Our Team

Perry “happy” balian, Executive Director

Perry, known as "Happy" in the garden, has been working in Los Angeles Unified School District's Learning Gardens since 2015.  In the gardens, Happy has served as an instructor, a Sustainability Director, an avid weeder, and composter as well as an on-campus garden and plant science curriculum designer.  Happy brought his years of creative talents as a production coordinator for The Walt Disney Company to the garden and classroom by creating the naturalist podcast “Glory of Green”, a weekly podcast for K-8th grade currently streaming on all major platforms. Happy has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Auburn University, a graduate Specialization In Social Emotional Learning from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Virtual Teacher Specialization Certification from UC Irvine. perrybalian@gmail.com

Paula sirola, emeritus executive director 

Former STP Executive Director Paula, whose garden name is Ms. Peppermint, is experienced in organizing communities, developing programs, and building grassroots organizations in Los Angeles and Latin America. Her work revolves around helping people build community and access healthy foods, be it through street vendors, community and school gardens, or community-based agricultural projects.  Paula is a UC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener and has a M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA, where she also did her doctoral research. Contact: pmsirola@gmail.com

Patty Kestin, Founding member 

Patty Kestin, or Ms. Poblano, is a UC-CE Master Gardener and a School Garden Educator connecting food and the natural world with academic curriculum, healthy communities and experiential learning at Mark Twain since 2010. She has over 25 years experience as a community volunteer, activist and fundraiser working to secure equal access to health, education, food and the courts for low-income individuals and families in Los Angeles. Patty holds an M.B.A. from U.S.C. a J.D. from New York Law and has worked as a volunteer attorney, Vice-President and Director of the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law for 10 years and with the Saban Free Clinic. She is a member of the LA Food Policy Committee, the Venice School Green Team, former board member of The Seed Saving Library of LA (SLOLA), and a founding member of Slow Money. Contact: pattykestin@gmail.com 

Renee Meshul, Founding member

Renee Meshul, also known as Ms. Raspberry, has been a garden educator at Mark Twain Middle School since 2010. Before coming to Mark Twain, she spent 25 years as a child development specialist working with high risk populations and 25 years running her own successful land use consulting business. She has a MEd in Counseling Psychology and became a Master Gardner in the UC Cooperative Extension Program in 2013. Contact: rmeshul@gmail.com.