Learn more about the people who lead and inspire us at Lund.
Mary Burns
President and CEO
Mary Burns joined Lund on June 1, 2022 as President and CEO. Mary has spent over 30 years serving children and families in the State of Vermont. Her passion for helping those who need help the most is what drives her to live her desire for serving children and families. With over 35 years of YMCA service, she spent most of her career with the Greater Burlington YMCA with her last position as President and CEO 2007-2015. Lund’s mission to help children thrive by empowering families to break cycles of poverty, addiction and abuse is what drew her to Lund. Burns holds a bachelor’s degree in human services from Springfield College in Vermont and had been active on numerous not for profit boards as well as private and public boards. Mary lives in South Burlington.
Wanda Audette
Director of Adoption
Wanda began employment at Lund in 1995. She came with an Associate’s Degree in Social Work and 14 years of experience working as the Assistant Director for Residential Treatment Services at Baird Center for Children and Families in Burlington, VT. As Director of Adoption Services at Lund, Wanda manages all aspects of the Adoption program. Wanda’s work and that of her staff have been celebrated and acknowledged with three Congressional “Angel in Adoption” Awards and two Health and Human Services “Adoption Excellence Awards.”
Courtney Farrell
Director of Residential and Community Treatment
Courtney oversees Lund’s education programs, Kids-A-Part, and Parent Child Center Services that provide center and home based support and education to families with young children in Chittenden County. She additionally oversees the Regional Partnership Program, a collaboration with the Dept. of Children and Families (DCF). Courtney has managed three large federal grants awarded to Lund and will serve as Project manager to Lund’s recently awarded federal grant through the Administration of Children and Families. She is a recent graduate of the Snelling center for government’s Early childhood leadership institute, has worked at Lund since 1997 and holds a bachelor’s degree from UVM in Human Development and Family Services. In her spare time, Courtney enjoys spending time with her family, spending time outside, especially hiking with her dogs, and gardening.
Timothy Keefe
Director of Finances
Tim is a graduate of the University of Vermont and joined Lund in 2019. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Global Management Accountant. During his career he has spent at least ten years each in public accounting, as the chief accounting officer of a Vermont-based SEC-registered bank holding company, and as the chief financial officer of Vermont’s only natural gas utility. As Director of Finance he oversees the overall health of Lund’s finances, accounting, and financial reporting. Tim lives in Shelburne with his daughter. When not working, Tim’s biggest passions are baseball and travel, which he is combining with a goal to see a professional game in all 50 states. He also enjoys reading and cycling.
Sharon Lifschutz
Director of Development
Sharon joined the team at Lund in 2020, first as the Foundations and Communications Coordinator and then as the Director of Development. In this role, Sharon oversees the agency’s individual, foundation and corporate fundraising as well as Lund’s marketing/communication strategy. Prior to Lund, Sharon was the Associate Director of UVM Hillel where she worked for nine years. Sharon has a Liberal Arts degree from Penn State and her Masters in Educational Leadership from UVM. Sharon lives in Essex with her husband, two sons, and dog. When she’s not working, Sharon can be found spending time with her friends and family, cheering on the Penn State Nittany Lions or listening to music.
Yvonne Lockerby
Director of Operations
Yvonne joined Lund in December 2023. In her role as Director of Operations she oversees Facilities, IT and risk mitigation for the organization. She has over 25 years of leadership and operations experience across diverse industries, including the last 12 years at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, where she served in various executive roles. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Humane Society of Chittenden County. She and her husband live in Colchester with their two beloved dogs. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors, hiking with her dogs, and traveling.
Our Board of Trustees
We are fortunate to have a dedicated, talented, and experienced Board of Trustees. They work hard daily on Lund’s behalf and bring their personal testimony and business acumen to their positions at Lund. We are grateful for their contributions.
Maurine Gilbert
Chair
A native Vermonter, Maurine first learned of Lund through the young mothers who shared their experiences with students at her middle school. Years later, as a member of the archives committee, she discovered personal stories of Lund’s impact stretch back over a century. Inspired by these experiences, she jumped into Lund’s 2012 rebranding project. She’s enormously proud of the outcome of that work and the team that saw it through. Maurine’s professional background is in advertising, brand strategy, and research, working both in agencies and with clients. Today she designs and conducts qualitative research for the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program at the UVM College of Medicine. She’s also a flower farmer and floral designer – her business Tigri Flowers creates wild, organic arrangement for weddings and events. In her free time, she enjoys running with her hound and mentoring with the King Street Center’s Junior-Senior Buddy program.
Laura Taylor
Vice Chair
Laura is the advisor to Private Health Management and has significant executive experience in change management, risk analysis, and strategic planning. Previously, Laura was Global Head of Client Delivery and Managing Director of Aon Inpoint. Laura was involved in Aon’s fundraising events supporting New Orleans post Katrina and NYC post 9/11. Laura is looking to give to the Vermont community by supporting the Lund board.
