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Catamount Arts is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors comprised of arts enthusiasts from all cross- sections of the local community (teachers, doctors, photographers, administrators, musicians, parents, realtors, seniors, bankers, painters, lawyers, psychologists, students, engineers, etc). This passionate group of individuals works countless hours to fulfill Catamount’s mission to inspire appreciation of and participation in the arts, promote the arts throughout the region, and cultivate the arts as an integral part of community life. Our Vision is to be a vibrant and sustainable Arts institution, serving as an essential force in the Arts for individuals, organizations and communities throughout the region.

TO VIEW A BOARD MEMBER PROFILE, CLICK ON A NAME BELOW

Janet Warner Ashley, President

Janet Warner-Ashley is an actor, director, choreographer and mime performer who loves to teach acting, dance, public speaking and mime.  Her BFA is from the University of Rhode Island where she majored in Theatre Performance with unofficial minor concentrations in dance and oral interpretation.  She got her MA in Theatre from the University of Maine where she taught acting, dance and enjoyed directing and choreographing shows and collaborations with the music department.  Janet has been married for 40 years to Brad Ashley, former teacher and headmaster but current CEO of Kingdom Development Company and they have two sons, Eamon and Charlie of whom they are extremely proud.  Currently, Janet is teaching acting, public speaking and ballet at St. Johnsbury Academy where she was first drama director in 1980, then left to run her dance studio in St. J.  She and Brad moved to Maine for eight years and then to Wisconsin for 8 years but have been back in St. J. for the last 9 years in their same house.

Heather Alger, Vice-President

Heather has spent the last twenty years working with nonprofits building a culture of equity in each of the communities where she has served whether it is through direct service, placement, grant management, policy change, economics, or the arts. She has a MA in public policy from Tufts University. Heather currently is working on a goal of hiking the 48 of the New Hampshire 4000’s. She also enjoys biking, farming, skiing, skating, working on her old house, singing and spending time with her husband, Nick and daughter, Gabrielle. Heather lives in St. Johnsbury.

Arcelie Reyes, Secretary

Minty Conant, Treasurer

Minty Conant is a business finance and management consultant who holds a degree in accounting from Lyndon State College and an MBA from Plymouth State University.

Scott Campbell

Scott Campbell is currently a State Representative representing St. Johnsbury, Concord and Kirby. His background is construction, building design, housing and energy efficiency, as the former director of a regional Weatherization Assistance Program based in Burlington, and also of 3E Thermal, an energy consulting and incentive program for affordable apartment housing statewide. He has been on the Board since 2010, and has also served on the board of Rural Edge as well as several town committes. A lover especially of music, he also sees the arts generally as a key feature of a vital and thriving community.

Timothy Egan

A specialist in broadcast and web based video content services, marketing, and media affairs, Tim Egan is part time faculty at both Lyndon and Johnson State College in Vermont. He’s also CMO and Executive Producer for Moody Street TV in Waltham, MA, as well a principal at Sugar Hill Associates in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire where he also lives with his wife and daughter.

Bobby Farlice-Rubio

Bobby Farlice-Rubio is a science and culture educator with more than two decades of teaching experience working in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Mr. Farlice-Rubio may be seen in his monthly “Star Struck” segments on Channel 3 WCAX-TV’s 6:30pm news show, on which he presents the latest happenings in the field of Astronomy. During his 18- year tenure at St. Johnsbury’s Fairbanks Museum, Bobby was the teacher for the Guinness World Record: “Largest Astronomy Lesson.” Raised in Hialeah, Florida from Cuban and African-American roots, Bobby is also an avid musician who plays in a local band called Tritium Well, as well as his solo musical endeavor, Bobby & The Isotopes. He currently resides in Barnet, Vermont with his partner and their three children, three horses, and three dogs.

