Board and Staff
Meet Our Staff
Danielle Crumrine, Executive Director
Over the past decade, Danielle has worked in various capacities in the Pittsburgh environmental community. She helped to launch PA CleanWays of Allegheny in 2000 where she was the founding Board President and long-time Executive Director. In addition, she is a leader in the Urban Ecology Collaborative where she helped to lead such projects as MERGE: Methods to Engage Residents and Grassroots in the Environment, the Green Forum, and the first-ever Three Rivers Bioneers Conference. Danielle is a member of the Clean Water Advisory Committee for Allegheny County and is President of the Board for Grow Pittsburgh as well as a board member for Gemini Children's Theater. She is a graduate of Duquesne University where she received a B.A. in 1996 and a M.S. in Education in 2002. The Friends Board of Directors hired her in 2007 to establish the organization, and she describes the role as her "greatest and most enjoyable" challenge yet.
Matthew Erb, Director of Urban Forestry
Matthew Erb is the Director of Urban Forestry. In this position he manages pruning and planting contracts for Friends. He works closely with neighborhood groups and Tree Tenders to formulate tree care solutions that can be easily implemented. Matt provides technical assistance to the TreeVitalize program.
Prior to joining Friends in July of 2007, Matt was an urban forester with Davey Resource Group, conducting tree inventories in over 16 states and authored numerous urban forestry management plans. He worked on the Pittsburgh street tree inventory in 2005 and completed tree inventories of Allegheny Cemetery, Allegheny Commons, Schenley, Frick, Highland and Riverview Parks. He has a BS in forestry from Penn State University, is an ISA Certified Arborist and was the first ISA Municipal Specialist in Pennsylvania.
In 2009 Matt was appointed by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to the Pittsburgh Shade Tree Commission.
Caitlin Lenahan, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Caitlin joins Friends after working in a variety of informal and environmental education positions. She has taught outdoors in Maine, worked in elementary schools with Pacific Science Center in Seattle, lead conservation leadership corps crews for the Student Conservation Association, and managed programs for teen girls with the Girls, Math & Science Partnership at Carnegie Science Center. Caitlin loves Pennsylvania and is glad to improve her community in Pittsburgh.
Don Mahaney, Americorps Public Ally Apprentice
Don’s zeal for Pittsburgh’s urban forest began when he completed a tree tender course at the Hill House in the fall of 2008. He volunteered for Friends while serving as the general manager of Six Penn Kitchen until his desire to work in the environmental nonprofit world became cause enough for him to change career paths. In addition to serving an apprenticeship at Friends, Don receives leadership training from Public Allies Pittsburgh and is engaged in a service project in Larimer. He coordinates Tree Care Activities and enjoys working closely with the staff, board and Tree Tenders.
Don is dedicated to seeing Pittsburgh’s tree canopy grow and flourish alongside the interest and commitment of its citizens.
Meet our Board of Directors:
Nate Wildfire, President
Ken Stiles, Secretary
Brian Pietrandra, Treasurer
Jennifer Arkett
Jeffrey Bergman
Lisa Haabestad
Martha Isler
Indigo Raffel
Dan Sentz
Mary Savage