President:
Noel Parrish
Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2003 Cultivating Youth Program Graduate
Noel has been a member of the family since 2003 when she was a crewmember in our Cultivating Youth Program. She is dedicated to giving back to GRuB in thanks for what it provided her in her youth. Noel and her son Max can be found spending their spare time building gardens or volunteering out on the farm with the GRuB crew.
Vice President:
Steven Byers
Steve brings powerful tools to our organization with his experience in systems thinking, organizational change, and facilitation. When he’s not helping organizations learn new ways of thinking, he enjoys spending time kayaking, gardening, and traveling.
Secretary:
Ellen Shortt-Sanchez
Center for Community-Based Learning & Action, The Evergreen State College
Ellen has been instrumental in helping us to put together a new Board recruitment plan using her experience as Director for Evergreen’s Center for Community Based Learning and Action. Her background is in education, adult literacy, and immigrant & rural issues. She loves living in Mason County and brings great connections to our work there. She likes to read and walk her dogs in her spare time.
Treasurer:
Liza Rognas
The Evergreen State College
Liza grew-up among a family 5 generations-deep in cattle ranching and grain farming in Cascade County, Montana. Her passion for food security work began as a child in her grandma’s garden. She has a long history of activist work in environmental, social, and racial justice and gender equity. Liza has sponsored many students to intern and work with GRuB since 1999.
Members:
Beth Halpern
Retired, Rochester School District
A board representative on GRuB’s Events Committee, Beth helps to coordinate our annual Soiree at the Schmidt auction and Graduation & Garden Party. As a retired teacher, she brings her passion for youth to her role at GRuB. Beth enjoys gardening, traveling, learning Spanish, painting, and hiking.
Kerri Wilson
WSU Pierce County Extension
Kerri is passionate about connecting youth with the land and their local food system. She has worked in youth programming for over 12 years and has been working with youth in garden related programming for 3. Kerri is earning her Masters in Non-profit Administration from the Evergreen State College and currently works for the WSU Pierce County Extension with the SNAP-Ed program.
Dianne Ludwig
WA Department of Fish and Wildlife
Dianne is a 25 year veteran of the Dept of Fish and Wildlife where she works with a group of non-profits involved with salmon enhancement and community outreach. She is new to the GRuB Board of Directors but has volunteered for GRuB for 5+ years and believes deeply in the mission and work of GRuB. Along with a group of other Board members and volunteers, Dianne helps to coordinate the annual Soiree and Graduation & Garden Party. In her spare time, Dianne enjoys spending time with family, volunteering with literacy programs, exploring new places, hiking, baking, learning Spanish and eating lots of garden/farm fresh fruits and veggies.
Jonathan Corcoran
Bio coming soon…
