Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is made up of current parents, alumni parents and community members. The Board of Directors has responsibility for the general management, the property, business and affairs of the school and fundraising. The Board decides school policy and revises school by-laws as necessary. The Board meets on the first Tuesday of every month and on other occasions as seen fit. Board Meetings are open to the public and we encourage interested parties to attend at any time.

New members are recruited on an ongoing basis with elections for open Board seats in May annually.

If you are interested in joining the Board or a Board Committee, please complete the Board Candidate Survey.

Board President Email: evergreenboardchair@gmail.com

Board Committees:

GOVERNANCE

DEVELOPMENT

FINANCE

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Beth

Tarallo

President

Beth is thrilled to be part of the Evergreen community, as parent of two alum, and as current Board President. Beth holds a Master of Science in Administration and Management (MSA) from Saint Michael’s College and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Common Good Vermont. Her background includes: nonprofit sector management, project management in the for profit world for government, nonprofit, university, and private sector clients, and board service, including 7 years on the Panton Select board, and the Evergreen Board since 2015. What most excites Beth about serving on the Evergreen Board: “I love thinking about Evergreen’s future—how we can sustainably further our mission to serve our community’s kids!”

Susan

Torncello

Vice President

In the spring of 1982 when Susan was searching in vain for a preschool for her almost 3 year old son, Graham, she and three other moms decided to start their own school. With overwhelming support from the Vergennes & outlying communities Evergreen was conceived - and opened as a 3 day program in the fall of 1982. It was truly a collaborative labor of love! Susan taught at Evergreen and remained on the board for 8 years. She's been teaching in the Early Childhood PreK-3 Program at UVM for more than 20 years and 8 years ago rejoined the board of Evergreen. She lives in Shelburne and has 3 children (all Evergreen alumni) and 2 grand-daughters.

Katrina

Matthews

Treasurer

Katrina has been a Vermont resident since 1972 and a resident of Vergennes since 1976. Graduating from the College of St Rose in Albany, NY with a degree in Education she became involved with the Evergreen Preschool in 1982, teaching a one day per week program for 3 year olds and becoming the Treasurer of the organization. Katrina continued as one of the teachers in the various programs (2 day, 3 day, 4 day, kindergarten) and in the various locations (Water Street, Green Street, Sand Road) from 1982 until 1994. Katrina then spent the following 20 years at Vermont Teddy Bear in retail, forecasting/analysis and marketing. She has continued serving on the Evergreen Board as the Treasurer to the present day. Her continued involvement with Evergreen comes with a love for the organization and the many families that have passed through its doors. In serving on the Board of Evergreen and being Treasurer Katrina is pleased to give back to the community in this capacity.

Jena

Santa Maria

Jena was born and raised in Vermont, but moved out of state to attend college. After college, she attended law school in Michigan where she graduated with her Juris Doctorate. During this time, Jena married her husband, Ben, and they now have two daughters, Gracie and Tommie who attend or have attended Evergreen. Jena spent her professional career in Michigan at legal aid working in an office that specializes in family law and domestic violence matters. While living in Michigan, she also volunteered with a non-profit animal rescue which led to a house filled with dogs! In 2018, Jena and Ben made the decision to move back to Vermont to be closer to family and friends. Jena now works at WomenSafe as the Outreach and Legal Advocate. Jena is thrilled to be part of this community and she looks forward to continuing to serve Evergreen and our families.

Karri

Crossman

Secretary

Karri has been a resident of Vergennes for 12 years. She is married to a life-long Ferrisburgh/Vergennes resident, Brian. Together they have three children, Weston, William and Lillian. Karri is a Registered EEG Technologist, specializing in neurointraoperative monitoring and ICU EEG monitoring. She splits her time between UVM Medical Center and CortiCare Neurodiagnostics. She is a member of the American Society of Electroencephalographic Technologists. She holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and Biology from the University of Vermont. In her free time, Karri loves to indulge in Dateline Mysteries and obscure medical documentaries, listen to comedy podcasts and read detective novels. Karri joined the Board in 2019 to be a voice for the children of the Evergreen Community. Early education is a cause she is passionate about and so far has been a very rewarding experience for her

Chasity

DeMers

Chasity joined the Evergreen Board of Directors in 2022 following her Daughter Evelyn's first year. She was looking for a way to be engaged in her children's education experience and deeply admired the environment that Evergreen created for both children and families. Chasity holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Dental Hygiene and loves to continue to learn in all facets, recently receiving a certification as a Breathwork Facilitator. She resides in New Haven with her husband, Leon, and two children, Evelyn and Ander.

Sarah

Huizenga

Sarah lives in Monkton Vermont with her husband Matthew and their two children Arya & Owen. They live in the woods and enjoy exploring and hiking the trails near their home. Sarah attended UVM and became a registered nurse. She now works on the local mother baby unit at UVMMC and enjoys helping families learn to care for their new babies. She also work at a pediatric office helping families keep their kids healthy and watching them grow.

Archana
Emayavaran