Meet Our Team

A lifelong learner and educator, Jennifer worked as a reading specialist in South Carolina’s public schools for 29 years before retiring and starting her own literacy consulting company. After leaving the education world, she started a vlog called Jennifer’s Home Journal where she journals about cooking, gardening, and fearlessly learning how to do new things. She got involved with Columbia Green in 2023 when her garden was on the Festival of Gardens tour. 

Jennifer served as President during most of 2025 when Columbia Green experienced a tremendous period of growth when the City suddenly lost federal funding for Beat the Heat–Plant a Tree and asked Columbia Green to take it over. Our board realized that we were now responsible for more than an all-volunteer board could handle, and they voted to move her into the role of Interim Executive Director.

Jennifer enjoys gardening, cooking, creating, building cool things, knitting, writing, reading, kayaking, biking, Sunday night movies at the Nick, traveling with her husband, Mike, and spending time with her family.

Adam Elvington is a South Carolinian who has spent the best parts of his life outdoors. He balances his free time between his family, birdwatching, and giving back to the outdoors through a number of ways. While he is the current Columbia Green Board President, he also is a member of Friends of Congaree Swamp, Midlands Nature and Bird Alliance, and the Bee City Committee for the City of Columbia.

While 2026 brings lots of exciting Columbia Green projects that will create big immediate impacts to Columbia's greenspaces, Adam is most excited for the things we won't see; the seeds of inspiration that sprout years of conservation minded individuals whose small, but thoughtful actions will add up to Columbia being a better place for all its locals and migrants, humans and critters alike. Reach out to Adam if you are interested in joining the local grassroots green movement.

Tom has worked as a teacher, coach and principal for Midlands’ area schools before beginning a long career in educational publishing. He has two sons and two grandchildren. Tom is an avid gardener, hybridizer and is the owner of Carolina Daylilies. 

He has served as President of the Midlands’ Daylily Society and as a speaker on perennials to state, regional and national gardening societies. His extensive garden has been a national display garden for three national plant societies. Currently he serves on the Boards of the National Japanese Society and Columbia Green. Tom is looking forward to seeing our organization grow!

Andy Cabe is the Director of Horticulture at Riverbanks Zoo. He is married to Margaret who teaches 4th grade at Satchel Ford Elementary. They share a son who is a sophomore in high school and a kitten named Stevie Nicks. A 1997 Clemson graduate in Horticulture, Andy enjoys gardening in his spare time and collecting vinyl records.

Andy also enjoys investing time in projects that will benefit the community. His most recent volunteer work has been with school and campus beautification efforts. He is excited to expand these efforts with our organization and continue beautifying Columbia alongside Columbia Green. He is also looking forward to the potential for more projects that focus on supporting our local pollinators.

Jenna Gilbreath, Coordinator for Student Engagement in the Office of Sustainability at USC, is a native of Columbus, Ohio. She values staying connected with her parents and sisters and makes frequent trips to visit them in Columbus and Arizona. 

Jenna’s interest in gardening, green spaces, and conservation comes from her background in outdoor recreation and her belief in the transformative power of spending time outdoors. Whether it is thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2024 or her completing a white-water kayaking course this spring, she is always seeking adventure in nature. 

Jenna is most excited about taking on a leadership role in the 2026 Festival of Gardens. Her hope is that people don’t just leave inspired by what they’ve seen, but feel empowered to take action, whether that’s trying something new in their own garden or starting one for the first time. It feels like a perfect example of Columbia Green’s mission in action, and she is grateful to be part of the team making it happen.