Maire Folan

Maire is the program manager for Green Mountain Farm to School in Newport VT. She hires, trains, and manages a team of AmeriCorps members who provide Northeast Kingdom students with access to food and agriculture education and healthy local food. She is also the consulting dietitian for the Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging, ensuring seniors receive nutritionally balanced meals and information they need to lead healthy lives. On winter weekends she is a ski instructor at Jay Peak. Maire grew up in New Hampshire and moved to northern NEK in 2014. She became active with the Northeast Kingdom Young Professionals Network and served as chair from 2017-2021. She holds a bachelors in biology and nutrition and a masters in sustainable food systems.

Stephen Genereaux

Dr. Stephen Genereaux is a family medicine doctor in Wells River, Vermont and is affiliated with Cottage Hospital. He received his medical degree from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

Tom Howell

Tom has a B.F.A. in Sculpture from the University of Connecticut and an M.F.A (Sculpture) from Massachusetts College of Art. During his career he has worked in the fields of art, education, and entrepreneurship. At MassArt, Tom was part of the arts collective “The Revolving Museum” in Boston’s Fort Point District. Then, as the Resident Artist in Adams House at Harvard University, Tom oversaw the “ArtSpace” gallery, serving a wide cross-section of the university and local arts communities by directing installations, exhibits, and events. Tom taught sculpture and painting, and helped to coordinate the College’s Freshman Arts program. Finally, he conceived and managed multiple social entrepreneurship projects that connected the university’s sustainability and recycling resources with primary schools in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Namibia.  He and his family are new to St. Johnsbury, and eager to be involved in the life of the community here. Tom’s son Ethan (18) and daughter Maggie (15) are both students at St. Johnsbury Academy.

Kristen Huntington

Kristen Huntington graduated with a BA in Art History from St. Lawrence University and worked in publishing in NYC at Random House, Inc. in NYC. In 2004 she received her Master’s Degree in Arts in Education from St. Michael’s College and is now the K-12 art and drama teacher in Concord, Vermont. She lives with her husband Tom and their three children in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Josh Kantrowitz

Prior to joining NVRH St. Johnsbury Pediatrics in 2009, Dr. Josh Kantrowitz was a Clinical Instructor at Dartmouth College and Chief Resident in Pediatrics at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics. A graduate of Harvard College and Boston University Medical School, Dr. Kantrowitz lives with his wife photographer Cornelia Hasenfuss and their two children in Peacham, Vermont.

Rebecca McGregor

Rebecca McGregor has a Secondary License in Dance, a BS in Exercise Science, and a Masters in Education. In 2003, she developed the dance program at Lyndon Institute and founded the annual Vermont State Dance Festival. She also helps the VT Agency of Education develop and rewrite VT dance standards and licensing requirements, assessment tools in dance education, and advocate for arts education. Rebecca is a member of SHAPE and the NDEO. She was a mentor through the NDEO’s pilot mentoring program and now is a member of the NDEO Mentoring Committee. She also has given presentations for Northeastern University’s NExT Professional Learning Conversations and been chosen as an adjudicator for the NDEO’s National Honor Society for Dance Arts Award. Rebecca has received awards like Johnson State College Rising Star/Young Alumni Award, Youth Impact Award, VAHPERD’s Dance Educator of the Year Award, and David Dwyer Lyndon Institute Teacher of the Year Award. In 2020, Rebecca also was awarded a Presidential Award from the National Dance Education Organization for her service to the Mentorship Committee and work creating and pursuing a vision for dance education in our country. Most recently, Rebecca graduated as a member of the Vermont Leadership Institute Class of 2022 at the Snelling Center for Government and was honored by the National Dance Education Organization with the Outstanding Leadership in k12 Dance Award.

Erin McMullen

Married, mother of 3 kids. Originally from Arizona, Erin has lived in the NEK for over 17 years. She is one of four owners of Red Barn Brewing in Danville, VT, and currently works at Caledonia Home Health and Hospice in St Johnsbury, as a Medical Social Worker. Erin enjoys gardening, reading, community enrichment, swimming, skiing and anything with her family.

Paula Scavullo Kitchel

An ardent supporter of the arts, Paula Scavullo Kitchel holds an M. Ed in Education from the University of Vermont and worked as a special educator and school administrator prior to her retirement. She lives in Barnet, Vermont.