Lucy Abair
Secretary
Lucy had worked with Lund for many years in her role at the Department for Children and Families, where she worked for over 40 years. She is pleased to now have the opportunity to become directly involved by joining the board. Having lived in Burlington all her life, Lucy sees Lund as “contributing enormously to the fabric of the town.” In her free time, she enjoys walking, gardening, tai chi, boating on the lake, and spending time with her four grandchildren.
Cyndee Cochrane Sturtevant
Treasurer
Cyndee joined Lund’s board about 6 years ago, after first serving as a member of the finance committee. She also serves on the board of the Howard Center. Cyndee earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science and German from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from the University of Vermont. Cyndee has experience in many different professional roles including as an accountant, an instructor at the Community College of Vermont, a business and human resources manager and a high school German teacher. Cyndee is a mother of six and enjoys tennis, skiing, traveling and using her skills and interests to help others.
Julio Thompson
Compliance Officer
Julio is an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Vermont and Director of the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Unit, which enforces Vermont’s laws regarding employment discrimination, fair employment practices, and hate crimes. Julio has also worked on police reform and is an expert for the U.S. Department of Justice on suicide. He teaches about hate crimes at the Vermont Police Academy.
Donna Austin-Hawley
Donna Austin-Hawley is the Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Northfield Savings Bank with the primary responsibilities of providing leadership in developing and executing the human resources strategy supporting NSB’s strategic plan. Prior to joining NSB, she was the Director of Human Resources at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation for 15 years. Austin-Hawley has over 30 years of human resources experience and holds both the SHRM-SCP and SPHR professional certifications. Austin-Hawley was the past President of the Vermont Human Resources Association (VHRA) for 7 years and received the Vermont Human Resources Professional of the Year award in 2012. In the Community, Austin-Hawley currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Northwest Vermont, Vermont Public Company, and the Burlington Business Association. Previous board and fundraising experience includes SHRM Vermont State Council, Vermont PBS Vice Chair, Stern Center Board for Language and Learning, the United Way of Northwest Vermont and 2019/2020 Campaign Cabinet Chair, Alzheimer’s Reason to Hope Dinner Co-Chair and the Greater Burlington YMCA.
Thomas Cheney
Tom is the Executive Director of Advance Vermont, a statewide initiative aimed at meeting the state goal that 70 percent of working age Vermonters will hold a post-high school credential by 2025. Previously, he served as the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Human Resources, as a Washington D.C. based Legislative Assistant to Congressman Peter Welch, and as Chief of Staff to Vermont Speaker of the House Shap Smith. Tom has long been engaged in community and civic service and currently serves as a school board member and justice of the peace in Jericho, where he lives with his family.
Paige Church
Paige Terrien Church is a physician, certified in Neonatal Perinatal Medicine and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. She grew up in Vermont and graduated from medical school at UVM College of Medicine and went on to train in Pediatrics at the University of Chicago. She then did a dual fellowship in both Neonatal Perinatal Medicine and Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics at Tufts University. This unique combination brought Paige to Canada where she was an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto and then to Harvard Medical School, working at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Boston Children’s Hospital. She specializes in newborn intensive care and the outpatient follow-up of the children who were cared for in the intensive care nursery. Paige volunteers on medical advisory boards, including the Spina Bifida Association and the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. As a Vermonter, she has long known Lund through her medical training, family roots, and work and is proud to be joining the board.
Hal Cohen
Hal is the Executive Director of Vermont Adult Learning (VAL), providing basic education, high school credentialing, English language learning and workforce development for Vermonters 16 years and older. He served as Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Human Services under Governor Peter Shumlin and previously was the Executive Director for Capstone Community Action in central Vermont for over 18 years. Hal’s professional and civic involvement has included sitting on several local and state boards such as the Vermont Council on Rural Development, the Central Vermont Workforce Investment Board, the Vermont Workforce Development Council, Food Works, EarthWalk Vermont, Central Vermont Hunger Taskforce and the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity. He has an M.A. in counseling psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School and an M.S. in nonprofit management from the New School for Social Research. Hal resides with his wife in Middlesex, Vermont and has three grown children and two young grandchildren.
Rebecca Heintz
Rebecca has worked as an attorney in the field of health care for the past 15 years. She is currently general counsel at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and also serves on the Medicaid and Exchange Advisory Board. Rebecca’s other work experience includes being Assistant General Counsel for the State of Vermont working at what was then called the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration and serving as Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Mental Health. She served for 10 years as a school board member. Rebecca lives in Worcester, Vermont. (Photo courtesy of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont)
John Hollar
John practiced law in Vermont for thirty years, most recently as a partner with the law firm Downs Rachlin Martin. Originally from Oklahoma, he graduated from Georgetown University Law Center. He has been active in Montpelier community life throughout his career. He served as chair of the Montpelier School Board from 2002-2010 and was mayor of Montpelier from 2012-2018. John also serves on the board of Let’s Grow Kids Action Network, the Montpelier Foundation, and the Montpelier Area Mountain Bike Association. He is a member of the Capitol Complex Commission, which oversees the architectural and aesthetic integrity of the capitol complex.
