Susana Bailén has been living in Olympia since 2010. She’s a performer, an educator, and a fierce loving mama. Of Caribbean & Mediterranean origin, the open sea is her happy place and rambunctious gatherings with friends enliven her soul. It was through GRuB that she realized for the first time, in a very deep way, how powerful and transforming a supportive community can be. Susana serves as the chair of our Board Development Committee, and her leadership style balances her attention to details, commitment to equity, and deep care for people and community.
Teresa Knotwell was born in Oregon and grew up on the West Coast. Formerly married and has two children, and four grandchildren. She received a GRuB garden when two of her grandchildren lived with her, and a few years later started volunteering at GRuB to give back. Professionally, she has spent a good majority of her time at non-profits, mostly executive administrative/office manager/bookkeeping, and brings these skills to her position as Board Treasurer, as well as her commitment to building community and a culture of belonging and appreciation.
Diane Dakin is a retired family physician who has lived and worked in Olympia for 36 years (Group Health/Kaiser). She believes that healthy food and healthy communities go hand in hand, and that teaching about food, gardens, and bringing communities together is exciting. Diane has worked with communities in Latin America and with a project in Indonesia called Health in Harmony which involves "radical listening" to community needs to improve access to medical care to help protect the rainforest. As part of our Finance Committee, and as Board Secretary, Diane pays attention to the details, and asks excellent questions!
Judy Witt brings a strong background in education and leadership to GRuB as her career spanned preschool through graduate education. In K-12, she taught students with special needs at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. In higher education, she spent most of her time leading, teaching, and assessing alternative programs designed for non-traditional students that involved interdisciplinary and collaborative teaching using various learning community and cohort models. In retirement, Judy gives back to her community through her interest in leadership development and making healthy local food systems accessible to all. Judy brings calm, clarity, and affirming energy to her leadership role as GRuB’s Board President.
