Vermont Association of Conservation Districts Executive Committee background information.

Jonathan Chamberlin, President

Jonathan Chamberlin is a 6th generation Vermonter raised in Shelburne.  He spent summers and after school working on his cousin’s dairy farm in St. George.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy (Crop and Soil Management) from Purdue University. In the spring of 1999 Jonathan began working at Bourdeau Brothers of Middlebury and still works there today.  His responsibilities include writing Nutrient Management Plans throughout Vermont, crop consulting, crop sales, and operating a sprayer in the spring.  He is a Certified Crop Consultant with the American Society of Agronomy, a Technical Service Provider with USDA, and a certified commercial pesticide applicator in Vermont and New York. Jonathan joined the Otter Creek Conservation District as a supervisor in July 2005 as a way to help to insure that a life in production agriculture can remain as well as preserving the beauty of Vermont.  He and his wife Precious have a home in Addison, Vermont.

Michelle Green, Vice-President

Michelle Green is a retired teacher from Caledonia County.  Over the years, she has worked in schools in northeast Vermont, Dorset England, and Japan.  She has taught and developed workshops in conservation and related areas for the classroom, has been a Vermont state writing network leader, a member of the Vermont Humanities Council board, and is a supervisor for the Caledonia County Conservation District board.  Currently she is also mentoring for Vermont Youth Services.

In the summer, Michelle grows extensive flower and vegetable gardens, knits, and hooks rugs.  In the winter she is an avid alpine skier.  She and her husband spend significant time traveling to intriguing countries around the world.

Larry Kasden, Secretary

Larry Kasden took a one-day class on soil management offered by the Ottauquechee Natural Resource Conservation District so that he could start a vegetable garden.  He soon filled a vacant seat as a supervisor for the District and later became acting chairperson.  Larry has a Ph.D. in English, spent a number of years teaching, ran a small business, and retired to Vermont nine years ago.  Larry spends his time as a volunteer fireman, teaching skiing, building furniture, gardening, cutting firewood, and managing the 57 acres he lives on with his wife in Bridgewater.

Michelle Gudorf, Advisor to the Board as Past President

Michelle Gudorf has been representing Lamoille County NRCD since 2002, first as an associate and then an elected supervisor. She was elected VACD Vice President in November 2006 and was elected VACD President in 2007.  She resigned this position on July 1, 2010 and serves in an advisory capacity to the VACD Board. Michelle has a BA in Environmental Science from the University of Colorado, and worked with the National Park Service for 7 years implementing the National Sound Monitoring and Bighorn Sheep Restoration programs. She developed habitat suitability analyses for restoration of bighorn sheep herds throughout the western states. She has 16 years experience in natural and cultural resource preservation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Currently she is self-employed, contracting and consulting nationally and internationally for GIS related projects.

Michelle and her family live on 500 acres of an old farmstead and are working to restore and maintain a part of the original farmland. They are managing and preserving parts of the property for wildlife, based on analysis they completed for their property evaluating wildlife habitat availability and corridor movement. She believes land conservation and preservation directly support many of the important environmental and economic issues we face today, and serves the conservation districts because of districts capacity to put conservation practices onto the land.