The Vermont Family Network (VFN) is pleased to announce the election of 6 new members to its Board of Directors at the organization’s Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 10. As Vermont’s federally designated Family to Family Health Information Center and Parent Information Center, as well as Vermont’s Family Voices and Parent to Parent USA national affiliate, our Board requires a parent majority. With the election of these new members, VFN has a Board of Directors of 15; a 73% parent majority.
We are excited to welcome:
Beth Quarles, originally from Cary, North Carolina, moved to Vermont 22 years ago as an avid international snowboarder and found a career in Sales. From Fine Wine sales to Pharmaceuticals Sales, Real Estate is where she thrives.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from East Carolina University, in Greenville, NC. Now a resident of Shelburne, she lives with her twin boys and rescue dogs, Maple and Sheldon. She enjoys boating on Lake Champlain, going to Orange Theory Fitness, road biking, spending time with her family and visiting her friends in many places around the world.
June Sumner Brink, a mom of two grown children and a grandma to a baby boy, lives in Southern Vermont with her son, husband, and 5 cats. She has been a longtime special education advocate. Now that her children are grown she manages her husband's music career and volunteers in her community, running several social media groups, building websites, and promoting local businesses.
Monica Caserta Hutt, a parent who has held a variety of important roles over her career in serving children, individuals, and families. She has held multiple positions in the Vermont Agency of Human Services, working with Field Services, the Department for Children and Families and in the Secretary’s Office. From 2015 through 2021, she was the Commissioner for the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living. Currently, she is working in the Governor’s office as the Chief Prevention Officer for Vermont and as a senior policy advisor to Governor Phil Scott. A graduate of the University of Vermont, she began a life-long career in human services as the Executive Director of a small non-profit in the Burlington area, eventually becoming the first Director of Children and Family Services in developmental disabilities at the Howard Center. Monica is a 2008 graduate of the Snelling Center for Government Vermont Leadership Institute and a 2011 graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School, Executives in Local and State Government program. Monica lives in Williston, Vermont with her husband and two dogs, one cat and has three adult children that cycle through home on a regular basis.
Stephanie Calves, the Director of Country Programs and Capacity Development for the ACHIEVE Project at Pact, a Washington, DC-based international NGO, where she oversees project management and organizational capacity development for an HIV/AIDS program supporting orphans, vulnerable children, and adolescent girls and young women in 8 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Carribbean. Stephanie has 15 years’ experience working in international health and global development and 2 years’ experience as an attorney in Philadelphia. In addition to her international work, Stephanie has been the Project Director for the Massachusetts Consortium for Children with Special Health Care Needs. She holds a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, JD from Villanova University School of Law, and BS from Cornell University.
Rohit Adhikari, a parent and former refugee from Bhutan. Raised and grown in refugee camps in Nepal from 1993-2011, he understands the difficult lives of people living in these challenging environments. He arrived in Vermont in February 2011 and is now a proud US citizen. He is a former athlete who played soccer, volleyball, and ping pong. He loves traditional folk music and movies.
Heather Link, a practicing pediatrician with UVM’s Children’s Hospital Pediatric Primary Care. Heather has many patients and families who have greatly benefited from their work with VFN, and is excited to be a new Board member. As a pediatrician, she works closely with New American families as they move through their journey of resettlement and immigration. She provides school-based health in Winooski and has an interest in children and teens with mental illness as well as behavioral issues. She loves living in Vermont since moving here in 2012 from Buffalo, New York and has found a community of friends who love being outside as much as she does. Heather has also recently found a dedication to teaching Yoga and is actively pursuing this locally.
Ellen LaPlante, attorney and partner at Unsworth & LaPlante, LLC, was elected to the VFN Board Executive Committee as the Secretary, and Tom Stretton, CPA and partner at McSoley and McCoy, was re-elected as Treasurer, both by unanimous votes.
Kim Keiser and Olivia Smith-Hammond completed their service on the VFN Board after three terms, and Vasanthi Meyette completed her service after a three-year term.
Vermont Family Network is a state-wide non-profit organization that empowers and supports all Vermont children, youth, and families, especially those with disabilities or special health needs.. For more information, visit www.VermontFamilyNetwork.org or call 1-800-800-4005.