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Meet our directors

Leadership grounded in people, systems, and community.

Green Heart’s directors bring distinct expertise to one shared purpose: helping organizations and families move from good intentions to informed, practical action.

Mariah Caldwell, Founder and Executive Director of Green Heart Inc.

Founder and Executive Director

Mariah Caldwell

Mariah Caldwell is a thanatology professional, educator, program developer, and the founder and executive director of Green Heart Inc. Her work examines the emotional, social, cultural, and practical dimensions of death, dying, grief, bereavement, and family preparedness, then transforms that knowledge into education and systems people can use.

Drawing from lived experience and a professional background in healthcare navigation, community outreach, and grief education, Mariah develops original curricula, guided journals, organizational training, and trauma and grief informed implementation resources for families, educators, workplaces, and community professionals. She is currently advancing her expertise through formal study in Mortuary Science, where her academic excellence has earned recognition on the President’s Honor Roll.

Under Mariah’s leadership, Green Heart has expanded from direct family grief support into a multifaceted education and implementation organization. Her approach connects compassionate support with organizational readiness, policy development, professional learning, and business continuity. She is committed to helping institutions move beyond simply acknowledging grief and trauma toward creating informed, practical, and sustainable systems of response.

Jennifer Danaher, Director of School Partnerships and Programs at Green Heart Inc.

Director of School Partnerships and Programs

Jennifer Danaher

Jennifer Danaher is an educator, grief coach, program leader, and the Director of School Partnerships and Programs for Green Heart Inc. She brings 32 years of experience in education and a deep understanding of how grief and loss affect students, families, educators, and entire school communities.

Jennifer holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology and has spent her career helping learning environments respond to the evolving needs of students and staff. At Green Heart, she connects schools with grief education, professional development, family resources, and practical support systems that help educators respond with greater confidence, consistency, and compassion.

Following her retirement from education, Jennifer founded Grief to Joy Coaching, LLC, where she works with individuals as they process loss and begin identifying a path forward. Her work brings together educational leadership, grief support, technology, and decades of experience serving students and families. Jennifer’s ability to understand both the classroom and the human experience behind it makes her an essential partner for schools seeking meaningful, sustainable approaches to grief informed education and student support.

Destini Gillian, Director of Workplace Partnerships and Programs at Green Heart Inc.
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Director of Workplace Partnerships and Programs

Destini Gillian, MA

Destini Gillian is a culturally responsive, trauma informed educator, program designer, facilitator, and community leader whose work strengthens communication, confidence, leadership, and opportunity. As Green Heart’s Director of Workplace Partnerships and Programs, she develops professional relationships and facilitates learning experiences that connect trauma informed principles with practical workplace application.

Destini holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership from Washburn University. Her interdisciplinary education gives her a powerful understanding of systems, human behavior, communication, leadership, and the experiences of individuals navigating institutions that were not always designed with their needs in mind.

She is also the founder and executive director of Destiny Defined LLC, where she designs culturally responsive, trauma informed programs for youth, professionals, and organizations. Destini brings lived experience, academic preparation, and dynamic facilitation into every learning environment. Her work challenges participants to examine how culture, communication, trauma, and leadership influence organizational practice, then equips them to build environments where people are better understood, supported, and positioned to succeed.

What sets our team apart

We understand that a policy is only as strong as the people expected to use it.

Our leadership connects thanatology, educational practice, culturally responsive facilitation, grief support, organizational implementation, and lived experience. We focus on practical language, clear responsibilities, and tools that fit the environment instead of forcing every organization into the same template.