries to maintain a home garden and loves to explore the outdoors with her husband.

LIS REGULA, PHD

Board Secretary

Lis's background is primarily in higher education and advocacy, and he has written extensively on those topics. He serves on multiple boards in the community, and holds the Jewish value of tikkun olam as a central part of his identity. One of Lis’s first moments of feeling connected to Columbus when moving here in 2019 was in seeing Highland Youth Garden just a few blocks from his house. He has been an egg donor and surrogate, and currently lives in a very queer home in Columbus, Ohio with his daughter, cat, and memory of his husband, MJ Eckhouse. Lis lives on the Hilltop!

HOWARD SANDERS

Board Treasurer

Howard is a retired attorney who came to the garden as his favorite place to volunteer through the Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteer program. His favorite memory was at the fall festival several years ago when he got to run the apple press to make apple cider. He loved helping the kids crush the apples and then being able to drink the cider. Howard was happy to join the Board, as he felt his legal skills could contribute during this era of Garden growth and is glad to be here!

Yolanda Owens

Yolanda considers herself a homegrown Buckeye. A product of Columbus City Schools, she developed a connection to food at a young age and believes that all young people deserve access to agricultural education in their STEM classrooms--as discussed in her TEDx in 2020. She and her husband try to model concept to their two "boss" daughters, through his landscaping work and her work as Pathways and Partnerships Strategist in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

CHRISTINE COCKLEY

Christine Cockley, MPA, PHR is a two-time graduate of OSU's Glenn College. She currently works for YWCA Columbus as the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO. In her free time, she volunteers for Moderation Management as the Director of Development, spends time with her dogs and chickens, and visits the Highland Youth Garden. Christine fell in love with the garden in 2020 when she first moved to the Hilltop. Now, she volunteers and sits on the Board, bringing her nonprofit skills to the garden that serves our neighbors. Christine lives on the Hilltop!

Adero Robinson

Adero is the Executive Director with City Year Columbus and brings 29 years of non-profit experience to the Highland Youth garden Board. He has also served in roles with the Columbus Compact Corporation, United Way of Central Ohio, and the Columbus Urban League. He is passionate about non-profits and youth programming and development. Adero is excited to join the board and participate in programming that brings valuable resources, education, and positive experiences to the community. In his spare time Adero volunteers as a youth basketball trainer and coach and is also a practicing martial artist.