Board of Directors

Shelly Severinghaus is an Assistant Vice President in WSP’s Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change group. A seasoned sustainability professional and life cycle assessment expert, Shelly has more than 15 years of experience evaluating the environmental impacts of organizations’ products and processes, leveraging data driven analysis, and collaborating with executive level teams to manifest change. She excels at analyzing granular details, clearly communicating findings, and guiding informed decisions that decrease environmental impacts and build brand value.

Shelly holds a B.A. in environmental studies and government from St. Lawrence University and is a Certified LCA Professional through the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment. Shelly resides in Morristown, Vermont with husband and two children.

Aditi Datta is a Brand Lead at Breef, a tech startup connecting brands with marketing agencies around the world. She works remotely from Winooski with her husband, Scott, and dog, Cleo. Before joining Breef, Aditi was an account manager at various boutique agencies with clients including Nalgene, Gatorade, Omni Foods and Pepsi. She spent a year with the Vermont Small Business Development Center as a Special Programs Manager helping business owners navigate the pandemic support efforts. Aditi was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Vermont Business Magazine in 2020 and also serves on the board of BTV Ignite. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Innovation from the University of Vermont and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Skidmore College.

Noelle is the former Chief Operating Officer for the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), a global NGO focusing on energy and climate policy, overseeing efforts to support and enhance the organization’s creative and collaborative culture. Before joining RAP, she worked at the City of Burlington as the Director of the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) where she encouraged fair and equitable development, supported economic development as well as moved major projects forward. Before CEDO, she served over five years as the Commissioner of Housing and Community Development for the State of Vermont under Governor Peter Shumlin. During her time with the Department, she led community and economic development recovery efforts after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont; collaborated with policy and funding partners to increase program impact; and directed efforts to update state regulation in order to support development in our downtowns and villages, encourage affordable housing and protect working lands. Prior to her appointment, Noelle served as Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont and as Deputy Director of the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association in New Jersey. Noelle is passionate about land use and believes that how we protect, steward and develop our land impacts all facets of our lives. She lives in Shelburne.

Diane Abruzzini Riggs is the COO and co-founder of Rigorous Technology, an industrial robotics company based in Williston, VT. Rigorous was founded with a mission to increase access to automation for small to medium-sized manufacturers. Before founding Rigorous, Diane worked in sustainable agriculture and ran small food and farm businesses including a wood fired bakery. Diane volunteers on the finance committee of NAMI-VT and serves on the advisory board of VCET’s Vermont Seed Capital Fund. Diane holds an MBA in Sustainable Innovation from UVM and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Skidmore College. She lives on the foothills of Mount Mansfield with her husband, Colin, and dog, Sam, where she enjoys hiking, gardening, and climbing in her time off.

Tayt Brooks is currently the deputy secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD). Before being appointed to this position in March of 2021 by Governor Phil Scott, he worked for the Governor as director of affordability and economic initiatives, starting in January 2017. He also spent time with the Agency from 2008 to 2011, under the administration of Governor Jim Douglas, serving as both deputy commissioner and commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development. Brooks has a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Lawrence University. He lives in St. Albans with his wife and two daughters. He has served his communities in the past as a select board chair and a school board member.

Jean Hamilton is Co-Director of the Land Access and Opportunity Board which was created under Section 22 of Act 182 of 2022 to engage with Vermont organizations working on housing equity and land access “to recommend new opportunities and improve access to woodlands, farmland, and land and home ownership for Vermonters from historically marginalized or disadvantaged communities who continue to face barriers to land and home ownership.” Previously, she was the Director of Mission and Impact for Skinny Pancake, where she managed mission related programming for staff, guests, and community partners. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Jean helped launch ShiftMeals, Skinny Pancake’s local food response to COVID, and served as the Statewide Coordinator for VT Everyone Eats, a statewide program contracting VT restaurants to provide emergency meals to Vermonters experiencing food insecurity and hunger. Jean has dedicated her career to building sustainable food systems and resilient communities, with a focus on farm and food business viability, fundraising and grants management, and weaving community connections. Jean lives in central Vermont where she enjoys sharing time with her family and neighbors, eating delicious local foods, and exploring this beautiful earth.

