OUR TEAM
Executive Director
MARY KINIRONS
Mary Kinirons Ed.D. is a mother of three with a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, a masters in Nonprofit Management, and a bachelors in Oceanography. She is excited to use her role as Executive Director to lead Heal the Planet to new heights and levels of impact. She is passionate about educating our youth in both mindfulness and the importance of respecting and nurturing the world around them.
Mary was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to sunny South Florida in 2010 to live by the ocean. Her hobbies include snorkeling, boating, reading, writing, traveling, and painting. She has served the community through the nonprofit sector for over 12 years. She is on the Board of the Heart Gallery of America and supports advocacy efforts in child welfare in her spare time having adopted her three children from foster care.
Mary was raised in the woods with one family home nestled in a valley with a creek in the back yard and another next to a large field to play in. She spent summers at a camp that hosted many outdoor adventures including overnight camping, canoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing, and more. She was taught to leave no trace and to love the natural world. She was also a camp counselor and helped educate youth at the summer camp she was raised at. She instills these same beliefs in her children through outdoor activities and by supporting signing them up for the Boy Scouts of America.
SEED Program Director
JOANNA JOY
Joanna is a plant-based Mother of two, currently studying Holistic Nutrition. She’s also the author of “Consuming with a Conscience and Raising Conscious Kids.” Along with her children, she created one of the first “Plant-based kids” activity books.
Joanna’s connection with Heal The Planet was perfectly aligned, as her goals and dreams for the future matched the organization’s values and beliefs. She is passionate about living a holistic lifestyle, which nourishes mind, body, and soul. Joanna believes that teaching children to do the same is our hope for a happier, healthier, and sustainable future.
Following her soul’s mission, she is committed to spreading Love and Light, by inspiring others to be more conscious of their choices for themselves, others, and the planet.
“We demonstrate self-love by nourishing our bodies with foods that love us back.. simple whole plant-based foods”
Wellness Director
AYENZA MATTHEWS
A Major in Psychology, a Master’s in Business Administration, and Several Certifications in Athletics allowed Ayenza to establish global business relationships. She represented her native country of Panama in sports until 2021 and now represents Team USA. Ayenza studied at the University of Champions and the High Altitude Centre in Iten- Kenya, the City of Champions. She was selected as one of the Hispanic Women of Distinction for 2022 and was awarded Congressional Recognition by the US Congress for outstanding and invaluable service to the community.
Ayenza has been doing volunteer work and helping the community since the 1980s. Her first volunteering job was for the Department of Defense as a teacher’s aide. During the Panama invasion, she worked at the refugee camps. Her involvement in sports came from the American Cancer Society’s research on a cure for cancer. Since then, sports have been her passion, and she has become the Ambassador for Running with the Panama Runners Association. Her life story has been featured in ESPN-Run.
She created the Nasieku With Love Program, which brings help to the most vulnerable throughout Africa. She has been an Ambassador for Special Olympics Panama and is currently part of the Psychology Team for Apadadi – the Panamanian Sports Association of Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities. Ayenza represents Panama in running and throwing competitions.
Passionate about helping those reach their maximum potential, Ayenza encourages everyone to dream big and follow their dreams.
Ayenza’s motto is “Never Give Up.“
Community Outreach
MALLORY STROCK
Born and raised in South Florida, Mallory has always felt deeply connected to the sun, the ocean, and native wildlife. During elementary school, she learned that Florida could one day be underwater and this sparked an urgent passion for environmental action. She graduated from The University of Miami with a degree in Communications, majoring in both advertising and creative writing.
Mallory received her certification in Permaculture Design in 2013, dedicating her life to the ethics and principles of permaculture: earth care, people care, and fair share. She’s passionate about educating and empowering future generations, working extensively in youth programs, including developing an overnight summer camp inspiring teens to pursue activities in STEM, sports, and arts.
