Board & Staff

Staff

Cory Ross – District Manager
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Cory Ross graduated from Oregon State University in 2019. He spent 11 years teaching band and choir in Michigan, before his growing passion for the environment and conservation issues led him to return to school. Cory has worked on a variety of research projects, including banding migrating birds in Northern Ontario, helping to study the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on the declining saltmarsh sparrow in Connecticut and studying the fire ecology of the black-backed woodpecker in Oregon. He moved to Vermont in 2015 and enjoys hiking, skiing, birding and generally spending time outside in the beautiful Green Mountains.

Heather Blunk – Agricultural resource Specialist 
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Heather Blunk graduated from Syracuse University in 2016. Before entering the workforce, she fulfilled her dream of thru-hiking the Appalachian trail where she fell in love with the rugged and rural landscapes and villages along the Appalachian range. Upon completing her thru-hike, she accepted an apprenticeship at Merck Forest and Farmland Center in Rupert Vermont. It was there that she gained numerous skills in field, forest and animal management. From there, she took on the role of Farm Manager at A Farm Less Ordinary in Leesburg, VA where she worked to train young adults with developmental disabilities job skills in order to prepare them for work outside of AFLO. After living and working in the south for almost four years she and her family have relocated back to Vermont and the mountains of the North East. In her off time Heather enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with her family and two dogs.

Isabel bowman – conservation Specialist 
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As a conservation specialist, Isabel works on a variety of grant-based projects to implement on-the-ground conservation. This includes coordinating aquatic invasive species removal with a bi-state group of volunteers and Vermont and New Hampshire state employees. Isabel also holds educational community events, prepares Trees For Streams projects, and creates outreach materials for the Windham County NRCD. Prior to joining Windham County NRCD in January of 2023, she worked at Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission as a Summer Ranger Manager. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Appalachian State University in 2019 and a Master’s of Biology from the University of Maryland in 2021.

Supervisors

Linda Corse – Whitingham – District Chairperson

Linda Corse owns and operates The Corse Farm Dairy LLC, in Whitingham, VT in partnership with her husband, Leon. Their daughter, Abbie, works on the farm with them when she’s not busy with her 2 sons, (born in 2010 and 2014). Their farm has been in Leon’s family since 1868. It is an organic dairy shipping their milk to CROPP/Organic Valley.  They have a 55 cow mixed breed herd of mostly black & white  holsteins, along with some red & whites, jersey crosses, a couple of Finnish Reds & 1 blue holstein.  to CROPP/Organic Valley. Their farm is at 2000′ elevation in the Green Mountains in the Deerfield River and subsequently the Connecticut River watershed. Linda is chair of Windham County NRCD, as well as treasurer of the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance, and secretary for the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts. On their own or with cost sharing from NRCS the Corses have installed many conservation practices. Their farm and home is almost entirely powered by a solar array installed on their milking barn roof. They love to share their farm with people so please contact them for a visit.

Geof Dolman – Brattleboro – Treasurer

Geof Dolman was born and brought up in UK, near London. After a career in agricultural development, during which he lived in Oman, Egypt (where he met his late wife, Anne), Nigeria, Serbia, Croatia, Iraq, Washington DC (that was a tough one), Afghanistan, and Nigeria again, Anne and he decided they wanted to settle down. Anne had spent her summers, and sometimes winters, on Ames Hill, and regarded it as her ‘spiritual home’.  They were able to buy a farm there, and moved in in 2012. Geof found the WCNRCD to be extremely helpful in implementing improvements on the farm. He planted a large number of trees, bought at the Plant Sale; he erected permanent electric fences beside two ponds and two streams, to keep livestock out and prevent them polluting the water, with the help of a cost share obtained through WCNRCD; and he attended training and developed a Nutrient Management Plan consistent with the state’s Required Agricultural Practices, funded through WCNRCD. He was therefore more than willing to serve on the Board of Supervisors when offered a place on it in 2015.

Meg Kluge – Brattleboro – Vice Chairperson 

 

Katie Morrison – Dummerston – Secretary

Katie Morrison hails from the Boston area and has been living in Vermont since 2006. She has a degree in Legal Studies from UMass Amherst and a Master’s of Science in Environmental Studies and Integrated Learning from Antioch University New England. She has spent her career in environmental, experiential and farm-based education and is currently a Farm to School coach with Food Connects in Brattleboro. Before working for Food Connects Katie spent several years as the garden manager at the Putney School. Katie’s hobbies include reading, knitting, running, gardening and doing anything outside with her family, especially skiing, biking, and hiking. She lives with her husband, son, dog and cat in Dummerston, Vermont.

Pieter Van Loon – Marlboro 

Pieter van Loon is the director of Forest Stewardship for the Vermont Land Trust. He has a BA in Forest Biology and Silviculture from Marlboro College. Pieter played a key role as one of the founders of the Southeastern Vermont CISMA. He has served on the board since 2020.