Delaine Eastin
Delaine Eastin is on the faculty of Mills College in Oakland, California. She is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Educational Leadership, teaches in the Public Policy department, and serves as a special advisor to the President of Mills, Janet Holmgren.

Between February 2003 and August 2004, Eastin served as the first Executive Director of the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL) in Washington, DC. Drawing on best practices from the military and business training, this program partners with school districts to build the districts own capacity to install standards-based, results-oriented education systems, focusing on school leadership.

Prior to joining NISL, Eastin served two terms as State Superintendent of Public Instruction in the state of California. The State Superintendent is a nonpartisan state constitutional office. Eastin was the highest-ranking official in California's elementary and secondary public school system and the first woman to be elected State Superintendent.

As State Superintendent, she spearheaded major efforts to improve reading, writing, and mathematics instruction; reduce class sizes in grades K-3; and implement statewide standards, assessments, and a system of accountability. Eastin also advocated safe and healthy school environments; up-to-date facilities; 21st century technology; family-school partnerships; expanded teacher training and professional development; higher graduation requirements, including the arts in the core curriculum; and increased resources for schools.

Beginning in November 1986, Eastin served four terms in the State Assembly. As chair of the Assembly Committee on Education, she sponsored legislation to reform the k-12 education system and to improve the sagging infrastructure of California schools. She authored the first school bond to marry higher education and k-12 education in a common bond. Eastin also carried the legislation to create the 1994 Family School Partnership Act, making California the first state to allow parents to take up to 40 hours off from work during the year to participate in their children's education.

Superintendent Eastin was an early proponent of the charter school concept and has long advocated stronger technical and vocational training for students. She also advocated improving mathematics and science educational standards, better laboratory science in schools, and gardens in every school. She enlisted California as the first state in the nation to embrace the Team Nutrition program to improve the nutritional value of school lunches. She instituted a campaign for a Garden in Every School to create living laboratories for teaching academics while fostering an appreciation of fresh produce and sustainable agriculture.
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Katherine Whiteside
Ms. Whiteside is an internationally published writer and syndicated author. She is the Gardening Editor at Large for Country Home magazine, has written articles for a broad spectrum of newspapers and national magazines, and has authored several books. In addition, she has worked as an editor, producer, location scout, and on-site art director in this country and throughout Europe and Asia, and frequently serves as a corporate consultant.

Katherine holds a bachelor's degree from Randolph-Macon College and a master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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NGA President

Mike Metallo
Mike Metallo has more than 20 years of nonprofit management experience building marketing programs to highlight association assets, creating brand awareness, establishing financial stability, as well as contributing to strategic organizational growth and development. He has served as Executive Director for both trade and educational mission-driven organizations including the National Gallery of Art, the Parks & History Association, and the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association.

Mike's work with the National Gardening Association has allowed him to focus his skills on connecting children to nature through gardening. Under his leadership, the association has devised many programs designed to highlight the health benefits of gardening by creating curriculum that engages children in cultivating, harvesting, preparing, and cooking food they grow themselves.

Mike is a magna cum laude graduate of Gordon College with a bachelor's degree in Economics and a minor in Psychology. He serves on the Advisory Panel of the National Forum on Children and Nature, the USDA People's Garden Forum, the Learning for Life Skilled Trades Committee, and is on them Advisory Board of the Housekeeping Channel.
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Advisory Committee

Kerry Bierman
Mr. Bierman is Director of Community Relations & Development for the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Kerry's experience includes more than 30 years in the communication field, and 20 in health care. Prior to the Library he was Vice President, Corporate Communications for the Scott's Company, Columbus; Director of Corporate Identity for Baxter Health Care, Chicago; and Director of Marketing for the American Medical Association, Chicago.

Kerry has received recognition from numerous publications and professional societies, including Financial World Magazine, The Art Director's Club of New York, The International Film Festival and the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence in Investor Relations from the Public Relations Society of America.

He holds a bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Northern Illinois University and served in the U.S. Army, Vietnam, in the Infantry Combat Artist Program. He is a Fellow of the American Center for Design, Chicago, served as an advisor to the board of the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, and as a member of the Garden Writers Association of America. He is currently serving on the Public Library Association's Library Card task force.
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Renee Shepherd
Dr. Shepherd founded Shepherd's Garden Seed in 1983, after receiving her Ph.D at UC Santa Cruz and teaching in UCSC's Environmental Studies department. Under Renee's direction Shepherd's became the premier mail order source for both heirloom and hybrid gourmet vegetables from all over the world, as well as for old-fashioned and fragrant flowers and diverse culinary herbs.

Renee is widely regarded as a pioneering innovator in introducing specialty vegetables, herbs, and cottage garden flowers for the gourmet restaurant trade and home gardeners. Since leaving Shepherd's Seeds in 1997, Renee has started a new seed company, Renee's Garden, which markets exclusively to high-end independent nurseries or online at www.reneesgarden.com. She continues to write extensively for the gardening and cooking media in such publications as Sunset, Fine Cooking, Organic Gardening, The Gardener, Fine Gardening, and Country Living. She has written two kitchen garden cookbooks both published by 10 Speed Press as well as a monthly newsletter. Renee also lectures widely at national and regional garden shows (such as the Seattle, San Francisco, and Philadelphia Flower and Garden Shows), and is a featured speaker at numerous gardening conferences.
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