VPT ~ Board of Directors for 2011-12
Caroleen Frey, Treasurer: Caroleen was introduced to VPT Board President Cybele Locke through a mutual friend, because VPT was looking for someone to help out with financial management. Caroleen has a Master's Degree in accounting, and over 20 years experience in not-for-profit accounting, and the mission and goals of VPT resonate with her. Caroleen has studied yoga and meditation, and has completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training program. Caroleen is an avid gardener and bicyclist, and is concerned about issues of peace and sustainability in our society.
Rick Gaumer, Operations and Personnel Committee: Rick Gaumer lives in Norwich. He has been active in the peace and justice movement since the late 60’s, mostly with the War Resister’s League. Rick lived at the Voluntown Peace Trust from 1979-80, and has developed skills in the fields of catering, non-profit housing, and helping people with psychiatric disabilities get through college. Rick is a pacifist, war tax resister, and advocate of living simply.
Nadesha Mijoba, Communications Committee Nadesha is the founding President of Mijoba Communication, a full service cultural and linguistic competence consulting firm. Ms. Mijoba has worked extensively with community-based organizations to engage culturally diverse individuals and develop communication programs, social marketing campaigns, and educational/informational programs that appeal to people based on their unique cultural orientation and preferences. Ms. Mijoba is also the founder of Provenance Center, a community-based cultural competence and gallery located in New London, Connecticut. Provenance Center is a forum for cultural awareness, creating community involvement, appreciation and connectedness. Nadesha was drawn to VPT because its work is based on non-violent strategies as pioneered by Mahatma Gandhi, which are designed to absolutely refuse to be drawn into violent confrontation, which requires tremendous courage and self-control.
Jane Johnson, CNVA and Membership Committee: Jane serves on the Southeastern New England AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) support committee and clerks the Westerly Friends peace and justice committee. She recently retired from the Westerly Public Library where she was the community services manager for ten years, and before that she was a project director with the New England Foundation for the Humanities. In both positions she planned and implemented discussion series, worked with nonprofit boards, and did some successful grant writing.
Cybele Locke, Chair, Membership Committee: Cybele Locke has been living in New London for six years now, teaching the history of social movements - particularly indigenous, women's and labor to students at Connecticut College. She is passionate about working for social change and spent many years teaching and working with Kotare Trust, a school for research and social change in New Zealand, which models itself on the Highlander School in the United States. Currently, she is finishing a book on the history of clerical, meat workers and unemployed worker's unions in New Zealand during the late twentieth century, when she is not helping her husband Simon look after their nine-month old son.
Nancy MacBride, Secretary, Membership Committee: Nancy is a neighbor of Voluntown Peace Trust and a friend of "the farm" since the 1990's. She has received awards and grants as an artist and educator. Nancy has served on many professional, church, and VPT committees. As the art educator at Voluntown's Public School, she is a link between VPT and local residents. She enjoyed organizing three art exhibits at VPT, bringing many locals to the property for the first time. Nancy considers herself a student of peace and social justice and is thankful for the opportunities to learn through and serve VPT.
David Opperman, Fundraising Committee: Dave is a recently retired small business owner, living in Voluntown. He has served on the Voluntown Board of Education, the Voluntown Baptist Church Finance Committee, and the Building and Grounds Committee of Unitarian Universalist Church of Norwich. At UUCN, he also served as a member of the Norwich Spiritual Cinema Committee and helped cook and serve the monthly community meal. For over thirty years, David owned and operated Timevalve Manufacturing Company in Plainfield, Connecticut, where he manufactured stainless steel exhaust parts for vintage cars.
Karen Colberg, Land Stewardship program: Karen lives in Exeter, RI and was drawn to VPT over years of driving by on her way to work as a nurse in Plainfield. Karen says, "There was just 'something' peaceful about that house on the hill and the surrounding farmland. I am grateful to be part of something so real and wonderful that has so much potential to be a haven for sustainable living and harmony." When not in the garden, Karen has been a pediatric nurse for decades. She also works as one of the Southern RI Volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels. She is a founding member and on the board of the Exeter Historical Association, is a potter and belongs to South County Art Association, is a local activist for 350.org and truly believes we must do all we can to save our precious earth before it's too late. Karen says new "grandmother-hood" has helped her see the urgency of preventing further climate change.
Christopher J. Doucot: Chris is a member of the Hartford Catholic Worker community and serves as their representative to the VPT board. The HCW is a radical community of Catholics and like-minded friends seeking Shalom, "right-relationships", with: each other, poor persons, enemies, and the wealth of this world, in the hope that such relationships can transform the world. In Hartford we share our home with homeless persons, share food with hungry persons, and work with young people to keep them out of gangs and in school.
Also assisting have been Attorney Barbara McGrath, (Operations & Personnel Committee), and Nate Baber, both from the Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative, Inc., a clinical program that assists nonprofits, located at the University of Connecticut. We are grateful to them for their dedicated and continued service.
