Our Team

Oakland neighbors founded Sidewalk Trees & Gardens in 2015 to transform a neglected public area in their neighborhood into a place for trees, bees and a community garden. Since then, the organization has been on a mission to mobilize and support others who want to care for public space in their own neighborhoods by organizing tree plantings and transforming abandoned public land into vibrant green space.

Co-Founder
Jenny is a long-time resident of Oakland. She worked for over a decade in municipal government, supporting housing and economic development initiatives across the Bay Area. She’s experienced at moving ideas into action and building collaborative partnerships along the way. Jenny is active in the community and is a member of several tutoring organizations to support both children and adults in their English learning skills. She loves to garden and spend time with her partner and two cats.

Co-Founder
Rob Selna is an Oakland native and an experienced attorney in land use, real estate law, and local government regulations. Prior to starting his law practice, Rob enjoyed a first career as a newspaper reporter covering real estate, development and city government for several newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. Rob has been active in the community for many years, focusing on land use and environmental issues. He served on the Oakland Parks and Recreation Commission and currently is as board member and general counsel for the Oakland Builders Alliance. When he’s not planting trees or working in gardens, Rob enjoys spending time with his family.

Board President
Samantha Columbus joined Sidewalk Trees and Gardens in the summer of 2025. A Bay Area native, she previously served on the AC-OCAP Board and is an alumna of BCLI. She's worked in the public sector running operations for a local government housing program and currently works in the non profit sector managing clean energy & energy efficiency initiatives. She earned her B.A. in Urban Studies and Planning from San Francisco State University in 2020. In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time in nature, hiking, and cooking.

Director of Government Affairs
Gaynell is a proud product of Oakland Public schools, UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco Law School. After 24 years as the City Of Oakland's Disability Benefits Coordinator (DBC), Gaynell retired in 2016. As the DBC Gaynell was solely responsible for working with all City departments to ensure compliance with state regulations, union contracted benefits and acting as liaison with benefits related contractors. Gaynell provides support to several local organizations, including the Oakland Tech Parent Teacher Association, the Women's Daytime Drop-In Center, Oakland Heritage Association, Aim High, and Students Rising Above. Gaynell and her husband Jon, are lifelong Oakland residents; they have lived Oakland's Golden Gate neighborhood since 1994. Gaynell enjoys time with family, travelling and thrifting.

Board Vice President
Patricia Johnson is the founder of Raise Financial Advisors and Game Theory Academy, and co-founded the WOW Farm entrepreneurship program for teens in West Oakland. She holds an MBA from Yale and a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. She has lived in North Oakland's Temescal neighborhood since 1997 and can often be found at Mosswood Park playing basketball with her ten year old son.