Bob Morgan
Robert (Bob) Morgan is the Chief Executive Officer of NorthCountry Federal Credit Union. He was born and raised in New Hartford, New York, and later moved to Vermont where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in History and a Masters of Business Administration in 1998 from the University of Vermont. Bob has served on the Association of Vermont Credit Union’s (AVCU) Board of Directors for seven years, serving as the Chair of the AVCU’s Social Responsibility Committee, Annual Meeting Committee, and Audit and Government Relations Committee. He participated in Filene’s I3 innovation program from 2008-2010 and now serves on Filene’s CEO Research Council. When he is not managing his many duties and staff at NorthCountry, Bob serves as Chair on the Board of the Greater Burlington YMCA and is a volunteer coach for youth baseball and basketball. He lives in Essex Junction with his wife and three children.
Valerie Nikel
Valerie has known about and been interested in Lund since moving to Burlington to study at the University of Vermont. Spending time as a volunteer led her to join the Finance Committee and later transition to the Development Committee. Her professional experience includes marketing, research, and event planning, with the past 12 years of her career focused on Human Resources. Valerie spent several years working for the State of Vermont, has spent time in consulting, and is currently the Director of Human Resources at PedsOne. She lives in Williston with her family.
Meg O’Brien
Meg has been part of the client service team at Champlain Investment Partners, LLC in Burlington, VT since 2010. Prior to joining Champlain, Meg worked in operations management and customer service with Destination Hotels and Resorts. She also held positions in the nonprofit and development field, including Laraway Youth and Family Services. Meg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Past board involvement and volunteer experiences includes the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and Girls on the Run Vermont.
Manon O’Connor
Manon serves as the Associate Vice President, Academic Health Sciences Development at the UVM Foundation and the UVM Medical Center. She has been with UVM for 21 years in progressive healthcare development roles. Prior, Manon was a longtime downtown business owner and has been active in the community as a volunteer with many non-profit organizations including the Lund board from 2014-2017. Manon lives in South Burlington with her husband John and is a mother and grandmother to a precious 2-year-old grandson. Manon is committed to furthering the mission of Lund and is passionate about creating a better world for children and families.
Kimberlee Phelps
Kimberlee is a Burlington native who returned to VT after some time living on the West Coast. Kim spent her entire career in the banking industry, retiring after more than 30 years with People’s United Bank as an SVP in Commercial Banking. She currently serves on the United Way of Northwestern Vermont’s Partner Funding Team and previously served on the board of the Burlington Chamber Orchestra. Kim has been aware of the important work that Lund provides to our community for decades and is grateful to have the opportunity to be part of this team.
Darren Springer
Darren Springer was appointed and confirmed as General Manager of Burlington Electric Department in October 2018. During Darren’s tenure, Burlington has been named the top northeastern city per capita for solar in 2019 and 2020 by Environment America, and launched dozens of new strategic electrification incentive programs and initiatives to help Burlington Electric Department customers switch from fossil fuel to clean electric technologies in the heating and transportation sectors. Formerly, Darren served as Burlington Electric Department’s Chief Operating Officer and led the Center for Innovation team which includes the Policy & Planning, Finance, Information Technology and Energy Services divisions. Prior to joining BED, Darren served as Chief of Staff for the Office of Governor Peter Shumlin; was appointed as Deputy Commissioner at the Vermont Public Service Department, leading the advancement of the 2014 net metering law and 2015 renewable energy standard; and worked for 4 years in the Washington, D.C. Office of U.S. Senator Bernard Sanders as Senior Policy Advisor for Energy & Environment, and later as Chief Counsel. Darren has a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University and earned a J.D. and Master of Studies in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. He is a member of the Vermont Bar, Virginia Bar, and Florida Bar. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Vermont Electric Power Company, the Energy Action Network, and BTV Ignite.
Lisa Tiffin
Lisa Tiffin is the Assistant Vice President of Government, Corporate & Foundation Relations for Champlain College, where she connects internal projects with external funding. She grew up in Rochester, NY, has lived in five states and two countries, and is focused on making an impact wherever she lands. Living in Vermont since 2021, she is pleased to align with Lund to serve the community. Lisa is Grants Professionally Certified (GPC), holds an MA from SUNY Brockport, and a Doctorate of Executive Leadership (DEL) from the University of Charleston, WV. She lives in South Burlington with her husband, Daryl, and together they have adult twins.
Karen Vastine
Karen is the Senior Community Relations Officer for the UVM Health Network. Previously, she served as Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of the Department of Children and Families and ran the Burlington Community Justice Center. Karen has a strong record of advocacy for juvenile justice and for underserved populations and has extensive volunteer experience. Karen lives in Burlington.
Anna Walls
Giving back through human services has long been Anna’s passion. As a senior in high school, she interned with the lead prosecuting attorney for the Department of Children and Families and since then has continually amplified her voice as an advocate for children. Anna has 15-plus years of experience in banking and finance, and in her current role oversees the customer experience at community-focused Mascoma Bank, a B Corp. This expertise informs her volunteer service, which includes supporting Lund’s development initiatives. Lund is dear to her heart, Anna says, as the organization helped shape her own family through adoption. She lives in Waterbury, Vt., with her husband, two children, and two cattle dogs.