Our Team

A hillside farm under development with newly planted young plants and numerous white protective tubes, surrounded by a lush green forest and mountains in the background. Gardening tools and a green watering can are scattered on the soil in the foreground.

At Joyful Earth Stewards Using Sustainability (J.E.S.U.S.), we bring diverse backgrounds and specialized expertise to the table, united by a shared commitment to purposeful environmental action and real community connection. Our leadership bridges the gap between high-level operational strategy, robust financial integrity, and dedicated local advocacy to ensure Colorado's vital ecosystems thrive for generations to come.

Valerian Jimenez founded J.E.S.U.S. because Colorado's water crisis demanded someone who had actually managed complex operations at scale — and decided to act. A 26-year Marine Corps veteran, he served as a Master Gunnery Sergeant and acted as Sergeant Major in aviation maintenance, managing $2 billion in assets and the personnel who maintained them. He brings that same discipline — precision logistics, accountability, and mission execution under pressure — to building one of the largest native reforestation efforts on Colorado's Front Range.

Valerian Jimenez — Founder & Chief Executive Officer

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Michael Mangano — Chief Restoration Officer

As Co-Founder and Principal of African Rangelands, Michael brings two decades of global landscape-restoration leadership to J.E.S.U.S. He has directed large-scale restoration programs across six countries — Botswana, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda — managing grants of up to $96 million from U.S. federal agencies, the Green Climate Fund, the United Nations, the European Union, and national governments. His work has catalyzed the transition to sustainable landscape restoration on more than 20 million acres, an area exceeding 30,000 square miles, by building durable partnerships among governments, local communities, and the private sector to deliver shared, lasting benefit. As Chief Restoration Officer, he applies that global experience to the North Front Range corridor — bringing the same discipline, partnership-building, and outcomes focus to Colorado's forests and watersheds.

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Patrick Stump — Chief Financial Officer

Patrick Stump is an experienced financial executive who serves as J.E.S.U.S.'s Chief Financial Officer. Based in the Timnath and Windsor region of Colorado, he currently serves as CFO for PAS Business Solutions, where he leads strategic financial management and corporate financial infrastructure. He brings deep expertise in accounting and corporate financial systems to J.E.S.U.S., building the financial controls, reporting, and stewardship that keep a growing restoration organization accountable to its funders and its mission.

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Keith Anderson — Director of Operations

Keith Anderson translates J.E.S.U.S.'s large-scale restoration goals into practical systems, partnerships, and execution. His background spans legislative support, grassroots organizing, strategic communications, event leadership, and policy development, with particular depth in market-based conservation, regenerative agriculture, and land stewardship. He draws on that experience to coordinate stakeholders, build outreach systems, and connect restoration efforts with the policymakers, producers, landowners, volunteers, and community leaders whose support makes the work possible. At J.E.S.U.S., Keith leads operational planning, stakeholder coordination, and public communication across the North Front Range Moisture Ribbon corridor — keeping vision, partnerships, volunteers, and field execution moving in the same direction.

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Joe Hill — Director of Science & Technology

With over 20 years of experience in enterprise technology, automation, and data-driven strategy, Joe Hill strengthens J.E.S.U.S. by bridging complex digital systems with environmental restoration. He builds the scalable infrastructure behind the organization's sensor network and data platform, drives operational efficiency, and translates technical concepts into compelling narratives for public engagement — turning field data into both scientific evidence and a story the public can follow.