The GBCV Team
Good Beginnings Staff
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Bio
Nicole joined Good Beginnings in September 2023 as Executive Director to oversee all programs and operations. She has over 20 years experience in various leadership roles within the nonprofit sector, graduate degrees in both teaching and public administration, and additional certificates in nonprofit and volunteer management, financial literacy coaching, and Offers and Needs Market facilitation. She is past-President and an active member of the Barre Rotary Club, enjoys gardening and volunteering, and lives with her daughter, two dogs and two cats in Berlin, VT.
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Jessica joined Good Beginnings in 2022 as the Program Director for the Nest and Journey Programs. She is a trained birth and postpartum doula and has experience working in many capacities in educational and social nonprofits, as well as in the outdoor industry. She loves to ski, garden, and chase her growing kids around. Jessica lives in Montpelier with her two daughters, husband, dog, two cats, and goldfish.
Stace Fulwiler Wood
Communications and Operations Coordinator
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Bio
Stace joined Good Beginnings in 2024 as the Communications and Operations Coordinator. Originally from California, she has always had a strong interest in art and design, and most recently ran a small business teaching shoemaking workshops. She discovered a passion for supporting new moms & babies after her postpartum experience, and is excited to use her creativity to bring more awareness about Good Beginnings’ vital offerings to her community. Outside of work, Stace enjoys getting out in nature to hike, kayak, and swim with her toddler and husband. She is usually working on a sewing or shoemaking project, or mapping out a new thrift store or flea market to explore.
Good Beginnings Board of Directors
Kelli Millick
Board President
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Molly Gleason
Vice President
Sara Nevin
Founder & Emeritus Director
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Sara has had an ongoing interest in primary prevention for children as a means of reducing intervention for some in later years. Her BA in Psychology from Norwich University, with emphasis in the Attachment Theory have been beneficial to families connected with Good Beginnings while she served as Founder and Director from 1991 to 2011.
Sara has five grown sons and enjoys supporting them and their families. She is a volunteer with community services, and the local food shelf. She is also a member of the Northfield’s Reading Circle, and St. John’s Church in Northfield. Sara is employed part time with Love Is…LLC which is based in Craftsbury, VT. Sara enjoys gardening and Early American painting.
Susan Mesner
Treasurer
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Bio
Susan’s career includes over 40 years of experience of performance management: assessing problems; designing, proposing and implementing solutions; managing client/stakeholder relationships; selling proposals to external clients; managing talent.
Her expertise in course/curriculum development, data-driven course design evolved from her early years in education (secondary and university levels). Corporate roles in human resources and training and development led her to study and refine her skills in mediation, coaching, change management, and strategic planning. After three decades in business, she returned to teaching in 2003.
Susan moved to Montpelier in the summer of 2014 to be closer to family. No stranger to relocation, but she has lived in many places throughout her life. Before she was three, she had lived in five states and two countries. She continued that pattern throughout her life and has loved the experiences she gained from traveling and living in new places.
Susan Romans
Director
Madelyn Hamilton
Secretary
Mindy Parisi
Director
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Mindy has been a Registered Nurse for 39 years in the Maternal Child Health field. She currently serves as the Maternal & Child Care Coordinator at Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, VT. Mindy has given her devoted service to Good Beginnings since 2004 in many capacities. Her passion is helping families every day, hoping to make a difference.
Mindy lives in Stowe with husband Ernie and has two beautiful grown children. Mindy spends her non-working time knitting, baking, hiking, kayaking and snowshoeing in the winter.
Kyle Pivetti
Director
Jessica Phelan
Director
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Vermont grabbed ahold of Jessica’s heart in 1997. For her, it was the abundant outdoor recreation scene, the ubiquitous sense of community, and not to mention the state’s unspoken quirk. Her marketing careers has offered roles across the Vermont business landscape including startups like Mamava which first connected her to Good Beginnings. Along her career path, she’s narrowed in to align her work with her values and passions: social justice and gender equity, especially examining how our culture values caregiving.
Established in 2010, Jessica is COO of the Phelan household, managing Mac, Maeve and rescue hound, Lucy. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying every Vermont season – sliding on snow, rolling two wheels on dirt, or pretending to be a gardener.
Angelina Debeaupuis
Director
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Angelina moved to Vermont in 2018 after falling in love. Originally from France, she now lives in Barre with her husband, their daughter, and dog.
Angelina is an active member of the Barre Rotary Club. Angelina enjoys all that Vermont has to offer, including its great sense of community, its mountains, and rivers. She likes dancing, going to the gym, and spending time with her family and friends.
Cara Gauthier
Director
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Bio
Cara Gauthier joined the Board in May 2024, bringing a wealth of experience in outreach, development, communications, and community building. She is a Certified Life Coach and holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University. She was a recipient of the Postpartum Angel program with both of her children and is deeply grateful for that support.
Outside of work, Cara enjoys biking, hobby-farming, hiking, and curling up with a good book. She lives in Northfield with her husband, their two children, and a lively menagerie of furry and feathered companions. Driven by a deep commitment to supporting women’s mental health, Cara believes the work of Good Beginnings is essential for building stronger families and a brighter future for all.
Gretchen Stigall
Director
If you are interested in joining our Board of Directors please fill out this online application.
Meet our Postpartum Angels
Our network of Postpartum Angels includes over 60 amazing and experienced women and men, and spans from Burlington to Hardwick & from Calais to Royalton.
Janet
Apple
Joanne
Lee
Karen
Denise
Julie
Kim
Kate
