Joanna (Miller) O'Connell earned her college degree in environmental geography at Salem State University in 2004 and later began a career as an environmental consultant. After having two children, Joanna shifted gears.
In 2017, Joanna joined the North Andover Sustainability Committee and made it her personal mission to make a change at the local level. In 2018, she ran a pilot program to compost food waste at two district schools. She used the data she collected from this pilot to successfully secure a grant from the DEP to expand this program to all the public schools in North Andover. Through this process, she breathed new life into the Sustainability Committee, drawing new members every month.
Joanna has engaged our students in the fight against climate change and continues to fight for and expand green initiatives across the community. She does all this behind the scenes while working, raising a family, and being an all-around champion community volunteer. O'Connell was nominated as a 2020 Commonwealth Heroine of Massachusetts by State Rep. Christina Minicucci.
Discover more about Joanna's work and recognition: