Monica Pryzperhart, Co-Chair

Monica is happiest when surrounded by woods and wildlife. A naturalist and biologist, she runs a land stewardship program with Cold Hollow to Canada in northern Vermont and is the technical coordinator for the Addison County River Watch Collaborative. In the past, she has worked in land conservation, education, and conservation planning, always with a specialty in connecting communities and individuals with science and wildlife. Originally from the Sierra Nevadas, Vermont has now been home longer than anywhere else. You're likely to find her running with a dog on the TAM, or perhaps looking for the perfect climbing tree with her two daughters and husband.

Emily Blistein, Co-Chair

Emily lives in Middlebury, steps away from the TAM in a house with many boys and dogs. She grew up in Brattleboro, VT and attended Brown University and Vermont Law School which lead to a career as an attorney and policy advisor on issues that benefits low income families and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. For seven years, Emily owned Clementine, a store on Main Street in the heart of Middlebury where she met and gathered with friends and neighbors. She sees the TAM as a wonderful parallel - an embrace for Middlebury and an invitation for our neighboring towns to join us. Emily currently works for Let's Grow Kids where she elevates business leaders as vocal champions for child care and our economy. She frequently heads out on the TAM with a kid or dog in tow to take a break from work and hear all of the incredible stories and facts her 9 year old son gathered during his time at MALT's camps and afterschool programs.

Chris Anderson, Treasurer

For most of his life Chris has lived, attended school and worked in the Middlebury area. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a major in marketing and a minor in accounting, he worked in the banking industry for 40 years and most recently, as an agricultural lender for Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC), which is part of Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA). After retiring from VEDA, Chris joined Monument Farms to assist with financial management. Chris is active in the community, serving in the past as a long-time Board member for Addison County Community Trust and Middlebury Festival on the Green, and continues to serve as the volunteer recycling coordinator for the Town of Weybridge and on the MALT Board as Treasurer, as well as by volunteering for other community projects whenever needed. Chris also coaches the Middlebury Union High School cross country running team and the distance runners on the track team. He is an avid runner and enjoys hiking and other outdoor recreational activities as much as possible. Chris lives in Weybridge only a short walk from the TAM with his wife Nancy and their dog.

Lesley Deppman, Board Member

An Addison County native, Lesley is an attorney at Deppman Law in Middlebury. Her practice consists primarily of probate, family, and real estate matters. She brings her real estate experience to MALT’s conservation work, helping to shepherd the process of conserving our local lands.  When not at the office, she enjoys exploring MALT’s various lands and trails with her family.

Erik Remsen, Board Member

Erik is not a native Vermonter; he was born in Bangor, Maine (ayuh). However, he has lived in Vermont on and off for the past 25 years. Erik is former high school social studies teacher and nordic ski coach. He now works with the What’s the Story VT program for secondary students and is also the Safe Routes Middlebury Coordinator. He currently serves on several boards including Frost Mountain Nordic Ski Club, the ACSD Community Partnership Council, and the town of Middlebury Planning Commission.

He lives in Middlebury with his wife, Jen, and two daughters, who are both enthusiastic MALT campers. The family are year-round users of the TAM, hiking, running, and biking on the trail. 

James Cryan, Board Member

Before recently moving to Vermont, James was the Founder & CEO of Rocky Mountain Preparatory Schools (RMP), a growing network of high-performing, non-profit, public elementary charter schools in Colorado. Serving ~2,000 students, RMP has been consistently recognized for strong results and as one of Denver’s top workplaces. Currently, James is taking a sabbatical and thinking about his next adventure, while also coaching in the MIT Entrepreneurship Bootcamp program.

James is passionate about helping others achieve their full potential. He has been named one of Colorado’s “Public Education Game-Changers” by A+ Colorado and was named “Leader of the Year” in 2021 by the Colorado League of Charter Schools. Civically, he was a founding board member of Denver Families for Public Schools, a 501c4 advocacy organization, has served as an elected leader to the Denver Public Schools Collaborative Council board and as the Board Treasurerof Reach out and Read Colorado, among others. Before founding RMP, James received his MBA from the University of Denver, was a member of Teach For America, and graduated magna cum laude from Colby College.

In their free time, James, Liz, and their kids Sophia and Caleb love playing outside in all forms, be it hiking the TAM, biking, skiing, or gardening. 

Ashleigh Klein, Board Member

Ashleigh is very supportive of local land preservation and the environment that we all share. Her move from city life, to Addison County, is a testament to her love of the outdoors and she’s looking forward to engaging with MALT’s community.

Ellie de Villiers, Board Member

Ellie grew up in New Haven and life took her various other places, including as far away as a decade living and working in South Africa. The primary reason that Ellie and her husband decided to move to New Haven, Vermont in 2020 was that they wanted to give their daughter the same opportunities she had – to grow up in a house and on land that has been in the family for generations. Ellie has a deep personal connection to this land and wonderful state. She cares deeply about helping others, doing what’s right for the land, the plants and animals, and, of course, balancing heritage with the needs and desires of current and future generations of people. Ellie is the Executive Director at Maple Broadband and her primary goal for serving on the board is to contribute to a mission which is very dear to her heart.

Dana Olsen, Board Member

When the pandemic opened up a little space in all of our lives, Dana started volunteering to help maintain the TAM with her son and daughter. She thinks trail maintenance is satisfying work: it allows her to express gratitude for the vision and labor of those who built the trail system; to replenish the resource her family uses so frequently as runners, hikers, photographers, and dog-walkers; and to have a hand in the creation of something new. Dana is currently the Administrative Director of the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English and looks to share her skills in recruitment, communications, donor relations, and event coordination.

Holly Fulton, Board Member

Holly grew up in Addison County, then moved to Massachusetts to begin her career in engineering following her graduation from the University of Vermont. After working in industry for a few years and then obtaining her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she moved to Michigan to work for The Dow Chemical Company. Returning to her beloved Green Mountains in 1999 to raise her children, Holly subsequently joined Community Investment Counselors as a financial advisor and later became a co-owner. She is currently stepping back from day-to-day operations and into the role of a consultant to give her more time to be in, learn about, and support our natural world. Holly’s happy place is out in nature hiking, skiing, kayaking, gardening, or walking the TAM (always with an ear and eye out for birds and other wildlife!). She lives with her husband Tom, two of her children, and two cats in Middlebury where she has been converting their yard into a natural habitat. Recently she has been taking the lead to establish a native meadow/pollinator garden as part of the Middlebury Area Garden Club’s Garden by Porter Hospital. Holly is delighted to be on the board to contribute to MALT’s success.

Committees

Trails Committee:  Tyler James, Carl Robinson, John Derick, Chris Anderson, Dana Olsen, Jason LaRocque, Alan Moore

Conservation Committee: Monica Pryzperhart (Chair), Lesley Deppman, Chris Brooks, James Cryan, Paul Gangnon (North Country Trail Association)

Finance Committee: Chris Anderson (Treasurer & Chair), Ellie de Villiers, Holly Fulton

Education Committee: Erik Remsen (Chair), Emily Blistein, Ashleigh Klein, Ellie de Villiers

BecomE Involved

Interested in becoming a MALT board member or serving on a committee? We’d love to hear from you.