Keep Durham Beautiful Staff
Tania Dautlick
Executive Director
Tania Dautlick actually started her tenure with Keep Durham Beautiful as a volunteer before becoming the Executive Director in 2012. She earned a Masters of Horticultural Science from NC State University. She enjoys meeting and working with members of the Durham community to help further the mission of KDB while helping partners transform their neighborhoods, parks, schools, and community spaces into clean, environmentally rich and people-centered places.
tania@keepdurhambeautiful.org, 919-354-2729
Dawn Keyser
Program Director
Dawn started with Keep Durham Beautiful as an AmeriCorps service member in 2017-18. After working on a part-time basis doing communications and grant coordination, she joined the KDB team full time in 2021. Dawn is an NC native, graduate of NC State University, and lover of all things outdoors. She enjoys working with volunteers, digging in the dirt, picking up litter, and generally making Durham a more pleasant place to live, work, and play.
dawn@keepdurhambeautiful.org, 910-315-4346
Izzy Davis
Tree Care Trainee
Izzy Davis served her AmeriCorps term with Keep Durham Beautiful full-time Fall 2024 through February 2025 as a Conservation Corps NC Intern. She assisted with outreach, education, and leadership for many Keep Durham Beautiful programs. Izzy is graduated from NC State University in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Science, Technology and Society and a minor in Biology. She is now continuing her work to assist with KDB’s Urban Forestry Grant as the Tree Care Trainee.
izzy@keepdurhambeautiful.org
Ellie Dilworth
Communications & Marketing Coordinator
Ellie began her time at Keep Durham Beautiful serving as an AmeriCorps member from 2022-2023. Since then, she has worked part-time designing KDB’s social media graphics, building the annual report, and creating other outreach materials. Ellie is excited to continue working on KDB’s communications and special projects as she begins pursuing her MFA in creative writing from the University of South Carolina this fall.
ellie@keepdurhambeautiful.org
Aathi Ambika Karmegam
Environmental Initiatives Program Manager Intern
Aathi is currently pursuing his Master’s in Engineering Management at Duke and will join the KDB team for the summer as the Environmental Initiatives Program Manager Intern. Aathi is passionate about protecting the environment, and would love to use his background to help create more sustainable and efficient supply chains that make a positive impact.
Meixin Wang
Urban Forestry Community Engagement Coordinator
Meixin began volunteering with Keep Durham Beautiful while completing a dual Masters in Forestry and Environmental Management at Duke. After graduation in 2023, she worked in urban conservation and community engagement in Durham and regularly collaborated with KDB. Meixin is excited to work with residents in growing a long-lasting tree canopy and to continue making Durham a place where people enjoy the coexistence of nature and urban space.
meixin@keepdurhambeautiful.org
interested in joining our team?
Check out our available opportunities.
Keep Durham Beautiful Board of Directors
Melissa Amoabeng
Secretary
Originally from Maryland, Melisa found a new home in North Carolina while studying Public Health at UNC Chapel Hill. After contributing two years of AmeriCorps public service, she returned to NC State to earn a Masters of Horticultural Science focused on pollinator habitat design and engagement. Melissa has ten years of experience in environmental education, working with all ages in diverse outdoor spaces from public gardens to educational farms. She is now pursuing a Master of Landscape Architecture at NC State where she is interested in public recreation spaces such as parks and greenways. Melissa is also currently an intern at the Natural Learning Initiative as well as the City of Durham. She is dedicated to building healthier communities by designing rich outdoor learning environments where children and families can connect to nature through play. You can find her playing outside with her toddler in Durham, NC.
Matt Archibald
Matt is a Board Certified Master Arborist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified and has 12 years of experience in the arboricultural industry. He first started climbing trees out of college as a job but soon found his purpose and passion is learning and educating about trees and how amazing they are. He is a residential consulting arborist at Leaf & Limb where he focuses on tree health and caring for trees rather than removals and covers the Durham/Chapel Hill area. Matt started working with Keep Durham Beautiful by leading educational tree walks for KDB staff and volunteers. Matt brings a vast knowledge of trees and nature to improve and protect Durham's greenspaces with his healthcare approach.
LaTonya Bufford
LaTonya recently joined the Board of Directors for Keep Durham Beautiful in 2025. She relocated to North Carolina over 25 years ago for work, and she fell in love with the state and the amazing people. She moved to Durham over 15 years ago and has enjoyed it from day one. She’s currently working in Research and Development in the Research Triangle Park area. LaTonya is passionate about volunteering and working within her community, which she calls home. She firmly believes we should leave our space better than we found it for the next generation. She’s an avid gardener and enjoys volunteering to keep the green spaces in our community beautiful. LaTonya is excited to support Keep Durham Beautiful by creating a city people will want to visit and stay in.
Claire Cooney
Claire is Vice President of Development and Marketing & Communications at The Conservation Fund, where she supervises the fundraising and marketing teams to amplify the Fund’s mission and secure funding for projects and programs nationwide. She drives the Fund’s integrated messaging outreach to current and prospective donors by sharing the compelling personal stories of our work. Claire grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in east Tennessee and has lived in Durham since 2018, where she enjoys spending time outside with her family, taking her adorable mutt on walks around Rockwood and frequenting Nuvataco, Thai Café, and Beer Study.
