As we grow across the country, we are committed to keeping REAL School Gardens relevant to every child, school and community that we serve. We have both a national board and local advisory boards (ACORNS) to ensure our success and responsiveness.
Board of Directors
In addition to fiduciary and legal responsibilities, our diverse group of national directors keeps abreast of best practices, policies, environmental trends and new initiatives. And when given the opportunity to sample some student-grown cherry tomatoes, we’ll happily say yes.
We love to watch our gardens grow.
- Kelly Garrett - Chair
Associate Director, Rainwater FoundationKelly began his education career as a Teach For America corps member teaching fifth grade before co-founding and directing Project Chrysalis Charter Middle School in Houston, Texas, and the Perea Preschool Early Childhood Development program in Memphis, Tennessee. He later served as director of business development for KC Distance Learning in Portland, Oregon. In 2005, he joined the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Rhodes College and a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
- Jeanne McCarty
Executive Director, REAL School GardensPrior to leading REAL School Gardens in its national expansion, Jeanne spent eight years as vice president and director of the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots, a global youth service program focused on conservation. With more than 17 years experience in education and program management, she has also served as the director of Undergraduate Programs for the Department of African American Studies and the assistant director of the Upward Bound program, both at the University of Maryland. Jeanne is active in national and international initiatives to connect children and families to nature and to promote youth leadership in conservation. She serves on the Global Leadership Committee for the Nature Action Collaborative for Children and is on the National Advisory Board Member for The Gloria Barron Prize for Youth Heroes and the Advisory Council of the Environmental Leadership Center at Warren Wilson College. She holds a Master of Arts in American Studies from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, Summa Cum Laude, from the University of Southern Mississippi.
- Fred Thompson
Principal, The Communications Collaborative, LLCFollowing a successful career path leading communications firms like Burson-Marsteller and Manning Selvage and Lee, Fred tired of commercial persuasion and sought to make a difference. He began as CEO of the Jane Goodall Institute, where he not only helped with the Roots & Shoots program but also forged strong partnerships with major governmental policy and funding entities, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the European Union, and the U.S. Department of State.
Following that Fred became CEO of the American Liver Foundation and most recently, Fred re-joined Creative Partners, LLC, a marketing communications company he co-founded as a silent partner in 2001. With offices in Stamford, Conn., and Los Angeles, Calif., the firm represents a combination of commercial and non-profit organizations including Health Net, Citibank, MBIA, Harvard University, Whirlpool Corporation and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Fred is also Chairman of The Center for Non-profit Growth. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan State University and is a frequent lecturer before professional and academic groups on topics related to brand-building, organizational positioning and donor acquisition strategies.
- Delaine Eastin
Retired Distinguished Visiting Professor of Educational Leadership,
Mills College - Carolina M. Mata-Tovar
Strategic Account General Manager, Xerox Corporation - Robert Menzi
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation - Focus on families and schools as the center of community,
- Support outstanding teaching and school leadership,
- Foster ecological awareness and conservation,
- Integrate curricula that connect learning with nature,
- Surround children with a spirit of mutual respect, healing and joy.
- Joyce Brown - Director
East Fort Worth Montessori Academy - Nancy Burleson - Teacher
Watauga Elementary School - Alice Espinoza - Parent
H.V. Helbing Elementary School - Glenna Cleworth - Teacher
Western Hills Primary School - Scott Feille - Program Director
REAL School Gardens - Jolee Healey - Principal
Victor H. Hexter Elementary School - Tracy Hollis - NSEC Facilitator
Grand Prairie Independent School District - Ruth Kinler - Owner
Redenta’s Garden - Jeanne McCarty - Executive Director
REAL School Gardens - Sandy Neumann - Educational Consultant
- Michelle Schneider - Education Operations Manager
Botanical Research Institute of Texas - Ron Schultze - Principal
J. T. Stevens Elementary School - Mike Warren - Community Service/Prevention Officer
Tarrant County Juvenile Services
Throughout her experiences as a corporate planner, public representative and college instructor, Delaine has held tight to one ideal: quality education. In 1986, she was elected to the California State Assembly, where she served for four terms and became chair of the Assembly Committee on Education. Then, in 1994, she was the first woman to be elected California State Superintendent of Public Instruction. During her two terms in this capacity, Delaine advocated for high academic standards for all children, reduced class size in elementary grades, civic engagement, community service and gardens in every school.
