Board Members

I was born and raised in New Haven and am a graduate of Mount Abraham. I graduated from Clarkson University, BS in Psychology, Sociology, and Literature, then Southern New Hampshire University with an MS in Psychology. I am currently a PhD Candidate at Fielding Graduate University. I am studying Infant and Early Childhood Development with a focus on reflective practice and co-regulation.

In my professional life, I am a Behaviorist ( a person who specializes in the study and functional change of behavior). 

My husband and I have two daughters who will attend through the MAUSD system. I hope that by serving on the board, I can employ my knowledge base to draw attention to the voice of the community

and help make informed decisions about its future.

Elizabeth Sayre MAUSD Board Clerk and Bristol School Board Representative: Mark Deering and I are proud of our young man, Michael. 2020 marked his freshman year at Mt. Abraham, he’s the fourth generation to benefit from all our five-towns have to offer. My gratitude for his personalized access to education and the genuine care with which it is provided, inspire me to offer my best as a community voice in return. The common goal is clear, an educational system with enough flexibility to meet our students where they are so they can reach their full potential! Reinforcing the relationship between our learning community and our greater community continues to be crucial to that success.

Previously, I was an elementary classroom teacher in Maine, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. I also taught preservice and student teachers at Smith College’s Campus School in Northampton, MA. During the summers, I facilitated K-12

outdoor experiential education programs, tutored neurodiverse children, served as a Title 1 literacy interventionist, among other positions. These diverse experiences have given me first-hand knowledge of the potential, challenges, and power of public schools.

My daughter and I love Bristol. We are likely to be found at the library or walking to town for chocolate chip pancakes.

I grew up in Connecticut. Shortly after graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a degree in Art,

I moved to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. It was there that I began working for the Vermont Arts Council as a Community Artist .

I worked for a year creating art programs and teaching art within the community. Some of these programs included Assisted Living facilities, The St. Johnsbury Recreation Dept and the St. Johnsbury Correctional Center.

The next nine years would find me teaching high school art at Lake Region H.S. in Orleans. After our move to Monkton I was hired by the Winooski School District to teach K-5 at JFK Elementary School. During those first few years I began graduate work at Rhode Island School of Design and earned my MAT degree. I would remain in Winooski for the next 31 years teaching art to a district that was small in population but rich in diversity.

I retired from teaching in 2020 after 41 years as an art educator and advocate for student learners. I believe that all students can learn if given the opportunity, appropriate resources and support. As an educator, I have had the opportunity to serve on multiple committees in leadership roles and  am excited to continue advocating for students through this new opportunity on the MAUSD Board.

I live in Monkton with my husband and three children. I have children at Monkton Central School and Mount Abraham. I grew up in Bristol and graduated from MAUHS. I enjoy learning new things, gardening, cooking, horseback riding, and camping with my family. I am a doctorate

prepared family nurse practitioner and split my time between working at UVMHN and my private micropractice in South Burlington. I previously practiced primary care in Bristol and enjoyed serving the community I grew up in. I joined the MAUSD school board to continue to serve my community and of course learn more! 

In 2017 my wife Jerilyn, and I were expecting our first born and stumbled upon a beautiful home here in Monkton. Over the past 5 years it’s been wonderful meeting people in the community, from our neighbors, to the local farm stands, and

volunteering at the church plant sale.

When I saw there were two available seats opened for the school board I felt a pull to act. I grew up in a similar area in New York, where I had plenty of opportunities to excel from academics to sports. That’s one of my goals with being part of the school board. I want to see my children transcend and thrive during their time at MAUSD. 

In my free time, you’ll see me with my family tending to my gardens and chickens, out for a hike at Ravens Ridge, camping in the ADK’s or rucking up and down our dirt road.