Meet Our Team
Our Staff
Lauren Weston
District Manager
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Lauren's background includes a wide range of projects involving water resource engineering, agriculture, climate justice, and community building; she is excited to combine and continue to work on these topics as part of her new role as District Manager, which started in January 2021. In 2015, Lauren graduated from Smith College in her hometown of Northampton, MA and traveled for a few years until settling into Vermont in early 2018. Lauren spent the 2019 growing season in Franklin County, working on a small farm in Montgomery and serving the community at two local restaurants. She enjoys her work in Franklin County with folks who are dedicated to the land, water, and life around them.
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Email: info@franklincountynrcd.org
Phone: 802-528-4176
Mel Auffredou
Natural Resources Planner
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Mel gained a love for nature after growing up in the Southern Adirondacks in upstate New York. She originally studied and taught English and has lived in Brazil, France, and South Korea. After returning to the US, Mel decided to devote her career to environmental conservation. Since then, she has completed a masters degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy with a focus in environmental justice from Johns Hopkins University. She has also served with ECO AmeriCorps at NorthWoods Stewardship Center and the VTDEC Monitoring and Assessment Program, where she gained experience in water quality, aquatic ecology, and riparian restoration. She is excited to use these skills to work with community members and the Franklin County NRCD team to protect Franklin County's natural resources. In her free time, you can find Mel hiking, reading, and learning new languages.
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802-528-4159
Kerry Brosnan
Natural Resources Planner
Kerry’s love of nature was founded in her family’s yearly tradition of visiting an old camping spot in the woods of Pennsylvania. After a busy day of searching for red efts, crayfish, and mossy rocks with her sister, mom, and dad, they would close out the night calling out to groups of deer and breathing in the refreshing, earthy air. Kerry became interested in food systems while growing up on Long Island wondering where her food came from and how far it traveled to get to her plate. Due to these experiences, Kerry decided to study Natural Resources at the University of Vermont specializing in Food Systems, Sustainability, and Justice. While in Vermont, Kerry’s passion about the intersection of agriculture and conservation blossomed. Kerry has studied food systems in Atlanta, Georgia and Quito, Ecuador and has worked at various farms within Chittenden County, Vermont. She gained ecological restoration experience while working with North Branch Nature Center and learned about environmental policy while working as a legislative intern with Vermont Natural Resources Council. In her free time, you will likely find Kerry birding along the Winooski River, biking to her favorite Lake Champlain swimming spots, or reading in her backyard!
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802-528-4175
Morgan Pratt
Agricultural Programs Specialist
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Morgan was born and raised in New Haven, Vermont. She attended Mount Abraham Union High School and graduated from St. Lawrence University. She lived and worked on an agritourism farm in Hartland, Vermont for two years prior to completing an M.P.S. degree in the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment at Cornell University in 2024. She is thrilled to be joining the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District as an Agricultural Program Specialist. When she has free time, she enjoys swimming in rivers and spending time with her friends and family across the state of Vermont.
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Kate Wettergreen
Agricultural Programs Manager
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Kate is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now lives in Burlington, Vermont. She graduated from UVM with a degree in Environmental Science and then spent two years as an ECO AmeriCorps member, first serving for a year with the VT DEC Lakes and Ponds program, and then with the Franklin County NRCD. She's been with the District since 2021 and has become the agricultural programs manager. In her free time you can find her hiking, gardening, baking, and exploring new places around Vermont!
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802-528-4180
Dorothy Kinney-Landis
Projects Coordinator
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Dorothy grew up in Southeastern Vermont and moved north to attend the University of Vermont where she obtained an B.S. in Environmental Studies. Her degree focused on ecological agriculture and food systems, and while pursuing her degree she began working on farms and quickly fell in love with growing food and tending to productive landscapes. Since graduating, she has worked on diversified vegetable farms in the Burlington area. Through her studies and work, Dorothy became interested in ecological landscape design and planning, especially in relation to agricultural landscapes, leading her to pursue an M.S. in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design. Outside of her work, Dorothy enjoys doing pottery, hiking, gardening, cooking, and canning tomatoes on the hottest days of the summer.
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dorothy@franklincountynrcd.org
802-528-4186
Maria Burnett
Agricultural Programs Specialist
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Born in Tacoma Washington and having grown up in Abu Dhabi, Maria moved to New England in 2016. While at school in Massachusetts studying food systems and environmental policy, she spent the summer of 2021 as the Meals and Garden Coordinator at Camp DREAM in Fletcher. By planning and cooking culturally relevant meals for staff and campers from a variety of different backgrounds and spending her weekends exploring northwestern Vermont, she fell in love with the area. She returned for 6 months as a Camp Steward in 2022, constructing tent platforms, caring for three chickens, and doing bridge, garden, and trail maintenance. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree at Fitchburg State University, she moved to Vermont full time in 2023. As an ECO AmeriCorps member in the water quality division at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, she became familiar with state and federal grant programs, was an active member of the Agency’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability communications and governance committees, and grew a deeper appreciation for Vermont’s producers. This led her to joining FCNRCD, and she is excited to continue building relationships with land stewards and partners to create a just and sustainable food system for all.
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Orenna Brand
Community Engagement Coordinator and Field Technician
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Orenna grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, and now lives in Burlington’s Old North End. After graduating from Columbia University in 2021 with a degree in Classics and Computer Science, she pursued a love of literature and print media by working as an editor at a nonprofit magazine in Brooklyn for two years. Somewhere along the way she tried her hand at vegetable farming and was hooked by life in the field. She has since worked at farms in Martha’s Vineyard, Granville, Charlotte, and Hinesburg, where she learned about the important relationship between farm owners and conservation districts. She is excited to bring her comms-saavy to the District and spread the word about protecting Franklin County’s natural resources. Outside of work she loves to read, bicycle to swimming spots, and cook for her friends.
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