Mallory has written and published two poetry books, a novella, and her current work in progress is a children’s book about growing plants. She starts her mornings with gratitude and a sunrise beach walk. Her active lifestyle revolves around fitness, yoga, tennis, roller skating, and you may have even seen her unicycling around town. She brings her creativity, positive energy, and love for nature to Heal The Planet, helping to educate and inspire the community to live in harmony with nature and the Earth.
SEED Educator
TARYN MCEACHRANE
Taryn is passionate about the interconnectedness of personal well-being, community health, and the health of our planet. Her journey into sustainability began while training for a half-marathon, where she was struck by the plastic pollution littering the Miami coast. This experience sparked a deeper commitment to environmental stewardship and inspired her to explore how individual and collective choices impact our ecosystems.
In addition to holding a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University since 2013, she completed a yoga teaching certificate in 2018 and has taught yoga intermittently since then. In 2025, she completed a INCO Green Pathways certificate, further grounding her understanding of sustainable practices and climate resilience. With a background in public health, wellness, and education, Taryn is dedicated to creating healthier communities and a more sustainable future for all.
Young SEEDs In The Park Educator & SEED Educator
ANETTE MAGO
Anette is a Venezuelan American & South Florida Native. She is a creative director and community organizer that has been creating and connecting in local communities for 5 years. She is dedicated to using creativity to encourage others to imagine new and better worlds for our future, and works to build systems that will manifest towards that reality.
Young SEEDs In The Park Educator
JASMINE MINEHART
Jasmine is a Florida native & has been very happily practicing yoga on the beach for over 10 years. Originally self-taught, she went on to expand her knowledge in 2018 & took a 200+ hour yoga teacher training in Utah at The Yoga Underground. There she learned Tanha yoga - an intuitive vinyasa style class & studied meditation. Then in 2024, she took another training, at Casa D Hot Yoga, completing a 300+ hour yoga teacher training in Ashtanga Vinyasa. This furthered her knowledge in pranayama & the science behind it, while also guiding her in children, senior/chair & prenatal yoga.
She travels the world quite often with a heart full of wonder & hopes to continue to share her love of yoga with others.
Snyder Park Guide
KIM HEIS
Kim grew up in South Florida and fell in love with nature but was alarmed at the fast rate of habitat destruction. Art became a way for her to connect with the natural world, share her love of native species, and contribute to local conservation efforts. She practiced drawing and acrylic painting as a child, then oil painting and traditional printmaking during her BFA in Painting at FAU; graduating in 2014. She was a teaching artist from 2011 - 2021 and gave lessons on art and science at museums, preschools, and after-schools.
After an injury in 2016, she took up watercolor painting, learning via online classes, and has been using the medium ever since. Her subject matter is focused on local Florida native plants and animals, and feels that watercolor is great at capturing all those fine details.
For the past 8 years, she's enjoyed collaborating with others on projects with local conservation goals and has created scientific illustrations for trail signs, coloring books, magazines, logos, murals, and other resources. She also gives presentations and workshops on watercolors and native plants.
Gardening Guide
SHARON MARCIANO
Born and raised in Rochester, New York, Sharon graduated from RBI Business School before moving to Pompano Beach in 1996. In 1999, she co-founded Bella Lena Plant Nursery and Bella Lena Site Services, combining her entrepreneurial spirit with a passion for plants and gardening.
Sharon studied holistic health, kinesiology, massage, and Reiki at Mueller College in San Diego and completed the University of Florida Master Gardener Program. Over the years, she has continued expanding her expertise through extensive training in indoor and outdoor gardening, herbs, butterfly gardens, Florida native plants, propagation, and garden design.
She has designed residential and commercial landscapes throughout Broward County and now teaches classes on beginner gardening, repotting, propagation, seed starting, indoor plant care, and plant troubleshooting. Sharon is also an active member of the Pompano Beach Garden Club, where she enjoys inspiring people of all ages to connect with nature through gardening.
Email Sharon