Leadership

Brenda Schwab brings over 35 years of experience in healthcare administration, research oversight, and regulatory compliance to The Eighth Leaf Project. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Healthcare Administration. She also is nationally certified as a Certified Provider Credentialing Specialist (CPCS) and Certified Medical Staff Manager (CPMSM), with extensive experience supporting Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) and ensuring ethical, compliant research practices in major hospital systems.

A lifelong advocate for vulnerable children, Brenda served as a foster parent and adoptive parent and was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine in 1988 in the article “Who Speaks for the Lost Children.” She also collaborated with Marcia Robinson Lowry and the ACLU Children’s Rights Project during their class action lawsuit against the State of Louisiana, serving as Next Friend for her adopted daughter, Stacy. Her involvement contributed to reforms enforcing Public Law 96-272, ensuring that children in foster care receive permanent placement plans within eighteen months.

Brenda founded The Eighth Leaf Project after discovering thousands of wild Great Mullein plants on her 73-acre farm in Robeson County, NC. What began as curiosity grew into a mission-driven initiative focused on medicinal plant research, environmental health, soil and water quality, and community education. Today she leads the organization’s scientific, environmental, and advocacy efforts with a blend of compassion, credibility, and lived experience.

Brenda Schawb, CPMSM, CPCS

Founder & President

Virginia Erwin, MS

Secretary/Treasurer

Virginia Erwin, MS, brings more than 20 years of medical laboratory science experience to her role as Secretary and Treasurer of The Eighth Leaf Project. She currently serves as the Section Head for Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis at Aspen Valley Health, where she oversees diagnostic operations, staff training, and quality control to support accurate patient care in a rural healthcare setting.

Before stepping into leadership, Virginia spent over a decade as a travel medical laboratory scientist, working in 13 hospitals across the United States from small critical access facilities to major trauma centers. This experience developed her reputation for adaptability, precision, and strong clinical leadership during urgent staffing shortages.

Virginia holds a Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science. She is certified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and holds advanced credentials in laboratory management, Lean Healthcare, and Lean Six Sigma (Yellow and Green Belt).

Beyond her professional expertise, Virginia’s connection to The Eighth Leaf Project is deeply personal. Once a foster child herself, she joined Brenda’s family at age five and was later adopted as a teenager. Her journey fuels her dedication to the organization’s mission of improving community health, environmental safety, and opportunities for vulnerable populations.