The GBCV Team

Good Beginnings Staff

Gretchen Elias

Nicole DiDomenico

Executive Director, 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.

Jessica Zonarich

Program Director, Nest/Journey

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Bio

 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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Bio
Kelli moved to Vermont in 2015 following college. Her family quickly fell in love with Vermont’s strong sense of community and outdoor lifestyle. As a Recreation professional, Kelli works to create community-building opportunities for families. She is the Program Director for Stowe Parks and Recreation, through this position she offers a variety or programs and events for Stowe and the surrounding area. In her spare time she enjoys finding local trails to explore with her husband and daughter, visiting Vermont’s abundance of State Parks, and homesteading on her property.
Molly Gleason

Molly Gleason

Vice President

Sara Nevin

Founder & Emeritus Director

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Bio

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

Susan Romans

Director

Madelyn Hamilton

Secretary

Mindy Parisi

Director

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Bio

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

Susan Romans

Addie Soule

Director

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Bio

 Addie has been involved with Good Beginnings for seven years as a in-home volunteer and on the In Loving Arms team. Now as a new Board member, she looks forward to helping to continue the mission of Good Beginnings and guiding its future. 

 

She has had a long and happy career as an RN working with mothers and babies, including research in preeclampsia at the University of Vermont, working on a vaccine study in Alaska with Yup’ik and various other clinical endeavors. She has been a maternal/child nurse for 32 years in clinics, hospital and home settings and has enjoyed the work immensely. She has been a volunteer Ski Patrol nurse at Mount Mansfield as well as a volunteer for the March of Dimes. 

 

In the transition from a volunteer and work on the In Loving Arms team, she is pleased to be a new Board member.  

 

Jessica Phelan

Director

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Bio

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. 

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.

Andy

Janet

Apple

Barbara

Joanne

Cary

Lee

Catie

Karen

Denise

Wendy

Julie

Sheila

Kim

Kate

Wendy

Denise