Board of Directors

Since its inception, Project Grow's Board of Directors has maintained an active and engaged presence in the organization. Its philosophy is to be a "working board" and that's a role board members take seriously. From longer-term strategic projects that help better fulfill Project Grow's core mission to weekend work parties at individual garden sites, the board members are out there getting their hands dirty alongside members (both literally and figuratively!).

The Board of Directors welcomes and encourages member input. Feel free to send thoughts and suggestions for the board to info@projectgrowgardens.org.

Current Board Members

Scott Richardson, President

Scott Richardson has been a gardener, specializing in hot peppers, for about ten years. He joined the board of Project Grow in 2021 to engage with the many communities and identities that Project Grow is reaching and serving. He looks forward to preserving and celebrating the rich legacy of the organization while tending to the stability and wellness of our Project Grow community and sites.

Joe Schutte, Vice President

Joe has been gardening since his early teenage years. He joined the board in 2017 & is now a MSU Extension Master Gardener & member of Washtenaw County Master Gardeners. He gardens & is the site coordinator at our Scio site. His first love is heirloom tomatoes but he always includes hybrids tomatoes as they are better for food donation.

Dave Corsa, Treasurer

Dave has been a Project Grow gardener with his wife, Ann, for many years at Zion and Lakewood. He is a retired teacher from Eberwhite Elementary School where he works on the school garden and coordinates the flow of compostable materials from the lunchroom to an onsite vermiculture bin. Dave is a Washtenaw County Master Composter.

Marcella Trautmann, Secretary

Sharon Fay

Sharon worked on managing the gardens at Forest Hills Coop for about 20 years. She is now at County Farm and wants to share her love of gardening with everyone.

Suzan Hatch

Dan Noble

Dan rejoined the Project Grow board in 2020 after earlier serving a 2 year term from 2016-2019. He is the site coordinator for both Chapel Hill and Food Gatherers and has a special interest in promoting Project Grow's food donation efforts.

Deborah Nystrom

Deb has been gardening for over 30 years, but Project Grow provided the sun, space and community to expand her gardening joy, skill and ambitions growing heirloom tomatoes as well as a cutting gardens including cosmos, zinnias and dahlias. She is a site coordinator and a Winter Sowing enthusiast growing natives, wildflowers and flower gardens in private and public shared spaces.

Jesse Raudenbush

Jesse directs the Project Grow Compost Education Center (CEC) along with Joet Reoma. He is a Michigan Master Gardener and an experienced vermiculturist, in charged of the Vermiculture Program of Project Grow. Jesse owns and operates the worm farming and horticulture design company, Starr Valley Farms.

Joet Reoma

Joet directs the Project Grow's Compost Education Center (CEC) with Jesse Raudenbush. He is a MSU Extension Master Gardener, a Washtenaw County Master Composter, a Master Rain Gardener, a Conservation Steward, and Urban Permaculture consultant. He teaches in the Master Composter Certificate Program (MCCP) of Washtenaw County. He coordinates the UofM-CEAL class, Engaged Academic Learning Through Community Gardening, in partnership with Project Grow. He dabbles in beekeeping, vermiculture, aquaponics, and deep organic gardening. Outside of gardening, he serves as a local and national Red Cross volunteer, and a local member of CERT, Community Emergency Response Team..

Annette Calabrese Zurack