Maureen Hebert is the current Interim Director of Strategic Initiatives and Employer Partnerships for PACE at UVM. Prior to joining PACE, she was the former Associate Dean of Continuing Education & Workforce Development Division of Vermont Tech. Maureen has worked in higher education, focusing on workforce and professional development, for over 27 years to support business and industry in realizing strategic and organizational goals through well-planned and implemented training programs. Before joining Vermont Tech, Maureen worked with the University of Vermont Division of Continuing Education as the Regional Director of the UVM Center in Montpelier where she coordinated both credit and non-credit programming utilizing, in part, distance learning technologies. Maureen has a B.A. and an M.P.A. from UVM. She received a certificate in Workforce Development from the University of Virginia and is a DDI certified trainer. She is a board member of CVHHH,CVEDC, and was appointed by the Governor to the GWEDC board. Maureen has been a long-time member of UPCEA and former Commissioner and a member of NERHRT, EAN, ASTD and Rotary. In 2019, Maureen received the Above and Beyond award from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The Above and Beyond Awards is given to individuals who have taken that extra step in their profession, industry, or community work, thus contributing to a more vibrant state for Vermonters to live, work and play.

Since graduating from Hamilton College and landing in Vermont in the late 90’s, Ken has lived and worked in Addison, Washington, Orange, and Chittenden Counties. During his eight-year tenure as Director of the Blake Memorial Library (a public library serving Corinth, Topsham, and neighboring towns) he became deeply interested in innovative approaches to fostering community vitality and resiliency. After getting his MBA through UVM’s Sustainable Innovation MBA program in 2017, Ken served as Executive Director of the National Coalition for Community Capital (NC3) where he worked with and learned from national leaders in innovative community-centered finance. Currently, Ken lives in South Burlington with his wife and two daughters. In his role as Loan Officer at the Vermont Bond Bank, he helps municipalities and school districts across the state access affordable capital for projects large and small.

Brodie O’Brien leads integrated marketing at EnergyHub, a software company that helps electric utilities deliver a reliable, affordable, and increasingly decarbonized energy system. He has 15 years of experience working across technology, consumer packaged goods, and philanthropic sectors. Prior to EnergyHub, Brodie held several roles at Ben & Jerry’s, managing climate policy, criminal justice reform, and voting rights advocacy campaigns. He previously served as Director of Community Engagement at 1% for the Planet, a global network of businesses donating 1% of annual revenue to environmental causes. Born and raised in Vermont, Brodie resides in Richmond with his wife, two children, and a rambunctious rescue puppy. He holds a BA from Bates College and an MBA from the University of Vermont.

Anson Tebbetts was appointed Vermont’s Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets by Governor Phil Scott in January 2017. Prior to his appointment, Tebbetts spent more than twenty years as part of the WCAX news team, serving as the station’s news director since 2009. From 2007-2009, Tebbetts was the Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, under the Douglas Administration. An avid bird enthusiast, he co-hosts “For the Birds” on WDEV & WLVB radio. Tebbetts, a graduate of Emerson College, is a native Vermonter with deep agricultural roots. He was born and raised on his family’s farm in Cabot, where he continues to reside with his wife Vicky and their two children. In 2001, the Vermont Farm Bureau honored him with their Friend of the Farmer Award. In 2015, Tebbetts was awarded the SMART award: Social Media in Arts, Recreation and Tourism. The prize was given by the Vermont Tourism Industry Conference highlighting Vermont’s critical fall tourism season.

Amanda Wheeler is the Press Secretary for Governor Phil Scott. She briefly served as the Interim Executive Director of the Vermont Workforce Development Board, which is charged with advising the Governor and Commissioner of Labor on the development and implementation of a comprehensive, coordinated, and responsive workforce education and training system. Prior to serving in this role, she worked as a Special Assistant to the Governor in Governor Scott’s Office as well as at the Department of Labor managing their legislative portfolio. Amanda currently resides in Bradford and enjoys spending time with her dog, Stella.