Olivewood Gardens

Healy Vigderson - Bio

Executive Director Healy Vigderson has a unique background in non-profit management, bilingual science education, and environmental sciences. Healy directs all staff and programs, fundraising and administration, and implementation of Olivewood’s goal of building healthy families and a healthy environment.  She is a leader in the community, participating on steering committees and leadership teams for County and City-wide initiatives.  At Olivewood she regularly leads collaborative efforts and oversees convenings of community stakeholders, including residents.  Her 13 years of non-profit management experience includes direction of education and outreach programs supporting families with chronic health conditions, management of creative fundraising events and leadership of legislative advocacy work at the State Capitol. Healy has academic training in Ecological research and worked in North Central Chile on Desertification projects near the Atacama Desert.  In the San Diego Unified School District, Healy was a bilingual educator who taught inner city elementary school students and later middle school Life Science, and she developed a hands-on Science lab for a K-6 elementary school.  She has a BS in Biology and Spanish, a MS in Biology, and a BCLAD bilingual Teaching Credential from the State of California.  A native San Diegan, Healy enjoys the outdoors and spends her free time in the ocean or mountains.

About Olivewood Gardens

Olivewood Gardens is a Garden and Nutrition Education Center located in National City, CA on the property of the former home of John and Christy Walton.  Olivewood’s purpose is to build healthy families and a healthy environment.  Through garden-based nutrition education, our programs inspire children and families to explore connections between plants and the natural world and – very importantly – how all this relates to healthy lifestyles for themselves and their families.  With a team of nine dedicated staff members and over 250 volunteers and interns each year, we deliver high quality programs that teach scientific literacy and environmental awareness, while encouraging visitors to explore the interrelationships between a quality diet, sustainable agriculture, and healthy living.  Our volunteer base includes professional chefs, food and nutrition education experts, master gardeners and horticulturalists, scientists and educators, and dedicated college students and community volunteers. 

Olivewood is one of the few garden-based nutrition programs in the Country that emphasizes food preparation alongside garden cultivation. Our education programs teach children and adults not just how to grow but also how to cook – and enjoy – tasty, healthy, whole foods. Our programs are designed to involve all members of the community including children, parents, teachers, and new leaders.