Board of Directors and Staff

Doug Burnell, USVLT’s President, is a land surveyor with work experience on many conservation projects, now retired as co-owner/principal of HEB Engineers in North Conway. With deep family connections in western Maine and the Mount Washington Valley, Doug owns conserved family woodlands himself in four different towns in the USVLT service area. He has served on numerous non-profit boards in the past, most germane as chair of the Conway Conservation Commission and of Tin Mountain Conservation Center’s board of trustees when the latter organization built and relocated to their Nature Center in Albany. Lending technical expertise to most of the Land Trust’s projects completed during his tenure, Doug has been on the USVLT Board and Land Committee since 2010.

Lindsay Kafka has a deep affinity for the lands of the greater Mount Washington Valley, having been first introduced to this landscape as a child during cross-country ski weekends and visits to family friends who called this place home. For most of her life, her professional career was centered to the south, with she and her husband, Steve, raising their family in Lindsay’s hometown of Concord, Massachusetts. Lindsay’s initial career spanned work as an estate planning lawyer and then non-profit fundraiser working in higher education. She has also worked in a volunteer capacity on numerous non-profit boards over the last twenty years and has deep experience in planned giving and non -profit governance. Five years ago, Lindsay decided to return to school to pursue her dream of becoming a hospice nurse. In 2020, she and Steve moved to their new permanent home in South Conway and Lindsay began her career as a hospice nurse. Lindsay and Steve spend their free time outdoors as much as possible, hiking, running, skiing, rock climbing, gardening, and more.

Jim Hastings is a retired Chief Financial Officer and a former Certified Public Accountant. He and his wife Linda moved to Bartlett full time in 1998 after being weekend visitors since 1985. He joined the Trust as a conservation easement monitor and is now both a Board member and Treasurer. Jim’s reason for being involved in the Trust is simple: “I think it’s important that we preserve the character of the unique landscape of the upper Saco River valley. One way this can be accomplished is through the work of the USVLT, its supporters and involved landowners.” Jim and Linda have one son, Ryan, who lives with his wife Sinead in Tahoe, California.

Sean Wadsworth's childhood years were guided by his parents volunteering at the Beaver Lake Nature Center in Upstate NY, where he later worked on the grounds and trails, and as a youth camp counselor. He attended UNH to study Environmental Conservation and Political Science, and worked for a decade as a technician in air quality research and engineering. Sean and his wife Rachel Hamilton and their two boys moved to Albany NH in 2013, where currently Sean is serving on the Planning Board and the Conservation Commission. He volunteers as the monitor for USVLT's World Fellowship conservation easement, and is grateful to support and serve the mission work of USVLT.

Alex Drummond is a Mount Washington Valley native. He has been a climbing guide for the International Mountain Climbing School, a youth ski coach for the Wildcat Mountain Alpine Education Foundation, a landscape gardener with Alpine Gardening, and owned and operated Mountain Sun Yoga Studio. For the past 14 years, he has worked for RE/MAX Presidential in North Conway as a licensed real estate agent (in both ME and NH). Alex lives in East Conway with his wife, Terry Young, and family. An avid outdoors-man, and a self-proclaimed plant lover, Alex enjoys getting out in the woods and the garden whenever possible.

As a child, Tucker spent summers and weekends at his family’s home in Fryeburg. He moved here full time after graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 2016 with a B.A in Earth & Planetary Science. Through college, Tucker worked summers at Weston’s Farm (run by his great-aunt and uncle), where he honed skills that prepared him for the farm manager position at the Thompson House Eatery in Jackson. In 2018, Tucker joined the team at HEB Engineers, Inc. where he works as an Environmental Specialist. Besides his family ties to the region, Tucker was drawn to live here by the ample outdoor recreational opportunities the area provides. He is an avid skier, mountain biker, hiker, and enjoys anything that involves time spent outdoors. He currently lives in Intervale with his wife Maika and their two dogs Emmy and Sawyer. 

Mike Laracy moved to the Mt. Washington Valley in 2002 and founded a software company where he was the CEO for almost twenty years until it was acquired by an organization specializing in Education Technology, Services, and Research. Mike is now the Managing Director of that company. Mike received his M.A. in Economics from Rutgers University, and his B.A. in Economics and Finance from Catholic University. He has served on several local non-profit boards including Jen’s Friends and the Conway Budget Committee. He currently serves on the Kennett High School Computer Science Advisory Board and the White Mountains Community College Advisory Board.  He enjoys skiing, mountain biking, trail running, and hiking with his wife and two kid and lives in Conway, NH.

