Meet the Team
Our hive is made up of passionate and talented individuals dedicated to protecting pollinators and their habitat.The Bee Conservancy Staff
Guillermo Fernandez
Founder and Chief Melittologist
A certified Master Beekeeper, Master Melittologist, and an urban beekeeper for a decade, Guillermo founded this org nearly two decades ago as The Honeybee Conservancy. He brings years of marketing experience to us from his time at brands such as Vanity Fair and Vogue. Having grown up in a food desert, he believes bees are the key to transforming our food system and ensuring that everyone has access to healthy, local foods. When he’s not at the apiary or speaking at an event, Guillermo is hiking or traveling.
Rebecca Louie
Executive Director
Rebecca is certified Master Composter and trained beekeeper who believes everyone has the power to make a difference. A former journalist, she has written for numerous news and culture publications and authored the book Compost City: Practical Composting Know-How for Small-Space Living. As a brand strategist and creative director, she has worked with executive, marketing, product, and technology teams to build global businesses. She splits her time between the mountains and city with her dog, Max.
Ryan Davenport
Director of Operations
Joey Rodriguez
Director of Development & Communications
Joey Rodriguez is passionate about conserving nature and helping creatures of all kinds through fundraising and design. With a background in film production, graphic design, development, and operations management, his almost 20-year career has taken him from New York to Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and many places in between. He is the author of four novels and two novellas and creates intergalactic art and music in his spare time.
Jennifer Palmer
Director of Horticulture
After studying in California and Spain, Jennifer became a cartographer for Lonely Planet before earning a certificate in Horticultural Therapy at New York Botanical Garden. She founded Brooklyn Nature Club in 2016 to focus on developing urban environmental projects.
Amy Grumbling
Program Manager: Events and Sanctuaries
Amy has been a beekeeper at The Green-Wood Cemetery since 2017 and lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. She’s a freelance documentary film editor and studied anthropology and video production at Hampshire College. Amy is also an American Canoe Association certified instructor and trip leader at the North Brooklyn Boat Club.
Louise Polk
Programs Associate
Louise grew up in the Hudson Valley surrounded by farming. She graduated from The New School with a degree in Environmental Studies and a focus on sustainable farming. Louise is also passionate about equitable access to local, nutritious, culturally relevant food. In her free time, she enjoys interior design, creative writing, and spending time with her four cats.
Monaisha Williams
Admin Coordinator
Monaisha grew up in New York City and has an urban passion for nature. She has worked in various administrative roles across the city ranging from education and schools to non-profit organizations. She has over eight years of experience in executive and administrative support. Monaisha recently earned a Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Lehman College in 2023. She loves to travel all over the world. She also enjoys cooking, writing, and spending time with nature and loved ones.
Leta Selmanović
Program Advisor
Leta is a native New Yorker and second generation American who’s passionate about urban ecology, food justice, and community-based initiatives. She brings a background in beekeeping, environmental education, and urban agriculture. In her spare time, she shoots video and photography, does community gardening, and cooks for loved ones and mutual aid groups.
Ryan is an operations manager with experience working in film production, healthtech and the coworking industry. His most recent experience is working as event coordinator for Paragraph NY, a communal writing space, where he brought together communities of writers. Ryan previously worked as a freelance film producer collaborating with creators, companies and nonprofits to develop videos from story ideas through post-production.