After a stint in Washington, D.C., where she launched the National Institute for School Leadership, Delaine returned to her home in California and the job she truly loves: teaching. Last year, Delaine retired from her position as Distinguished Visiting Professor of Educational Leadership at Mills College in Oakland, California, where had served as Director of the Center for Civic Engagement and Women’s Leadership.
Delaine holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has been honored with distinguished alumni awards from both institutions and currently chairs the UC Davis Advisory Board of the Center for Nutrition Education in Schools and serves on the Dean’s Council of the School of Education at UCSB.
Joining our board in March 2010, Carolina is a recognized innovator and corporate leader with more than 20 years of experience in managing client relationships, leading marketing initiatives and directing consumer and employee communications.
Carolina is currently the strategic account general manager within the Xerox Global Services group, serving as a trusted business partner and helping key customers in the technology industry.
As an innovator formerly employed by Whirlpool Corporation, Carolina successfully built a ground-breaking “green” partnership, increased Internet sales of Whirlpool brands on Sears.com by as much as 100% and led integrated marketing strategy and communications for the KitchenAid brand. Carolina also served as the first Executive-On-Loan to the Council for World-Class Communities, a non-profit endorsed by Whirlpool Corporation that helps close the opportunity gap for Southwest Michigan residents.
Carolina has held speaking engagements with the International Association of Business Communicators, The Conference Board and the U.S. Department of Education. She is a returning visiting lecturer at the University of Notre Dame MBA program. She is also a certified innovation consultant, a diversity mentor and trainer, a practitioner of innovation experimentation and has been nominated for Latina magazine’s Hispanic female professional of the year.
Carolina served on the board of the Berrien County Foundation in Berrien County, MI. She holds a master’s of business administration from the Mendoza College of Business at University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English Literature from the University of New Hampshire.
As Chief Financial Officer of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Robert manages more than $300M in assets and $80M in annual revenue to support the organization's efforts to preserve and restore native wildlife and habitats. He oversees all financial and business operations responsible for making and tracking awards and contracts to over 3,500 recipients and reporting to over 200 funding sources.
He is also responsible for the Foundation’s investments within four investment portfolios. He serves on the Finance, Investment, Audit, Governance and Executive Committees of the Board of Directors. Prior to joining the Foundation, Robert served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Jane Goodall Institute, an expansive education and conservation public charity with staff across the US and Africa.
Before his work in the not-for-profit sector, Robert gained significant national and international experience in finance and economic development. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Protiveris, Inc., a venture capital backed nanotechnology development company. Preceding that experience, Robert was part of the corporate development staff at Raytheon Company, where he was responsible for a breadth of mergers and acquisitions activity in the US, Europe and the Middle East. He also directed a partnership in a venture fund based in Saudi Arabia.
Robert began his career at the Bank of Boston where as an associate he worked on several leveraged buyouts and large corporate lease and credit facilities. In addition, Robert served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps in the Yemen Arab Republic. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College and his Master of Arts degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Our ACORNS Advisory Boards
You may not see them, but they’re there. ACORNS help our gardens grow.
ACORNS stands for Alliance to Connect Organizations and Resources to Nurture Students. Yes, it’s a mouthful, but that’s what acronyms are for. Acting as our advisory board, ACORNS is made up of teachers, principals, conservation educators and REAL School Gardens staff members. These advisory boards serve the unique needs of each school community. We believe in the power of local relationships to:
