Noelle Warford
“We’re in an ecosystem. For us to have the scale in which we need to significantly change food systems and other systems of oppression, we all need to work together.”
Noelle Warford fondly remembers the time that she spent with her grandmother in her garden. Raised in a predominately Black working-class community in Youngstown, Ohio, Noelle thought urban life always included some sort of green space. As the first member of her family to attend a four-year university, she received her B.A. in Women’s and Black Studies from Denison University. Through her studies and travels abroad, Noelle developed a keen understanding of inequalities with regard to race, class, and gender, and that continues to inspire her work in urban agriculture and food justice.
In 2007, Noelle moved to Philadelphia where she missed seeing green spaces controlled by and accessible to Blacks and people of color. Since getting her Masters’ in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, Noelle has worked in the non-profit sector – focusing on program development and evaluation, fundraising, teaching, and strategic planning. Her talent for bold but empathetic leadership and her passion for agriculture came together at Urban Tree Connection (UTC). Starting as the program director for this grassroots organization in West Philadelphia, Noelle managed and taught youth programs, gardening programs, and community education classes, including wellness workshops. In her current job, as UTC’s Executive Director, she works toward a clear, collective and shared vision, empowering people to determine their own health and economic future. Noelle is also on the board of the North East Sustainable Agriculture Working Group and she is a member of the Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. These and other city- and state-wide coalitions allow her to hold tightly her political values while living a fulfilling life.
What does leadership mean to you?
“Leadership to me developing a collective understanding and investment in our 'why', our purpose and our mission. In that process we learn that leadership requires boldness, clarity, and vulnerability. We have to realize 1) we can never do it alone and therefore it is critical that we are always cultivating leaders that can develop more leaders; and 2) that leadership requires transformation. We must be willing to live on growth edges, to make the seemingly impossible more possible, and to constantly build up our organizational and team capacities, including emotional intelligence, to advance our cause.”
Biography:
Noelle Warford is the Executive Director of Urban Tree Connection, a grassroots organization in West Philadelphia that uses land-based strategies and urban agriculture as tools for fostering community leadership and power. Noelle was raised in Youngstown, Ohio in a predominately Black working-class community. As the first member of her family to attend a four-year university, she received her B.A. in Women’s and Black Studies from Denison University. Through her studies and travels abroad, Noelle developed an analysis of structural inequities that drives her professional work and life. In 2007, Noelle moved to Philadelphia to obtain her Masters’ in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Over the last decade, Noelle has worked in the non-profit sector – with a focus on program development, data and evaluation, fundraising, teaching and curriculum development, strategic planning and organizational development and governance. Noelle has been a part of various city and state-wide coalitions to advance racial and economic justice in agriculture and food systems. She is a Board Member of the North East Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) and a member of the Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.