Intervale Center - Sustaining People, Land and Farms

MEET THE STAFF

The Intervale Center is home to a vibrant team of skilled land managers, program coordinators, agricultural business planners, and food marketers who promote a sustainable food system.

Mark Cannella, Success on Farms Manager

Mark joined the Intervale Center as Success on Farms Manager in the summer of 2007 with several years of farm production experience. Mark spent 5 years at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT, managing a mixed vegetable farm and sugarbush and coordinating education programs. In 2009 he completed a Master’s Degree in Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont, specializing in farm financial analysis and agricultural business management. When not at work, he’s on the search for the proverbial “big-one” either fishing from the canoe or harvesting garlic at his farm. He lives with his family in Winooski.

Joyce Cellars, Development Coordinator    
Joyce joined the Intervale Center in September 2009. Joyce recently moved to Vermont from Berkeley, California, where she worked for three years with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. Inspired by Alice's vision of Edible Education and farm-to-table dining, she's been delighted by life in Burlington, where healthy school food and sustainability are priorities and locally-sourced products are plentiful and excellent. Joyce holds a degree in German literature from U.C. Berkeley and works part-time as a translator for (among other clients) an Austrian cigar magazine.

Mandy Davis, Program Associate

Mandy started at the Intervale Center in 2006 as a grant writer and administrative assistant. Her role has since expanded to include strategic, administrative and fundraising support to all Intervale programs. Additionally, she manages the recruitment and enrollment of incubator farms for the Farms Program, works with the Association of Africans Living in Vermont’s New Farms for New Americans project and coordinates the Burlington Food Council. She holds two Master’s Degrees: one in Theological Studies from Harvard University and one in Anthropology from the University of Chicago. She lives in Burlington, where she enjoys experimental baking and identifying wild plants.

Sona Desai, Food Hub Manager

Sona has been the Intervale Food Hub Manager at the Intervale Center since 2007. Her responsibilities include business development, supply coordination, marketing and sales, operations, budget management, staff supervision and strategic planning. As a former produce manager at a local health food store, Sona has a strong background in purchasing and marketing local produce. She has worked as part of the Intervale Center’s farm viability team and owned and operated her own farm for several years. She has strong communication skills and solid working relationships with both farmers and buyers. Sona holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a B.S. in Natural Resources Management from Colorado State University.

Brianna Farver, Food Hub CSA Coordinator
In 2009 Brianna served as an AmeriCorps member at the Intervale Center, working as the program coordinator for the Healthy City youth farming program.  Beginning in the spring of 2010, Brianna took on coordination of the Intervale Food Hub's multi-farm CSA. Brianna has a variety of work experience, including carpentry, assistant teaching, crew leading with Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and working on several organic farms.  Brianna has a B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont. She enjoys playing music in her free time.


Rob Hunt, Buildings and Grounds Coordinator
Rob graduated from UVM with a BS in Environmental Science and a double minor in plant and soil science and ecological agriculture. He has been involved in agriculture for many years, from working on conventional mixed vegetable and fruit farms in NH to permaculture in Hawaii. In addition to farming, Rob has experience in timber framing and snow cat operation. Here at the Intervale, Rob splits his time between Buildings and Grounds, the Abenaki Garden and the Food Hub. During his time outside of the Intervale, he is a climbing wall manager and works at UVM for a research soil testing lab.

Mike Ingalls, Intervale Conservation Nursery Manager
Mike manages the overall operations of the nursery, which mainly consist of growing Vermont native riparian tree species. He graduated in 2006 from Vermont Technical College with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Development. Mike has multiple years of experience in horticulture and farming. He grew up in Richmond, Vermont and now lives in Charlotte with his family.
Tim Kranz, Finance & Accounting Manager
Tim works with the Board of Directors and staff to manage all aspects of financial management. Former C.F.O. for Vermont’s only community development credit union, he holds a degree in financial accounting and extensive training and experience with financial analysis, organizational management, regulatory and governmental filings, and budget and planning. He oversees the Center’s general accounting, financial reporting and controls, budgets and other financial tracking tools and annual audit facilitation.
Travis Marcotte, Director of Programs

Travis provides leadership and support for Intervale Center enterprises and technical assistance programs. He oversees program revenue and expenses, ensures effective collaboration among partner organizations and guides staff in the development and execution of the Farms Program, Success on Farms, Intervale Conservation Nursery and the Intervale Food Hub. He is also a member of the Intervale Land Committee and Intervale Farmers’ Equipment Company. Travis came to the Intervale Center in 2006 after working in agriculture economic research and consulting in Central America, the Caribbean and the Northeastern United States. He grew up on a VT farm, worked extensively in the restaurant industry and has more than 12 years professional experience in agricultural enterprise, program and policy development. Travis has a Bachelor’s Degree in Community Development and Applied Economics from the University of Vermont and a Master’s Degree in International Agricultural Development from the University of California at Davis. He lives with his partner, Sue, and their son, Serein, in Fletcher.

 

Glenn McRae, Executive Director
Glenn joined the Intervale Center in August 2008 and brings 25 years of nonprofit management experience, environmental consulting, teaching, and policy development to his work at the Intervale. He spent 15 years developing and implementing nonprofit capacity building programs at the Vermont Community Foundation, as well as through national networks. He has managed a national environmental consulting practice and worked with WHO, the World Bank and UNDP on international environmental projects. Most recently he worked with The Snelling Center for Government as its Policy Director and is a member of UVM’s graduate faculty with the Public Administration Program.
Andrea Boggs Tursini, Director of Consulting and Land Stewardship

Andrea has been with the Intervale Center since 2006. As Director of Consulting and Land Stewardship, Andrea works with organizations across North America to assist them with replicating Intervale-style programs. She also oversees the current and planned use of our 350 acres of land. Andrea has been working in the field of agriculture since coming to Vermont in 1996. She has 11 years of experience working at the confluence between agriculture and conservation. Andrea was a 2008 Fellow with Kinship Conservation Fellowship, an environmental leadership program for entrepreneurial conservationists. Andrea has a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies from University of Vermont and lives in Cambridge, Vermont with her husband, Ralph.

Lynn Wolfe, Intervale Conservation Nursery Field Technician 
Lynn joined the Conservation Nursery staff in March 2009. She graduated from her home state university, the University of Maine, in 2007 with a Bachelors of Science in Ecology and Environmental Science.  There she discovered her passion for wetland ecology, riparian systems, and amphibians.  Lynn is very excited to be at the Intervale getting her hands dirty and growing trees.  She came to Vermont in 2008 to work as an Education Apprentice at Shelburne Farms, teaching children of all ages the wonders of agriculture and ecology.  When not working, Lynn can be found biking, rock climbing, and selling homemade popsicles off the back of a two-person tricycle.