Sandy Demeree
Treasurer
Sandy is an active participant in KDB projects who is most passionate about community building in the places life leads her. The communities where Sandy lives and volunteers have been the recipient of many years' of KDB help! Sandy recently retired from the Center for Death Penalty Litigation where she was the Financial Controller for 22 years. Her favorite things to do are vegetable/pollinator gardening, helping the tree canopy along Durham streets, hiking at the Eno and Duke Gardens, and most of all spending quality time with the folks with and without developmental disabilities in the intentional community where she lives in downtown Durham.
zack Ezor
Zack Ezor is an attorney with Tin Fulton Walker & Owen. A former public-radio producer, Zack moved to Durham for law school and never looked back. He’s on a mission to visit every one of Durham’s parks (65 and counting!) with his family, and is glad to support Keep Durham Beautiful.
Tamette Farrington
Board Chair
Tamette is a native of Durham, NC and serves as a garden enthusiast, mentor and a professional leader with extensive knowledge and experience in effective execution and implementation of policy, procedure and programming. With over 10 years of experience in higher education, she has a passion for creating free thinkers empowered to impact the world. At North Carolina Central University where the motto is “Truth and Service” she plays an essential role as the Operations Manager of the Campus Community Garden in promoting food sustainability and healthy eating. Tamette’s passion is connected to seeing others do well. She loves becoming part of the growth process. Tamette enjoys gardening, spending time with her family and traveling. Tamette has a M.S. in Counseling and Adult Education and a Bachelors in Rehabilitation Services from East Carolina University.
Joshua Khani
Joshua recently joined the Board of Directors for Keep Durham Beautiful in 2022. He moved to Durham in 2015 to pursue graduate studies, completing his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering and subsequent post-doctoral work at Duke University. He is currently working as an Informatics Scientist at OmniAb, Inc. He is passionate about waste reduction, environmental stewardship, and litter prevention. When he's not working or volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his two big dogs, woodworking in the garage, and traveling with his wife, Lali.
Ann Leininger
Anne Leininger has been a Project Manager leading environmental compliance projects for both government and private clients at AECOM for 36 years. NOAA and NASA are her two biggest clients and she is a subject matter expert in hazardous waste management. Other volunteering activities she pursues include working as a Forest Steward for Duke Forest as well as participating in their Citizen Scientist program to track amphibians and reptiles, working in the Blomquist Native plant area at Duke Gardens, serving on the board at the Museum of Life and Science and volunteering for Book Harvest. Ann lives in Durham with her husband and three cats. Her 19 year old son is a rising sophomore at University of Miami in Florida.
Rachel Owens
Vice Chair
Rachel has been a board member for the Keep America Beautiful organization for a combined 10 years now, previously serving in Nash County, NC. She is a science educator with Durham Public Schools, and has been an educator for 23 years in NC and NY. Her passion for all things environmental has driven her to lead and join the efforts of many other groups that empower people to protect our great lands and waters, including the Climate Reality Leadership Corp and Reducing Waste in DPS/Don't Waste Durham. And then within her capacity as an educator she has led her students in countless extracurricular clubs and events that include environmental club, bioSTEM club, Envirothon, a solar schools initiative, summits, rallies, public speaking engagements, and her students have even won multiple state-level competitions, and multiple years of Keep America Beautiful Volunteer of the Year awards. Rachel herself won NC Environmental Educator of the Year for 2013. Rachel has lived in Durham for 3 years.
ISabel Rigsbee
Isabel Rigsbee is an associate at Capitol Broadcasting Company, where she manages commercial leasing and activation at the American Tobacco Campus—one of Durham’s most iconic mixed-use destinations. As a North Carolina native and graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she combines her background in sales and sustainable tourism with a deep-rooted commitment to thoughtful development, local storytelling, and community-driven placemaking. She is passionate about creating welcoming spaces that reflect the spirit of Durham and is proud to support Keep Durham Beautiful’s mission to transform public spaces into vibrant, inspiring places for all who live in and visit Bull City.
Crystal Taylor
Crystal E. Taylor is a dynamic and passionate community leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for the protection and upliftment of African-American culture, arts, and humanities. Born in Clinton, North Carolina, and a graduate of North Carolina Central University, Crystal has dedicated her career to producing events and community initiatives that foster inclusivity and empowerment. With a particular focus on the needs of her community, Crystal founded The Underground Collective, Beats n Bars Festival, and the nonprofit organization Get Happy in Durham, NC. Through these platforms, she aims to promote health and wellness, innovative education, and community-driven engagement for people of color. As a 4th-generation farmer and co-founder of Black Farmers Market & Black August in the Park, Crystal's commitment to sustainable agriculture and community self-sufficiency is evident. Crystal has produced several African American Cultural experiences for former Governor and First Lady Cooper to support and lift up African American culture and relevance to the state of NC’s Music office, Come Hear NC. A proud mother of her son, Mansa, Crystal's passion for uplifting her community and creating positive change shines through in all her endeavors.
Pablo Torres
Having grown up in Costa Rica, Pablo has been an environmental steward since a young age. He joined the KDB Board because of his passion for vegetable and pollinator gardening, planting natives, and waterways. He has a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University and also serves on the Advisory Board of the East Coast Greenway Alliance and of the NC Solar for All Program.
Board Members Not Pictured:
LaTonya Bufford
Julianne Johnson