Work Team

HOPE SICKMEIER: GARDEN Board President

Hope Sickmeier is our beloved retired Learning Garden educator, super volunteer, and SBLG Board President. She absolutely loves being in the garden and her goal is to foster that feeling in all our students!

She has a Bachelor of Science in education from Southwest Baptist University and a Master of Science degree in elementary administration from William Woods University.  Ashland has become my home and I’m so happy to be a part of this wonderful community!  She has two amazing sons and four fantastic grandkids!  Hope loves to do walk-races in my free time and to date, I’ve completed 25 races.  

Lyra Noce: Garden Educator

Born and raised in Southern Boone County, Lyra Noce returns to her roots in the Learning Garden. After six years as the Garden aide and manager, she became the lead Garden Educator in 2025.  She is a graduate of Southern Boone Schools and the University of Missouri - Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography. Her life long love for gardening, small scale food production and preservation, and a desire to teach our youth a strong foundation in practical life skills made this position in the Learning Garden a perfect fit.  She also hopes to engage and teach young chefs and food enthusiasts through the Learning Garden’s Middle School Cooking Club, imparting skills learned through over a decade of food service and restaurant management.

Lyra has two sons who attend Southern Boone High School.  She resides with her husband, mother, and children on the land where she grew up.  Hobbies include gardening, reading, and raising goats and chickens.  

Roxanne Helmka: Garden Educator aide

Roxanne was born and raised in Boone County. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Missouri and resides in Ashland with her husband and their two children. They have many pets including Gunner, a chocolate Labrador, barn cat Jim Bob, Lizzie the leopard gecko, Waffles the bearded dragon, Penny the axolotl, three frogs and lots of fish. 

Roxanne had previously volunteered in the district as well as enjoyed bringing monarch caterpillars into her children's classrooms over the years. She and her daughter started a butterfly garden many years ago at home and add native plants and wildflowers to it each year to fuel their passion for preserving the monarch butterflies. Recently, they started tagging and tracking the monarchs they rear to see if they make it to Mexico during their migration.

Being outdoors is her happy place. She enjoys exploring nature and hiking with her kids, watching her kids play sports, gardening, traveling, working out, thrifting, attending Mizzou football, basketball and gymnastics events.  

She is passionate about nutrition and fitness but most of all wants to share her love of eating whole foods with students through the incredible opportunities offered by the Learning Garden.  She shared, "Our outdoor classroom is a magical space to promote free exploration, spark curiosity, and encourage learning. I love when a student is brave and tries a new food they helped grow and harvest - and likes it!  How rewarding!" She is looking forward to working with the students and community to build relationships and strengthen the learning garden program.

Amy collette - accounting manager (independent contractor)

As Accounting Manager, Amy Collette focuses on the financial data for the Garden. She received her BSBA degree in accounting, obtained her CPA license, and has over 20 years of experience serving accounting & bookkeeping clients. The financial skills are what she currently brings to the Garden, but she developed a passion for the Garden’s mission several years ago as a parent volunteer helping with programs & activities. A developing home-gardener herself, Amy believes strongly in the mission & vision of bringing outdoor, hands-on learning to students & helping them to develop healthier habits for life.