Megan-Mack Nicholson grew up spending as much time as she could in the woods behind her childhood home in China, Maine. She has worked for Wilderness Therapy Programs, run outings programs, and taught at several universities and colleges including Ithaca College and Cornell. In 2016, Meghan-Mack moved back to Maine to take the position of the Director of The Hyde Wilderness School in Northern Maine. She is currently focusing on Holon Healing: her business that provides Forest Therapy and Shamanic Reiki Practices. She is a Registered Maine Guide, Certified Yoga Teacher, Certified Forest Therapy Guide with the ANFT, and Shamanic-reiki Practitioner. Creating experiences and opportunities for people to connect and heal in nature is why she is also so passionate about protecting and conserving the gorgeous land of the Upper Saco Valley.

Chris Marshall was born and brought up in Conway. He graduated  from Kennett in 1965. After college  and law school, he settled in Manchester, NH. where he practiced law for over 20 years at the McLane Firm,  served for 8 years as a US Trustee in Boston, and spent the last 15 years of his career at the NH Attorney General’s Office. Throughout,  he maintained close contacts with family, friends and the mountains in Mount Washington Valley,  returning most weekends to ski, hike, bike and socialize.  After working for close to 50 years, he retired and moved back to Conway in 2022  to be close to the places and people he loves, especially the mountains, rivers, lakes and woodlands that account for so much of the quality of life in the Valley. He believes that anything he can do to help preserve the natural beauty and resources he and his generation have enjoyed is well worth the effort and that the USVLT’s mission and undertakings are the best way to do so.

Meghan Moody Schwartz is a proud native of the Mount Washington Valley. She attended Elmira College where she took courses in marketing, management, and art. She is now using those skills as the Marketing and Events Director at Great Glen Trails Outdoors Center and the Mt. Washington Auto Road in Pinkham Notch. Meghan is a multi-tasker, digital marketing maven, artist, and a wicked good hockey player. In addition to her keen sense of design, she has valuable experience working for several of our local restaurants, including Thompson House Eatery and The Oxford House Inn. She knows how to plan an epic bash, work a crowd, and make everyone comfortable. Meghan and her husband, Dave, live in North Conway with their two pups, Cady-dog and Roux. They all enjoy all things outdoors.

Ken Olson, retired President and CEO of Friends of Acadia, was Executive Director of The Nature Conservancy of Connecticut, President of American Rivers, Director of Special Projects at The Conservation Fund and, early in his career, head of the Appalachian Mountain Club Hut System. He is co-author, with Brooks Atkinson, of New England’s White Mountains: At Home in the Wild, edited by David Brower. Ken received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Natural Resources Council of Maine, was named an Honorary Ranger by Acadia National Park, and was given an honorary degree by College of the Atlantic for “outstanding contributions to Human Ecology.” He holds a master’s from Yale and was a faculty lecturer there and at Wesleyan University.

Jennifer grew up spending as much time as possible outside, climbing trees, and enjoying wildlife and nature.  She continues to seek out wilderness spaces and has spent the majority of her career alternating between teaching environmental education and leading international conservation efforts. She lived in Tanzania for two years working for The Jane Goodall Institute and has fond memories of sharing a bit of whisky and stories with Jane in the evenings while looking out at the Indian Ocean.  For the last 20 years, Jennifer has worked at the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) to protect snow leopards and the large landscapes where they live. She has traveled to Asia annually for the last 19 years, helping establish conservation initiatives in Mongolia, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China.  Jennifer currently serves as Senior Philanthropy Manager for SLT and loves partnering with supporters around the globe to make conservation a priority. Jennifer and her husband Stan live in Fryeburg with their daughter, Sierra and Kaiya (our 85-pound dog), and Tali (the tiny cat).  Jen serves on the Fryeburg Conservation Commission and is excited to join the Land Trust.  In her spare time, she can be found hiking local mountains, bowling with the Bowling Stones, rewilding landscapes, and attempting to grow veggies in New England’s short growing season. 