Shawntel Sechrist

Shawntel is from a small town in North Carolina. Her interests in science, problem solving and animals led her to NC State University. There she earned undergraduate degrees as well as a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. Shawntel first visited Vermont with college friends while still a teenager. She had never before seen so much snow, nor had met people as genuinely kind and authentically themselves. Through the years she continued to visit these new friends, and in 2009 decided to move to Cabot. She worked at St Johnsbury Animal Hospital, which provided the opportunity to get to know many of the people in the area. Recently she opened her own veterinary hospital in Lyndonville, the NEK Community Animal Hospital. In 2014 Shawntel had a son. Her family now lives in Kirby. She is grateful to be able to raise her child in a small community filled with the same kindness that initially drew her to Vermont. Shawntel enjoys exploring the woods with her family. She day dreams of travel and hopes to find time to learn to play some of the stringed instruments in her home.

Geoffrey Sewake

Rory Higgs, Student Representative

Macie Mawhinney, Student Representative

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council was formed to bring together leaders from throughout the community to assist the Board of Directors in the transition of Catamount Arts from a grassroots art house / movie theater to a Regional Community Center, Arts Organization and Cultural Institution which also provides support services for other similar organizations. The Advisory Council’s purpose is to provide counsel, give perspective and advice, serve as advocates and public relations representatives, to assist the board in fundraising and to provide technical assistance. The Advisory Council meets yearly and functions like any committee of the board. Members’ responsibilities are limited to making recommendations and providing background for Board decisions; they have no legal responsibilities and serve at the pleasure of the Board.

Bob Swartz (former Board President) and Pam Smart (current Board Member) Co-Chair the Advisory Council as Co-Chairs and lead its on-going activities.

TO VIEW AN ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILE, CLICK ON A NAME BELOW

Bob Swartz, Co-Chair

Bob Swartz has been a patron and advocate of Catamount Arts since its beginning, when it was showing Indie films upstairs over Luvs on Railroad Street, and then at “That Bookstore” on Eastern Ave. in the 1980’s. He served on the Board when Catamount moved to the Old Post Office on Eastern Ave, and resigned when he went on Sabbatical to Reunion Island, France, in 1989. But 12 years later he agreed to get back on the Board when he found that he was promoting Catamount as one of the reasons he and his wife, Pat, had decided to stay in St. J. for “retirement”.

For 27 years Bob taught English at St. Johnsbury Academy and was the founding Director of its ESL Summer Program. He has also taught in England, and Springfield College School of Human Services. Since retiring from the Academy, he has been the Education Resource Coordinator for the Area Health Education Center, planning and implementing continuing education and professional development programs for the health professions in central and northeastern Vermont. This is a part time job he still enjoys.

Bob and Pat have three daughters and six grandchildren who live in Maine, NH and VT— and who return most years for Catamount’s Annual Auction. They too enjoy the evening of delicious food and drink, sociability and great bargains.

Travel is big, for Bob and Pat. Visiting family, getting away for mud season, returning to England (Pat’s birthplace) and France (favorite foreign country), and exploring new destinations, all add to their happiness and enrichment. But attending Catamount’s and KCP’s productions and the Met’s Operas in HD, and a couple of films a month, and the Gallery openings—and more!— keeps Catamount at the center of their cultural focus. Bob was chairman of the Board during the move to this new building and the development of Catamount as the Community Arts Center. He has seen (and helped) it grow from one-film-a-week, and a handful of productions a year, to 150+ films a year, and 300 performance opportunities a year. Who can’t get enthusiastic about that?

Bob Amos

Professional musician and producer Bob Amos was lead singer and chief songwriter for FRONT RANGE, which toured nationally from 1988-2003 as one of the top Bluegrass bands in America. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology from the College of Wooster in Ohio and Arizona State University, respectively. He currently performs with the band Bob Amos & Catamount Crossing and now lives with his wife Anne in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Jane Arthur

Jane is on her second time living in the Kingdom and now is here to stay. She and her partner, John McClung, bought a home in Danville Jane is very clear that Catamount is one of the big reasons she has decided to stay in the area. The other big reason is the large Shambhala community here.

