Staff

27 05, 2026

Ben Chester

2026-05-27T15:07:57-04:00May 27th, 2026|Con Sci Staff, Staff|

Ben graduated from Connecticut College in 2022 with a degree in Biochemistry and two minors in Computer Science and Applied Statistics. However, memories of backpacking through the White Mountains and perusing Cape Cod tide pools persisted, and convinced him to apply his skillset towards protecting the outdoor world he grew up loving. Ben started out in marine focused conservation in positions spanning: The British Virgin Islands, Key Largo Florida, Chincoteague Virginia, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Across these locations he got to experience roles in education, field work, and community outreach and [Read More...]

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28 12, 2025

Jenny McKenna

2025-12-28T13:27:22-05:00December 28th, 2025|Staff|

Jenny first came to the NEK when her sons attended Burke Mountain Academy. She has a BA from Colgate University and moved to VT for the summer after graduation but never left. She raised her 2 boys in West Hartford, VT where she was the Controller for Green Mountain Partners, a Private Equity Fund, for 17 years. When GMP made the decision not to raise a 4th fund, she drew on her experience as a past board member of The Upper Valley Waldorf School and Burke Mountain Academy and became Development [Read More...]

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28 12, 2025

Gage Coe

2026-01-20T09:35:26-05:00December 28th, 2025|Staff|

Gage was born in the Northeast Kingdom and grew up with a near constant exposure to work in agriculture and construction as well as outdoor recreation like hunting, skiing, and camping. NorthWoods' canoe camps and youth conservation corps were an important part of this upbringing. After high school he did a year at Plymouth State University before spending some time traveling the nation and freelancing primarily in tree work, gardening, carpentry, and stonework. While working on a family beef farm and sugarbush he wound up attending Sterling College in Craftsbury Vermont [Read More...]

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22 05, 2025

Jenny Newland

2025-05-22T14:47:45-04:00May 22nd, 2025|Staff|

Jenny grew up in the Northeast Kingdom surrounded by family, fields, wetlands, and forests. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in earth science, she joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Bolivia working with women’s groups and soaking in amazing culture and scenery. After returning to the U.S. and spending some time back home, Jenny decided that forestry would be a great way to apply her skills and get to work outside, so she returned to academia and completed a master’s degree in forestry at the University [Read More...]

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26 07, 2024

Marie Desrosiers

2024-07-26T11:28:17-04:00July 26th, 2024|Staff|

Originally from a seaside town in Massachusetts, Marie made her way to the NEK and the mountains in 2018 after many years of camping and hiking vacations around Vermont. Marie has over a decade of experience working and volunteering with non-profit organizations in various capacities, which she has brought with her to her role of Administrative Assistant at NorthWoods. She has also used her skillset to help with development work. Though her work is more behind-the-scenes than many other roles at NorthWoods, she enjoys helping the organization run smoothly. Marie also [Read More...]

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9 01, 2024

Charles Hill

2024-03-20T20:09:14-04:00January 9th, 2024|Corps Staff, Staff|

Charles Hill was born and raised on the shoreline of Connecticut in the town of Clinton. His love for the outdoors started when he was in the Boy Scouts where hiking and camping became hobbies that he enjoyed outside of the Scouts. After graduating high school in 2013, not really knowing what to expect, Charles had taken a summer job working at the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge with the YCC as a crew member. This is where Charles discovered that he wanted to work in the outdoors; he changed [Read More...]

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9 01, 2024

Jessica Colby

2024-06-06T13:27:38-04:00January 9th, 2024|Con Sci Staff, Staff|

Jessica Colby knew from a young age that she wanted to work in conservation. She grew up enjoying time spent out in the woods behind her house, discovering all the different plants and animals that could be found there. In 2017, she graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and a minor in Forestry. While in school, Jess was an active member of the UVM Fish and Wildlife Society, volunteering extensively with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for several events including the [Read More...]

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9 01, 2024

Devan Pensinger

2024-03-20T20:06:52-04:00January 9th, 2024|FSI Staff, Staff|

Devan has had a lifelong love of the natural world that led her to pursue a career in the outdoors learning about and advocating for flora, fauna, and landscapes that bring her so much joy. She graduated from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a degree in Conservation Biology. Upon graduation she moved back to Colorado, where she grew up, and worked in a variety of seasonal field ecology positions. Some highlights included collecting meteorological data in the winter on the continental divide, spending summers monitoring flora in environments [Read More...]

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9 01, 2024

Katlynn Vredenburgh

2024-03-20T20:09:23-04:00January 9th, 2024|Education Staff, Staff|

Katlynn was raised with a love for the outdoors. As a kid, she spent her days searching for salamanders in her backyard creek, pestering snakes pretending to be the Crocodile Hunter and going on hikes with her family. So, it’s no wonder she incorporated that love in her international studies bachelor’s degree from Cazenovia College by focusing her senior capstone on anthrozoology and the role of wildlife photography in conservation. After bouncing around upstate New York working as a substitute teacher, a service provider for kids with developmental disabilities, and an [Read More...]

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8 01, 2024

Susan Moore

2024-01-08T15:28:20-05:00January 8th, 2024|Staff|

Susan is originally from upstate New York – just on the other side of Lake Champlain and about one hour south of Montreal. With a Father of Native American (Mohawk) and Irish descent, and a Mother of French Canadian descent, Susan grew up with a strong work ethic and a healthy respect and love of nature and the land. During her career, Susan has enjoyed the opportunity to work for Walt Disney World in Florida managing various restaurants for close to 10 years. Then she moved back to the North Country where she worked for over [Read More...]

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Hours

Office: Monday – Friday, 8am-4pm

Trails: Sunrise to Sunset, 7 days a week.

Mailing Address

PO Box 220, East Charleston, VT 05833

Get in Touch

Email: [email protected]

Main Phone: 802.723.6551

Office & Administration ext: 301
Conservation Science & Forestry ext: 302
Education & Outreach ext: 303
Conservation Corps ext: 304

Or visit our Contact page for more ways to get in touch with our staff.

Website Development

Funding for the development of this website was made possible in part by the Rural Business Enterprise Grant through the Vermont Community Loan Fund from USDA Rural Development.
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