Dan Stepanauskas has been a consulting forester in New Hampshire for thirty-five years. He works on the sustainable management of private and municipal forest lands using light-touch management techniques. Simply put, the goal is to achieve the desired results by imitating nature’s design. He has worn out four pairs of Limmer boots, and two pairs of Trefle Bolduc’s snowshoes. He is devoted to wilderness canoe tripping, has played the guitar for fifty-five years, and treasures visits from his two grown sons, whom he and his wife Stephanie raised here in the Valley.

Sue and her child, Wiley (now 23) came to the Mt. Washington Valley in 2006 after meeting her partner Whit. Since then, much of their time, effort, and passion has been in renovating and restoring historical homes in Snowville. Sue is a former educator (both as a teacher and principal), has spent the last 20 years in education technology sales, and is currently on the Eaton School Board. Sue is now a Real Estate agent in the MVW working for Senné North Conway,  and is licensed in both New Hampshire and Maine. When Sue is not exploring the MWV with Whit and their 2 pups, she can be found helping friends find the perfect automobile and is co-owner of the start-up Pacific Rigs, which focuses on Land Cruiser restoration.  Sue is ready to help USVLT raise funds to grow the impact of USVLT. 

Eric White was long-serving Education Director at Old Sturbridge Village before moving to the Boston Society for Architecture, where he became Executive Director in 2013. White is a history graduate of Denison University. Eric is excited to be joining USVLT and the deeply committed board, staff, members, and volunteers dedicated to conserving the forests, farmlands, and natural beauty of New Hampshire and Maine that help make this a great place to live, work, and play. He and his wife, Melissa, live in Wolfeboro, and he has 3 adult stepchildren and 5 grandchildren. Eric loves kayaking and other outdoor activities and is a fine arts wood crafter. 

Linda is a founding member of Upper Saco Valley Trust. While completing her master’s degree at Antioch University New England, her thesis project, "How to Start a Land Trust,” became the groundwork that eventually grew into what USVLT is today. As the former Land Protection Specialist for USVLT for many years, her work has allowed her to do what she loves: work with landowners to permanently protect their land & to have a lasting impact on this landscape that she treasures. Her love of the outdoors began as a child wandering the woods, rocky shores & beaches in her hometown of Gloucester, MA and has continued on throughout her life. Linda has lived in New Hampshire for 30+ years & enjoys hiking, biking, xc skiing & traveling the world with her partner, Al Aldrich. 

Cindy joins the USVLT with a diverse background in surveying and geographic science. At Clark University, she earned a B. S. in Environmental Science and unique fellowship studying urban forestry with the HERO program. Cindy's dedication to conservation and sustainability has blossomed into a lifelong mission to understand the ecology of our natural and built environment. She now lives in Tamworth with her family where she enjoys gardening, painting, keeping backyard chickens, and venturing in the woods. She's devoted to working with the team to preserve and steward the beautiful landscapes of New Hampshire.

Vicki grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to New Hampshire 25 years ago. She has always gravitated towards nature and wildlife and has fallen in love with New Hampshire and all it offers. She has a B.S. in Psychology and subsequently earned an A.S. in Veterinary Technology. Vicki has a diverse background and finds that she always excels in attention to detail and organization in any job. Looking to move away from veterinary medicine, she decided to pursue an administrative position where she could let her talents shine. Vicki is thrilled to bring her organizational skills to the role of office manager and hopes to enhance the mission of USVLT with her passion for protecting natural lands and wildlife. You'll find Vicki hiking, kayaking, volunteering, skiing, snowshoeing or studying the Finnish language when she's not at work. Vicki is married, has two beautiful dogs and lives in Tuftonboro on the shore of the beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee.

While being raised in the Mount Washington Valley, Sam developed a deep appreciation for the land and its inhabitants. Almost every weekend, his dad and him would search out new hikes, where he’d always be on the lookout for wildlife. When going to John Fuller Elementary School, he would walk, bike, and in the wintertime ski there through Whitaker Woods. Since he was ten years old and until he left for college, he volunteered much of his time with the Conway Area Humane Society. He graduated from Kennett High School and went to Southern New Hampshire University, where he got his B.S. in Computer Science. He enjoys hiking, skate-skiing, volleyball, and he tolerates running.