Elizabeth Courtney Executive Director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. Elizabeth has been Executive Director of VNRC for eight years. She is a licensed architect who received her Master of Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She was the chair of the Vermont Environmental Board from 1990 to 1994. Elizabeth was the principal of ECOS, an environmental consulting firm from 1994 to 1997. In 1999, Elizabeth was awarded a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at Harvard University and used the fellowship to conduct research at the Kennedy School of Government. Elizabeth is a Trustee at the Vermont Law School. ecourtney@vnrc.org

Stephen J. Holmes Deputy Director. Steve has been with VNRC since 1991. He has served as Deputy Director for Policy, Director of VNRC’s Southern Vermont Office and Acting Executive Director. He is the former Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Affairs (1988-1991). He served as Executive Director of two Vermont regional planning commissions: the Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro (1983-1987); and the Upper Valley-Lake Sunapee Council, a bi-state commission with communities in Vermont and New Hampshire (1987-1988). From 1972-1983, he was with the Midstate (Ct.) Regional Planning Agency as Regional Planner and Assistant Director. Steve is a graduate of the Harvard, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government. He holds a Master of Regional Planning degree from the University of Massachusetts, and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University. Steve is married to Heidemarie Holmes Heiss, and they have four children. sholmes@vnrc.org

Jake Brown Communications Director/Legislative Liaison. Jake is a former reporter with some 18 years of print media experience. He graduated from Middlebury College in 1987 with a double major in History/Spanish, and he holds a Masters of Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. Jake was an early participant in the creation of The Montpelier Bridge, a community newspaper serving Montpelier. At different times, he served as reporter, managing editor, and owner of The Bridge. Early in his career, he reported on climate change and ozone depletion for BNA’s Daily Environment Report in Washington DC, and more recently covered news developments from the Vermont State House, the Agency of Natural Resources, the Environmental Court, and other arms of state government, for a variety of news outlets. Jake lives in Montpelier with his wife Milly Archer and son Nelson. In his spare time, Jake competes in triathlons, cuts firewood on his current-use-enrolled woodland property, and fly fishes for trout (with intermittent success) in Vermont’s beautiful streams. jbrown@vnrc.org

Brian Shupe Sustainable Communities Program Director. bshupe@vnrc.org

Jamey Fidel Forest Program Director. Jamey has a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a Minor in Wildlife Biology from University of Vermont's School of Natural Resources, and a J.D. and M.S. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School. Jamey was previously Conservation Director of the Aspen Wilderness Workshop and Project Director of Public Counsel of the Rockies, and he served as a Board Member of the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails Program in Aspen, Colorado. In his free time, Jamey enjoys hiking, backpacking, camping, biking, and skiing. He and his wife Rachel live in Moretown. jfidel@vnrc.org

James Sharp Office Manager/Administrative Assistant. James has been an active letter-writer, demonstrator, and campaign supporter for environmental sustainability and democracy issues for many years.  In addition to consulting with many non-profits as a website designer, he worked at the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse as webmaster and communications director, and as National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology coordinator for the Northeast/Mid-atlantic region. jsharp@vnrc.org

Jon Groveman Water Program Director and General Counsel of the VNRC. Jon received a B.A. in Psychology from SUNY Binghamton in 1988 and his J.D. from Quinnipiac College School of Law in 1991. Jon has served as legal counsel to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, as Land Use Attorney for the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, as Director of the Law Center for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and most recently as the Executive Officer of the Vermont Water Resources Board. Jon lives in Marshfield with his wife Nancy and his son Gabriel. jgroveman@vnrc.org

Johanna Miller Outreach Director. Before joining VNRC in January 2005, Johanna spent five years as an organizer for one of the nation's largest state-based environmental policy organizations — the Michigan Land Use Institute. At MLUI she advanced Smart Growth strategies as a solution to sprawl. An activist and advocate for more than a decade, Johanna served on the board of directors for the Friends of the Crystal River, the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, the Great Lakes Bioneers and is currently an active Board member of a national environmental research and education organization — SEEDS. Johanna was educated at Northern Michigan University and the University of Vermont, where she received a B.A. in English and Environmental Studies. She lives in Montpelier and enjoys skiing, kayaking, running, and hiking. jmiller@vnrc.org

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. smueller@vnrc.org

Kim Greenwood Staff Scientist. Kim joins us from the Agency of Natural Resources, where she worked extensively on soil erosion and riparian buffer issues as a Water Quality Engineer. She holds degrees in Aquatic Resources and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Vermont and Vermont Technical College. She recently accepted an invitation to attend the Changing Faces Women’s Environmental Leadership program at the East-West Center in Hawaii with a small group of women from the Asia-Pacific region and U.S.. She lives and keeps bees in the foothills of Camel’s Hump in Duxbury. kgreenwood@vnrc.org

John Odum Associate Membership and Development Director. John is a longtime political activist. A Kentucky native, John has been an Organizer for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon Fair Share and the “No On 13” Campaign (Save Our Communities PAC), and did membership and development work for organizations such as the Oregon Health Action Campaign. Since moving to Vermont, John has been an Organizer for Bernie Sanders’ congressional campaign and Field Director for the Clavelle for Governor campaign. He has also been an IT administrator for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and the Vermont Democratic Party. He is a former Chair of the Washington County Democratic Party. John lives in Montpelier with his wife, Cary Brown, and his sons Tucker, 8, and Zane, 4. jodum@vnrc.org