Staff
![]() Areas of Expertise: All things Vermont Natural Resources Council; Act 250; land use; community planning and design; sustainable development; smart growth and zoning. |
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![]() Areas of Expertise: Forest policy; wildlife policy; forest fragmentation; land use planning; land conservation; forestland taxation policy; wood energy policy; environmental law; legislative lobbying; and the Forest Roundtable.
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![]() Areas of Expertise: Dam removal and safety efforts; and FreeVTRivers initiatives.
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Jon Groveman, Policy and Water Program Director. Jon previously held the positions of Water Program Director and General Counsel at VNRC before being asked in 2011 to serve as General Counsel for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources under the Shumlin Administration. Last year, Governor Shumlin appointed him to Chair the Natural Resources Board (NRB), which administers the Act 250 program, Vermont’s statewide land use program. In addition to his past work at VNRC and in the Shumlin Administration, Jon served as Director of the Vermont Water Resources Board, Director of the Law Center for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and Act 250 Land Use Attorney for the State of Vermont. 802-223-2328 x111 • jgroveman@vnrc.org
Areas of Expertise: Water quality; dam removal and safety efforts; Clean Water Act; Vermont water pollution control laws; wetlands; public records; Act 250; land use; toxic chemical reform; hazardous waste; and the Water Caucus.
Ian Hitchcock, Community Organizer. Ian served for a year as VNRC’s AmeriCorps Member and Community Energy and Climate Action Coordinator, helping to start and strengthen town energy committees across the state. As Community Organizer, he works to educate the public on our environmental campaigns, building the support we need to advance a pro-climate, pro-environment policy agenda, and help elect environmental climate champions to public office. Ian holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Marlboro College. His senior thesis examined climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining historical, literary, and ecological perspectives. He grew up in Dubois WY, where his appreciation for the natural world was strengthened by taking long walks in the woods behind his house. Ian previously worked in Senator Bernie Sanders’ office, with Renewable Energy Vermont, and as a canvasser with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. Ian lives in Richmond and enjoys hiking, writing, and playing the saxophone in his free time. 802-223-2328 x118 • ihitchcock@vnrc.org
Colin Keegan, Membership & Outreach Coordinator. Colin has more than a decade of experience in stakeholder engagement as an environmental educator, project manager, and community organizer. He holds a Masters in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management from the New School and a B.A. in Social Science from Ramapo College of New Jersey. As an undergraduate, he conducted research into the impact of lead contamination on the health of a nearby community, as well as the environmental and social effects of urban sprawl. While earning his masters, Colin worked for an energy consulting firm, managing a feasibility study to design and build a microgrid for a group of New York City hospitals with the purpose of incorporating renewables, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring resilience in the event of a grid outage. Colin lives in Montpelier, and enjoys hiking, gardening, stand-up paddle-boarding, and reading about all things science and nature. 802-223-2328 x119 • ckeegan@vnrc.org
Kate McCarthy, Sustainable Communities Program Director. Kate holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University, and a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Rice University. Her work at VNRC focuses on building sustainable, compact communities, with the goal of providing residents with transportation, housing, and employment options, while also supporting working lands and wildlife habitat. She does this by helping towns with planning and zoning, collaborating on research projects, and getting involved in policy at the state house. Prior to VNRC, Kate worked as a regional planner for the Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro, where she focused on town technical assistance, supported the Brownfields program, and oversaw the Commission’s energy program. She has also worked with GrowSmart Maine. Before beginning her career in planning, Kate worked in the field of international education in Washington state. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and serves on her local development review board. Kate lives in Montpelier with her husband, Tom and son, Will, and enjoys hiking, knitting, and cycling. 802-223-2328 x114 • kmccarthy@vnrc.org • Twitter: @katevnrc
Areas of Expertise: Act 250; big box development; interchange development; land use planning; smart growth; sprawl and preventing sprawl; transportation policy; Transportation for Vermonters coalition; and zoning.
Johanna Miller, Energy & Climate Program Director, also serves as the coordinator of the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network, the statewide network of town energy committees and the partners who support them. In these roles, Johanna works from the grassroots to the Legislature to help advance clean energy and climate action programs and policies. Johanna is a member of Governor Phil Scott’s Climate Action Commission and also serves on the Clean Energy Development Fund board, the Vermont Energy Education Program board, the Vermont System Planning Committee and the Montpelier Energy Advisory Committee. Prior to joining VNRC in 2005, Johanna spent five years working as an organizer and policy expert for a statewide environmental policy and advocacy organization in Michigan – the Michigan Land Use Institute. Johanna is a graduate of the University of Vermont and lives in Montpelier; a home base from which she and her family love to ski, hike, camp, bike, garden and travel. 802-223-2328 x112 • jmiller@vnrc.org • Twitter: @johannaVNRC
Areas of Expertise: Energy and climate policy, including efficiency, renewables, and carbon pricing; community engagement and organizing around energy and climate action; comprehensive energy planning; transportation policy; clean energy project implementation; Energy Independent Vermont coalition; Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network (VECAN); and clean energy financing and funding.
Stephanie Mueller, Director of Development. As a VNRC staff member for over ten years, Stephanie brings a broad, diverse knowledge of VNRC’s history, foundation contacts and donors to the table. Her previous positions include fundraising work for the Jackson Hole Land Trust, the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance and the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative. Stephanie completed a double major in environmental studies and creative writing from St. Lawrence University. She lives in Burlington with her husband, son Owen and daughter Sadie. 802-223-2328 x113 • smueller@vnrc.org