Ellen Winifred Jones Nordell, “Winnie”, is a graduate of the Hathaway Brown School, received her BA in History from Yale University, and her MS from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy.
Winnie has deep family roots in environmental advocacy in Northeast Ohio. Her grandfather, Warren Corning, established a family commitment to land conservation as a founder and first Executive Director of the Holden Arboretum. He also founded Red Barn Camp for boys to help develop their inner strengths through outdoor exploration and service work at the Arboretum. Her mother, Alison Corning Jones, started Chincapin Camp with the same mission for girls, and added a special focus on horseback riding. Extending this legacy, Winnie has a passion for conservation and for connecting people to nature. She has served on Holden Forests & Garden’s board since 2011 and the Red Oak Camp’s board since 2014.
Winnie has participated on, and chaired, Development teams for numerous years, helping to raise millions of dollars for nonprofits, primarily schools and special charitable programs.
The Nordell family, husband Peter and four children, settled in Gates Mills in 2009. The family enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities together. Winnie is an avid equestrian and hiker, an energetic advocate for Community Supported Agriculture and enjoys plant-based cooking