Okra Abbey Staff
Benji Brubaker
Director
Since moving to Louisiana in 2005, Benji has called New Orleans home. Benji earned their bachelor’s degree in Philosophy & Africana Studies from Tulane University and later completed their Master of Liberal Arts at Tulane. Benji has worked in a variety of roles since arriving in New Orleans, from founding Hip-Hop for Hope (an annual benefit concern post-Katrina) to working with AmeriCorps VISTA, the NFL YET Boys & Girls Club, the Posse Foundation, the Tulane Center for Public Service, the Peoples’ Institute for Survival and Beyond, The Center for Restorative Approaches, Deep Down Roots/ Raíces Profundas and various other projects building towards collective liberation. Benji is a poet, artist, circle keeper, facilitator, gardener, herbalist and lifelong learner. Benji is inspired by people, plants and future possibilities beyond the limits placed on our collective political & spiritual imagination. As Director, Benji works to foster connection and compassion, accountability and support, resources and collaborations, ensuring the garden remains a place where neighbors gather, grow, and thrive together.
Aquila “Ora” Clark
Lead Gardener
Bio coming soon…
Dre Collins
Hospitality & Culture Coordinator
De’Andre Collins was born in Jackson, Mississippi. At a young age Dre had a neighbor and mentor who taught and encouraged him in the garden. When that neighbor passed away Dre took a long break from gardening.
As a young man living in Pigeon Town, he walked past The Okra Abbey and the Rev. Hannah Quick invited him in and asked him to lend a hand. After several months of volunteering and sharing his love of music around the table at Grace and Greens, Dre joined the Okra Abbey staff in June of 2024 and has been an anchor for both the hospitality and the gardening since then.
Lou Clinton
Urban Agro-Ecology Fellow
Lou is an emerging gardener, artist and soil scientist who brings their ecology background into Okra Abbey’s garden beds and events. As a recent Tulane graduate, Lou aspires to bridge the divide between science and action. They’ve done this before, while running the Tulane Food Recovery Network, a food redistribution network that turned dining hall excess into free meals, effectively channeling nutrients into communities and avoiding methane emissions associated with waste. Now, they aid in the growth of - and dissemination of knowledge about - the garden as an Urban Agroecology Fellow. They work at the beginning of Okra Abbey’s food supply circle, reinforcing the strength of its social systems and use of sustainable growing methods - including Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and companion cropping. Decay is an endless source of inspiration that they take from the soil in the beds!
Board of Directors
Kathy Randall
Elaine Walter
Linda Trueblood
Emily Dux
Jake Kelston
Loretta Credo