About · Our team
The people behind the work.
Landforce staff lead crews, run The Mill, coach Crew Members and keep the organization running. Several of them started as Crew Members.
Leadership
2 people
Ilyssa Manspeizer, Ph.D.
CEO
An anthropologist with 30 years in community-based development and conservation. As Executive Director of the Mount Washington CDC she led the Emerald View Park initiative, which created the Emerald Trail Corps.
Heather Sage
Chief Strategy Officer
Nearly 30 years in environmental conservation, social justice and nonprofit leadership. She helped shape the move from the Emerald Trail Corps to Landforce, and leads strategy, partnerships and funding.
Workforce Development
2 people
Jasimine Cooper
Director of Workforce Development
A Pittsburgh native with nearly 15 years of frontline social-service experience as a caseworker, trainer and manager. She also serves on the board of G.O. Girls.
Taima Ross
Work Readiness Manager
Brings a background in social services, language access and adult education, and early work experience building trails with the Youth Conservation Corps.
Land Stewardship
5 people
Thomas Guentner
Director of Land Stewardship
More than a decade as a leader and trail builder, including managing the Emerald Trail Corps. Certified in Game of Logging chainsaw safety and green infrastructure.
Anders K. Jeppesen
Project Manager
An educator with more than ten years of teaching and youth-development experience, and an MA in International Development from the University of Pittsburgh.
Started as a Crew Member
Rickey Hebron Jr.
Site Supervisor
Joined Landforce as a Crew Member, worked his way up to Grass Foreman at a local landscaping company, then came back to lead crews.
Started as a Crew Member
Hakim Reed
Site Supervisor
Started as a Crew Member, earned food-industry certifications after the program, and returned as a Site Supervisor. A certified Tree Tender, flagger and forklift operator.
Started as a Crew Member
Lance Dempster
Site Supervisor
Found a passion for trail maintenance as a Crew Member and now leads crews in the field, introducing new Crew Members to the skills he learned.
Responsible Wood Production
2 people
Edward Johnson
Director of Responsible Wood Production
More than 30 years in sustainable forestry and wood reuse. A design engineer by training, he leads The Mill, from recovering logs to milling, drying and finding buyers.
Luke Hillegas
Mill Operations Manager
A former construction Safety Manager and lifelong woodworker who runs day-to-day production at The Mill.
Operations and communications
3 people
Tricia Dougherty
Director of Operations
Keeps Landforce running, with a background in legal operations and service on the boards of the Garfield Land Trust and Equality Pennsylvania.
Started as a Crew Member
Nicole Holmes
Administrative Coordinator
Born and raised in Homewood, she joined Landforce as a Crew Member and is a certified Tree Tender. She is also studying to become a registered nurse.
Elijah Johnson
Communications Manager
A marketing graduate of Savannah State University who interned with the National Park Service, and now tells the stories of Pittsburgh’s land and the people restoring it.
Governance
Our board.
Landforce is governed by a board of directors. To contact the board, email info@landforcepgh.org.