Our Leadership Team
Julene Jarnot
Founder and Executive Director
A Minnesota native, Julene Jarnot brings over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, specializing in community engagement, program development, and social impact initiatives. Since 2022, she has volunteered as the coordinator of her parish community garden in Northern Virginia, where she helps grow fresh produce for the parish food pantry and maintain a native plant and pollinator-friendly garden bed. Inspired by this work, she founded the Catholic Garden Network to she founded the Catholic Garden Network to connect and support Catholic communities in sustaining and strengthening their garden initiatives.
Previously, Julene served as Executive Director of a nonprofit, leading fundraising campaigns, fostering community partnerships, and managing a hypothermia shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness. As a Nonprofit Consultant, she has helped organizations improve governance, develop strategic plans, and enhance fundraising initiatives. She has also worked extensively with scholarship programs for youth and young adults, supporting educational access and leadership development. Julene holds a degree in English and Political Science from Marquette University and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.
Joseph Jones, Ph.D.
Board Member - Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, Feeding America West Michigan
As a food banker, Joseph Jones promotes changes in the charitable food system that support programs that help people facing food insecurity improve their circumstances and achieve their aspirations. Catholic Garden Network supports these efforts by fostering gardens that can offer both fresh local food and nourishment for the human spirit.
Prior to working in food banking, Joseph earned a Ph.D. in American Studies from Michigan State University with a focus on the creation of national forests in the eastern United States. He also holds degrees from two Jesuit universities – a B.A. in social philosophy & theology from Marquette and an M.A. in American Studies from Saint Louis. He lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Dan Herrera, Ph.D.

Board Member - Urban Ecologist
Dan Herrera is an ecologist who studies how humans and wildlife can coexist, even in human-dominated landscapes like urban or agricultural areas. Deforestation to accommodate unsustainable agriculture is a leading cause of global habitat loss, and threatens to push many species to extinction. With this irreversible loss in mind, Dan strives to achieve local, community-driven food systems that produce nutritious food without inflicting undue environmental damage. Motivated by these goals, Dan volunteers in his parish garden to provide produce for the food pantry, serves as the interim co-chair of the environmental ministry at his parish, and advocates for humans and wildlife alike at the Catholic Garden Network. Dan holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and Environmental Studies (double major) from Augustana College and a PhD in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland.
