The preservation and revitalization of the Northshire Community Courthouse is made possible through the vision, dedication, and collaboration of many. Our Board of Directors, Advisors and community partners bring together a diverse group of leaders—architects, historians, philanthropists, town officials, and advocates—united by a shared passion for preserving th past to deliver a vibrant future.
Our Team
BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORS
William C. Badger - Building Committee
Bill is a 1970 Magna cum Laude graduate of Dartmouth College (BA Art History, Phi Beta Kappa) and a 1974 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Fine Arts (M. Architecture). He received a summer fellowship in Early American Arts and Decorative Arts from Historic Deerfield and a Dales Traveling Fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania. For several summers, he worked as an architectural historian for the Historic American Building Survey (U.S. Department of the Interior). He has served on numerous civic and community boards since 1982, including the Manchester Historical Society and Hildene Advisory Board. He formed Badger and Associates, Inc. in 1990. Bill is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is licensed in Vermont.
Gordon Black - Building Committee Chair
Gordon graduated with a BA in English from Denison University and also earned a JD from Vermont Law School. He practiced law in Addison and Bennington Counties for more than 25 years, and represented clients in the Manchester Courthouse on many occasions. He has extensive experience in both residential and commercial real estate. Gordon has resided in Bennington County since 1988 and has served as the Municipal Assessor and Economic Development Coordinator for Manchester since 2019. Gordon also serves as a grant writer and grant administrator for the town.
Tom Deck - Vice President - Development Committee
Tom is a Realtor with Josiah Allen in Manchester and has been an active investor in real estate for over 15 years. Prior to working in real estate sales, Tom worked as a freelance outdoor writer and was associated with the Orvis Company. He has authored several books on fly fishing and wing shooting. Tom is an active volunteer in the Manchester community and currently serves as the Chair of the Manchester Village Board of Trustees. He has also been on the Board of Trustees for Maple Street School, coached several youth sports teams, and volunteers for Special Olympics and the Manchester community food cupboard. Tom is married to Dr. Deborah Henley, who is an Orthopedic Surgeon with Vermont Orthopedic Clinic at Rutland Regional Medical Center. They live in Manchester Village with their son, Hudson.
Pattie Haubner – Communications Committee Chair
Pattie has been a strategic communications professional for 35 years. Her work with leading nonprofits and foundations has driven philanthropic support, advocacy and policy change across the arts, education, health care and social justice sectors. Pattie’s expertise in crisis communications helped The Broadway League to handle press coverage on 9/11. She has trained leaders and grantees of The Ford Foundation, The Internet Archive and The Mississippi Center for Justice, among others, to navigate media interviews, Capitol Hill hearings and contentious public forums. Pattie and her husband Jim, have called Vermont home for the past twenty years – first as weekend skiers with their two children and for the past decade as full-time residents of Winhall and Dorset. An active community member, she serves on the Boards of the Dorset Village Library and the Garden Club of Manchester and volunteers at Hildene .
Laurie Kunz - Treasurer / Finance Committee
Laurie is a seasoned merchandising professional with a wealth of experience in the retail industry. Currently serving as the Director of Merchandising at the Vermont Country Store, she plays a crucial role in managing vendor relations and product profitability. Prior to joining the Vermont Country Store, Laurie was the Merchandising Director for the UK Division at the Orvis Company, where she honed her skills in strategic planning and market analysis. An 8th-generation Vermonter born in Bennington, Laurie has proudly called Manchester home for the past three decades. Her commitment to the community is evident not only in her professional endeavors but also through her service as a member of the Town of Manchester Select board.
Ellen Leeds - Programming Committee
Ellen and her husband Roger, have been residents and home-owners in Dorset for 27 years. Two of their three children and five grandchildren live in Manchester, as well as her sister and brother-in-law. Before becoming a full-time resident, Ellen was a Humanities teacher in a middle school in Westchester County for 18 years. As a local volunteer, she has served on various non- profit boards, including Bennington County Habitat for Humanity, and is an active Neighbor to Neighbor volunteer. Additionally, Ellen just stepped down from membership on the board of the Manchester-based Kenya Drylands Education Fund, the last six years of which she served as Board Chair.