Jane grew up in San Diego, but left there at 17 and never looked back. She has lived in Texas, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Colorado and the Northern Mariana Islands. She has her Bachelor’s Degree in nursing and worked for many years in neonatal intensive care units. She was also a nurse in the Air Force for 3 years.She received her law degree from George Washington University in 1987. Her legal career was primarily working in the criminal justice area.

She is currently the Executive Director of Karme Choling. Her buddhist practice includes working with the arts as part of everyday life from a contemplative point of view. She is very happy to be serving Catamount in this way.

Rob Begin

 

Paul Bengtson

 

Sharon Kenney Biddle

 

Peter Crosby

 

Neko Case

 

Gail Flynn

 

Carrie Gendreau

 

Joe Gittleman

 

Michael Greenleaf

 

Werner Heidemann

 

Lorna Higgs

Lorna Higgs is a Project Manager at Northeastern Vermont Development Association. NVDA provides leadership and technical assistance to communities, businesses and organizations in Caledonia, Essex and Orleans counties. Special projects under her direction have included a Business Plan Competition for new and existing small businesses in the NEK; four annual Energy Expos at LSC offering exhibits, renewable energy demonstrations, workshops and guest speakers; and regional assignments promoting job training, energy efficiency, economic development, and tourism.

Lorna was affiliated with the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum for over 35 years as a trustee, certified Librarian, Administrative Officer, and Co-Director. Under her leadership in 1999 the National Historic Landmark completed a $500,000 roof restoration project. Major fundraising followed and after securing a “Save America’s Treasures” grant she supervised the building’s $1.4 million-dollar interior restoration. The Athenaeum published the first comprehensive study of its celebrated art collection in 2006. She was responsible for raising funds for the award-winning project and directed the production from start to finish. She was instrumental in forming Friends of the Athenaeum and just prior to her retirement from the institution she oversaw the planning and startup of Secondhand Prose, an off-site bookshop on Main Street operated by volunteers. Profits from the sale of donated books continue to supplement the library’s annual operating budget.

Lorna was a founding member of the St. Johnsbury Works! Board of Directors. She chaired the Cultural and Historic Preservation Committee for St. Johnsbury’s 2001 Town Plan and St. Johnsbury’s Historic Main Street Partnership Study. She and her husband Layne have lived in St. Johnsbury for 45 years. They have two adult children and three grandchildren – and feel privileged to support the educational and cultural institutions that inspire the community they call Home.

Delsie Hoyt

 

Kevin Mack

 

Melissa Murphy

 

Greg MacDonald

Retired Field Director for the State of Vermont Agency of Human Services, Greg MacDonald lives in St. Johnsbury, Vermont with his wife Penny and their children, Ian and Molly.

Jeff Moore

 

Hal Newman

 

Kevin Richardson II

 

Tim Thompson

Bio

Tim Tierney

Tim Tierney is the Executive Director of Kingdom Trail Association in East Burke, Vermont. He is also the current president of the Burke Area Chamber of Commerce and Chairperson of the Newark School Board. He recently just left a five year position as head coach of the Lyndon State Lacrosse Team. Tim has worked all over New England in the conservation/outdoor recreation field, including managing the north Half of the Long Trail for the Green Mountain Club. Before moving to the Northeast Kingdom in 2004 Tim was Director of Field Programs for the Adirondack Mountain Club in Lake Placid. Tim graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked in the Alaska and the Northwest before moving back East. He resides in Newark with his wife, Shellie and two daughters and is continually rehabilitating their old farmhouse.

Kathy Silloway

 

Kitty Beattie Toll

 

Linda Wacholder

Former Catamount Arts Board Chair Linda Wacholder retired from Lyndon State College as the Director of Career Services. In the past, she has served as St. Johnsbury School Director; member of the Northeast Kingdom Community Action Board and founding member of the St. Johnsbury After School Program. She and her husband Alan Boye live in Barnet, Vermont.