In 2010, Shannon Brawley was hired as the Executive Director of the Rhode Island Nursery & Landscape Association (RINLA) and has lead as the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Institute since 2013. Her success with RINLI/RINLA is due to her ability to define and see the need for systems approaches in addressing critical issues that are at the intersection of civic and economic development. She has been integral to the development of a RINLA’s Growing Futures RI workforce programming for “green collar” jobs in the natural resource based economy. One of her goals is to engage young people to better understand there are meaningful and well-paying careers in agriculture and plant-based industry.  Additionally, she has an extensive background working as a liaison with disparate stakeholders in moving a community forward in addressing economics, the environment and social equity. As director of the statewide California Basketweavers Association, she facilitated collaboration among Native American tribes, federal, state and county agencies, global mining companies, large agriculture, and environmental organizations to find common ground over land restoration/reclamation, natural resource management, cultural preservation, and education. Ms. Brawley received a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture and Ph.D. (ABD) in Geography from the University of California, Davis. She has served on the board of directors for The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, a quasi-public agency that is the official full-service, economic development organization for the state of Rhode Island. She also has served on the board of directors for the Quonset Development Corporation and the Rhode Island Statewide Planning Council. In 2018, she received her certificate from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which supports her in developing innovative and entrepreneurial responses to grow RINLA/RINLI.