Anthony MacLaurin - Development Committee
Born and educated in Scotland, Anthony built a successful global career in the packaging industry, leading and turning around businesses for major multinational corporations and private equity firms. Now retired, he continues to contribute his leadership and strategic insight as a Trustee of Manchester Village and a board member of the Manchester Business Association. Anthony is married with two adult children. He skis, sails, shoots and is a member of Ekwanok Country Club.
Sarah McClintock - President
Sarah has been coming to Southern Vermont nearly every winter since the 1970s and moved full-time to the area in 2020, after a more than 40-year career in Corporate and Investment Banking. Sarah is a graduate of Union College and New York University’s Stern School of Business (MBA). Now retired, she currently serves as Treasurer of the Village of Manchester, is a Board member of the Manchester Historical Society, and the Manchester Music Festival. She also serves on the Financial Advisory Board of the Town of Manchester and Dorset Field Club, as well as the Design Review Board of the Town of Dorset. She and her husband, Andrew Cairns, live in the recently restored Collins-Holley house in Dorset, built in 1786.
Gloria Palmer - Program Committee Chair
Gloria Palmer is the Executive Director of Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning (GMALL), a respected nonprofit that provides enriching educational programs for adults throughout southern Vermont. Since assuming leadership in 2008, she has guided GMALL through significant growth—in both the scope of its programming and its community participation—while strengthening the organization’s financial foundation. Beyond her work with GMALL, Gloria is a watercolor artist and a certified pickleball instructor. Deeply involved in her community, she served as President of the Burr and Burton Academy Alumni Association Board from 2015 to 2021 and chaired its Alumni Arts Award Committee during that time. Her greatest role, however, is as mother to two adult daughters. Gloria lives in East Dorset, Vermont.
Curan VanDerWielen - Secretary and Governance Committee Chair
Curan is a 2021 graduate of Clark University, Magna cum Laude, and is currently the Manager of the Village of Manchester. His background includes extensive nonprofit and grant writing experience in prior roles with Shires Housing, Inc. of Bennington, and Baseball for Good. Curan lives in Bennington with the unofficial mascot for the Village of Manchester, Penny, the wonder dog.
Martha Heilemann - Development Committee Advisor
Martha has been a dedicated professional fundraiser (CFRE) for nonprofits in Bennington County for the past 36 years, supporting a wide range of community-focused causes and organizations, including Hildene, Southwestern VT Healthcare, Long Trail School and Manchester Community Library. She lives in a historic home built in 1768 by Jeremiah French, a testament to her deep roots in the area. Married to her husband Rich for 55 years, Martha is the proud mother of their son Adam, daughter-in-law Elaine, and doting grandmother to their young grandson, Bode!
Nicole Mata - Graphic Designer & Social Media Manager
Nicole Mata is the founder and creative director of Delamata Designs, a full-service design studio specializing in event design, interior styling, and graphic design. She has over 20 years of experience across retail, events, and interiors. Prior to launching her studio, Nicole worked in retail environment design for national brands including Nordstrom and Crate & Barrel and later produced high-profile events for Broadway premieres and private and corporate clients. Nicole is also the owner of This & That Vintage, a vintage clothing boutique based in Westchester County, New York, specializing in vintage fashion from the 1980s and earlier. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she earned a double major in Fashion Merchandising & Marketing and Display & Exhibit Design. She currently serves on the Design Review Board of the Village of Manchester. Nicole recently relocated to Manchester with her husband, Dane, and their two sons, Kase and Ion.
Nina Mooney - Building Committee Advisor
Nina Mooney has been a resident of the Village of Manchester for over 18 years and has been deeply involved in serving the community through a variety of civic and volunteer roles. She has served as both a board member and President of the Board of Trustees for the Mark Skinner Library and was a member of the building committee for the Manchester Community Library. Nina has also served on the Village Planning Committee and is currently completing another two-year term on the Village Board of Trustees. She was part of the original working group exploring new uses for the historic courthouse and has volunteered with several local organizations, including Heartworks, Manchester Elementary School’s Art Enrichment Program, and Stratton Mountain School, supporting fundraising and events.
