Good Seed Growth

JoAnn Hawker is a seasoned manager and entrepreneur. She spent thirty-six years in the private sector serving major US corporations and international clients in various supervisory and management positions. In 2019, upon leaving the private sector, Ms. Hawker began teaching at Title 1 schools to give back to her community. She discovered the urgency to teach students hands-on life skills that can easily transition into any profession or discipline. She started teaching entrepreneurial skills through gardening and witnessed the health benefits the students and teachers derived from spending time actively or passively in nature. The benefits of nature on both students and teachers were undeniable, and she set out to learn horticulture therapy (the healing, and the restoration of individuals through plant-based activities). Ms. Hawker resides in Sugar Hill, Harlem, restores health through holistic modalities, builds gardens and taught plant science at a public school in her beloved community.

Susan Di Carlo is an educator who worked with an at-risk/alternative high school population for over 30 years. As an expert in innovative curriculum, she developed a large selection of courses. She believes that fostering healthy self-esteem is the secret to both academic and emotional success, especially given the stressors of being a teen, navigating classes, and dealing with social media and social anxiety! Simply having a bouquet of fresh flowers and several green plants on her desk, as well as an assortment of bright red geraniums she cultivated in the casement windows across from her classroom provided her students with indoor nature all year round. They frequently helped water and tend the plants, and many more commented on how much they enjoyed the beauty of the natural surroundings in and around their classroom. Susan is convinced that creating indoor nature was an intrinsic part of her teaching and learning environment and the wonderful relationship she enjoyed with her students. She is happily on the Board of Good Seed Growth because she’s a true believer in the healing power of plants and has been fortunate enough to witness and participate directly in the therapeutic effect they have had on her students.

Ruth Shorter is a native of Alton, Illinois, and spent her professional career in New York City as a Vice President for the Equitable Life Insurance Company, retiring in 2019. As a Vice President and senior manager, Ms. Shorter managed employees, and her own real estate business. She brings to the Board rich knowledge about managing people and businesses. Ms. Shorter is active in her church community, which received a grant to build a rooftop garden to grow and provide fresh vegetables to the Harlem community. Since retiring gardening has become Ms. Shorter’s passion!
Richard Wooley is experienced in C-Level media, business and nonprofit strategy, operations and execution, content development, writing, marketing and public policy. As a writer and producer, he has contributed to film and television development and published hundreds of editorials for online news, including Huffington Post and CNN Opinion. He built and sold three successful businesses with an annual growth rate of 130% and guided more than 500 entrepreneurs in growing their small to medium-sized businesses. He developed strategy and sits on the board of various nonprofits and social enterprises. He acted as co-developer of the first presidential campaign that used the Internet to gauge public opinion. His early career included the role of constituent correspondent in the US Senate and speechwriter at EEOC.