PATRICIA A. HANNAFORD REGIONAL TECHNICAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS (Alphabetical Order)
Tricia Allen - ACSD
Tricia Allen was born and raised in VT. She holds degrees in English and Psychology as well as a Masters in Library Science with school library certification. For six years Tricia worked as Assistant Youth Librarian before taking over as the head of the department in Salem, MA. When Tricia’s oldest child was approaching school age, the Allen family decided to move back to Vermont and Tricia jumped at the chance to serve as the Ilsley Public Library’s Youth Services Librarian. 10 years later, Tricia and her family count themselves as lucky to be living, working, and serving in such a supportive community.
William Biederman, WIB - Construction
Will Biederman, has a varied background with careers in construction, farming, food distribution, business development for the underserved, manufacturing and high speed inspection specifically in the illumination end of Imaging including LEDs, Xenon, Fiber Optics, Lasers and Fiberlasers. He was involved in an LED lighting startup that was active when LEDs were discrete individually lensed products used at the time for signals and indicators on electronic devices but adapted for the geometries of inspecting objects. He has worked for US, Japanese and Canadian entities in business development as well as sales. He has also consulted on the geometry of designing products to be inspected by machine vision. Locally Will has been involved in Habitat for Humanity, The Makery, and has now been involved in starting up four different FLL Lego teams both in Middlebury and in Vergennes at the Bixby Library. Will’s education was in business and english. He feels that it is important for a community to invest in its children and to continually strive to educate workers throughout their careers. The PAHCC does many things that are important for society and to help students on the journey that will be their life.
Kim Farnham, Board Chair – At Large MAUSD
I am a resident of New Haven and serve as the Community at large member from the Mt. Abraham Union School District. I have served on the PAHCC board for the past ten years. Both of my children attended the career center. One is a successful Graphic Designer and the other is a very established commercial house painter!
Kristina MacKulin, Secretary - ANWSD
Kristina MacKulin is the Executive Director for the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA) since 2004. The VNLA is a statewide professional organization that serves the horticultural/landscaping industry in Vermont and beyond. The VNLA is also the producer of the biennial Vermont Flower Show held at the Champlain Valley Expo. She is the graduate of the University of Maine, Orono with a degree in Plant and Soil Science. She makes her home in N. Ferrisburgh where she raised her two adult children alongside her husband. Now their dogs get all the attention.
Judd Markowski , WIB - Self Employed
I grew up in Vergennes. I have worked in excavation, trucking, well drilling, and several types of agriculture. I have been a Bridport resident for about 15 years. I have two kids in the ACSD school system. My wife and I owned and operated Daily Chocolate in Vergennes for the last 12 years and we sold it to a new owner on December 1st 2020. I have been in the building trades for about 8 years. In July 2020 I decided to go on my own. Robowski LLC is my new venture where I found a niche in small jobs.
Sharon Meacham, WIB - Porter Hospital
I grew up in Ipswich Massachusetts. I attended Castleton State College and graduated with my nursing degree in 2013. I decided after completing college that Vermont is where I needed to be in my early nursing career. My husband and I built our home in East Middlebury where we live with our golden retriever Rosie and two cats. I have always loved being able to work in a community where my patients know that when they come in for care they will be meet with a warm smile. After 6 years working at Rutland Regional Medical Center as an RN in both inpatient units and the Emergency Department, I decided to begin working at Porter Medical Center to have deeper roots in the community I call home.
Steve Orzech , Vice Chair - ACSD
Steve Orzech was originally trained as a Computer Systems Analyst where he worked for five years then switched to Social Studies education in 1992 and has never looked back. He recently retired as a secondary school teacher of Technology and Social Studies with experience ranging from the middle grades to high school seniors and spanning many states and Brazil. With an A.A.S. and B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Purdue University and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia, Steve’s formal education spans both the STEM and Humanities curricula. Originally a native of Indiana, he has lived and travelled widely before settling here in Middlebury in 2009 with his wife and youngest son, now a graduate of PAHCC ART technical program. Steve can often be found walking around Middlebury or hiking the TAM with his Entlebucher Swiss Mountain dog, Circe (no she doesn’t have “some Beagle in her”)
Steve Parkes - WIB - American Brewers Guild Brewing School & Drop In Brewing
Steve Parkes splits his time between being the owner and lead instructor at the American Brewers Guild Brewing School and the Head Brewer’s job at Drop In Brewing in Middlebury. He went to high school in Scotland, graduated from Heriot-Watt University with a degree in Malting and Brewing Science in 1982, and has worked in brewing ever since. He moved to Vermont from California in 2002, and both his children attended classes at the PAHCC.
Stephen Rooney - MAUSD
Stephen Rooney, Starksboro School Board Representative: While growing up in Vergennes, getting an architectural degree in Texas, marrying a Bristol girl (Alice Weston), and settling in Starksboro, I've been made aware time and time again that I am a product of strong families and communities supporting educational opportunity for children. Alice's father Ken (an original Mt. Abe High School Board member) first poked me with the idea of lending a hand with board work, and it occurred to me that this was a great way to pay back all those who've helped me in the past, and help those who follow afterwards. I'm not sure there's a better way for a civilized world to support its future than to invest in the education of its children.
Dan Rossignol - At Large ANWSD
I grew up in Connecticut, went to graduate school in the Midwest at the University of Illinois at the Chicago Medical Center (Ph.D. in Biochemistry). Since then, I have worked for 30 years in preclinical and clinical pharmaceutical research- immunology, cancer and neurology/psychiatry. Currently, I am “mostly” retired. I am passionate about hiking, skiing and hobbies including woodworking, residential construction and general “handyman” stuff. As a recent settler in Addison, I find the state to be beautiful and excitingly progressive with respect to mitigating climate change. Going forward, I am keen on contributing to our community and facilitating progress.
