OUR VISION
What we eat, how our food is grown, and how we take care of the land can have a positive or negative impact on ourselves, our community, and our world. Our vision is to work collaboratively with others to find ways to reduce these negative impacts by making better sustainable* choices.

OUR MISSION
Novato Live Well aims to work with and educate families, schools, and our community about the positive benefits of choosing sustainable ways of eating, gardening and living. We want to bring people to the table to: Share what we have learned. Have an open dialog regarding the issues. Collaborate to find creative solutions. Advocate where change is necessary. And provide educational opportunities.

NON-PROFIT STATUS
The Novato Live Well Network is a sponsored project of Marin Link, a California nonprofit corporation, exempt from federal tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS:
HOW WE CAME TO THE TABLE
Our organization grew out of two events: (1) The Lunch Buddies program developed by Veronica Valero, a volunteer parent, and Miguel Villarreal, Director of Food and Nutrition Services (FANS) for the NUSD, and (2) the 2006 Novato Eat Well Festival put on through the collaboration of the Lunch Buddies parents, community volunteers, FANS Staff, and the Marin Food Systems Project of the Environmental Education Council of Marin. The collaboration, synergy, and experience complemented and expanded our personal visions so much so that we decided to form the Novato Live Well Network (NLWN) to share our vision and goals with others.

THE BOARD TABLE
Veronica Valero: A 2006 graduate of Novato Chamber of Commerce's "Leadership Novato" Program and recipient of the "Leadership Novato" Ed Stark Award. Member of Sustainable Novato. Novato Unified School District Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Committee Member. Novato Community Garden founding committee member. Founder of the Novato Healthy Food Coalition (resignation letter). Lu Sutton Elementary School parent of seven year old.

In 1996 Veronica and her husband moved to Novato. Health and wellness issues have always been important to Veronica. But, after her bother's death at age 44 of a rare sarcoma cancer (Ewing's Sarcoma/PNET) that is usually found in children, Veronica became a passionate volunteer health advocate as a way to "do something about it" in hopes that her son and all children and their families would never have to experience cancer or other such life threatening illnesses. When she is not volunteering, Veronica is "The Computer Tutor of Marin"—a one-on-one computer tutor/consultant. Veronica has an M.A. in Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

Miguel Villarreal: B.A. Food and Nutrition, M.B.A. Miguel has twenty five years of experience in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. He is entering his fifth year as the Director of Food and Nutritional Services (FANS) of the Novato Unified School District (NUSD). His success with NUSD has caught the attention of other local school districts, so much so that he has been contracted out to be San Rafael School District's part-time Director of their school lunch program. Miguel’s goals as a nutritionist and business man are to provide healthy, fresh, quality meals to the school children while working within his budget. This requires creativity, determination and advocacy because of the enormous financial limitations and facility constraints his department faces daily. Miguel collaborates and serves on numerous committees at the local and state level to advocate for additional funding, healthier food, facility improvements, and educating the community at large on the importance of Wellness. To learn more see our School Kitchens web page.

Barb Curtice: Barb Curtice: Barb grew up in Novato schools.  Prior to being the parent of a 8 year old, she worked in the direct marketing industry for 18 years, primarily in the areas of communications, marketing and new account management. She was a past member of the Direct Marketing Association, Direct Marketing Association of Washington, DC, and the Northern California Catalog Club. During her tenure, Barb worked closely with the direct mail campaigns for clients that include Center for the Science in the Public Interest, Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Terwilliger Foundation, Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Natl' Parks Conservations Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, World Watch Institute as well as many other non-profits who represent environmental issues.   

Barb has been instrumental at helping form the Pleasant Valley Lunch Buddies Program as she is passionate about good nutrition and educating our kids on healthier choices.  Barb's passion for health and wellness has lead her to become a successful Isagenix International Distributor. She assists others who are looking to improve their health and wellness through balanced nutrition and eliminating toxins from the body.

Norma Eckert: Norma relocated from her home state of New Hampshire to Marin County in 1990. She has over fifteen years experience in the high tech industry working for Compaq and General Electric. Norma has held various positions such as computer leasing sales, project management, marketing, and finance. 

Currently she’s involved in a family owned business building Rhino courts that promote family fitness.  She’s also joined another Novato mom to help with growing their traveling boutique venture. Norma finds time to support her community and interests by volunteering her time event planning for local school fundraisers and coaching Girls on the Run. She is a graduate of the University of San Francisco and has two children. Norma is an Olive Elementary School parent.

Heidi Kertel: Heidi is a former caterer and today works as a kitchen designer in Marin County. She has been cooking with whole foods for over 30 years. Her passion now is to pass on this delicious and vital knowledge to all who want to learn through her business, "Full Circle, The Sustainable Kitchen" where she teaches not only personalized cooking classes, but also teaches how to shop for healthy affordable food with the "sustainable conscious" to avoid filling up the landfills with unnecessary packaging. Heidi is also a member of Sustainable Novato and an avid organic gardener.

Annie Spiegelman: Raised and hardened in the asphalt jungle of New York City, Annie moved to the Bay Area over ten years ago and became a Master Gardener. She is the author of two previous books on gardening (and life). Annie’s Garden Journal: Some Thoughts on Roses, Life, Weeds, and Men (Carol Publishing, 1996) was a selected Borders Books title by promising new writers and her second, Growing Seasons: Half-baked Garden Tips, Cheap Advice on Marriage and Questionable Theories on Motherhood was published in 2003. Spiegelman (a.k.a the dirt DIVA) is working on another gardening book and is the garden columnist for the Pacific Sun.

Vicky Meblin: Vicky's business experience includes marketing and public relations, exhibiting at trade shows/business conferences, coordinating sales seminars & other events, managing client databases, and writing and editing marketing collateral. 

Vicky has two children at Pleasant Valley Elementary School. She is the Pleasant Valley Elementary Volunteer Coordinator for Marin County School Volunteers. She is also a NLWN Lunch Buddy volunteer and food advocate. Vicky enjoys conversing with the school children about nutrition and making healthier food choices as she hands out sample fresh fruits and vegetables during lunch time. Vicky is also an active Novato Mothers Club member. 

*WHAT IS "SUSTAINABILITY"
"Sustainability" describes choices we make that have a positive impact on individuals, our community, and our ecosystem. The Worldwatch Institute defines "sustainable" as meeting the needs of all people "without threatening the health of the natural environment or the well-being of future generations."