Board of Directors
Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds

Shadow Lake

Lake Iroquois

Pat Suozzi – President

Pat and her husband Bob Kenny have owned their house on Lake Iroquois since 2010. They now live there full-time. Pat holds BA and MS degrees from the Catholic University of America and has been an administrator and faculty member at several colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and Vermont. She has taught courses in information science, communications, writing, and the First Amendment. Pat has been involved with the Lake Iroquois Association since 2011. She served as the LIA president from 2014-2017 and as board secretary from 2018-2022. She is currently the president of the Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds (FOVLAP). Over the years, Pat has published academic articles, edited newsletters, written several blogs, and created and maintained websites. Pat loves xcountry skiing, kayaking, swimming, and hiking around Lake Iroquois.

Lake St. Catherine

Jerremy Jones – Vice President

Jerremy’s grandmother and grandfather purchased a three season camp on Lake St. Catherine in 1957, and his family has been enjoying the lake ever since. Since his first visit to Lake St. Catherine as a baby, his summers were always full of swimming, fishing, waterskiing, and having fun at ‘Camp’. After purchasing a four season camp in 2015, Jerremy started volunteering for the Lake St. Catherine Association (LSCA), and was elected as a Trustee in 2017. He publicizes the LSCA’s activities, programs, and initiatives by managing the LSCA’s website and Facebook pages, he also chairs the LSCA’s Membership Committee, and he assists with other LSCA efforts including grants, milfoil control, Lake Wise, and the Lake St. Catherine Watershed Action Plan & Stormwater Master Plan. He is dedicated to the LSCA’s mission of the preservation, protection, and maintenance of Lake St. Catherine. He is happy to have joined the board of FOVLAP in 2022 to be able to work on behalf of all lakes and ponds in Vermont. Jerremy has lived full-time on Lake St. Catherine since 2017 with his wife Carrie, and their dog Boone.

Lake Dunmore

David Johnson – Treasurer

With a career as a research PhD physicist working at a DOE laboratory associated with Princeton University, Dave was privileged to work with skilled engineers and scientists focused on exploiting the potential of nuclear fusion as a practical power source for generating electricity. After developing an expertise in instrumentation in this field and working with colleagues around the world, he became a team leader, guiding a large project team developing instrumentation for an international fusion project called ITER, currently under construction in southern France. As he transitioned into retirement, he focused his attention on sustainability. For several years, he supported work to develop a Climate Action Plan for Princeton. He now enjoys working with volunteers in Vermont to preserve its Lakes and Ponds. In addition to serving as FOVLAP treasurer, he is VP for the Lake Dunmore Fern Lake Association, and a board member of the Addison County River Watch Conservancy.

Echo & Seymour Lakes

Tracey Shadday – Secretary

South Pond, Eden

Jerilyn “Jeri” Bergdahl 

Jeri and her husband, Dale, built a home on South Pond in Eden in 2004, although they had been recreating there since 1988.  Soon after, she became the voting representative for the association at FOVLAP meetings and served as the Vermont Invasive Patroller on the lake for 18 years. Jeri’s love of the outdoors and science led her to a succession of work experiences, first working as a medical technologist at the University of Minnesota hospital, then working on applied apple research at the University of Vermont and finally teaching high school advanced chemistry and biology.  Growing up on a dairy farm in Minnesota, Jeri holds a BS in medical technology from the University of Minnesota and two degrees from the University of Vermont; a MS in Plant and Soil Science and a MED in Curriculum Development. She is the conductor for three handbell ensembles, sings with Bella Voce Women’s Chorus, gardens, skies, hikes and enjoys lovely South Pond water activities.  She will, however, drop everything to enjoy time with her children and five grandchildren.

Lake Bomoseen

Lisa Beroud

Lisa lives in Los Angeles with her partner Bill Comstock and has been working (very slowly) on a restoration of the St. Mary’s Church on Lake Bomoseen, which she purchased in 2018. She has been spending time with family in Rutland and Lake Bomoseen since her teens and the area has become very special to her. Joining the Lake Bomoseen Association board in 2022 was an eye-opener to the many issues affecting lake health. She is motivated to learn more and to help FOVLAP improve the future health of Vermont’s lakes and watersheds.

Shadow Lake

Christine Cano

A lifelong Vermonter, Christine has spent every summer by two of the state’s clearest northern lakes. Her deep connection to these waters and commitment to conserving water quality and biodiverse freshwater ecosystems led her to become a long-time director of FOVLAP. A passionate wildlife advocate, she champions keystone species such as beavers and native Lake Trout, monitors Bald Eagles and loons, and was instrumental in establishing a successful loon nesting raft at Shadow Lake. As a director/member of the Shadow Lake Association, Christine managed its website, secured grants, educated the community on watershed and lake management and successfully advocated for stronger aquatic nuisance species laws. She was pivotal in developing and implementing a lake-wide strategic plan that eradicated Eurasian watermilfoil—a multi-year community effort that restored Shadow Lake. She credits this remarkable achievement to steadfast volunteers and the invaluable technical assistance of aquatic biologist Ann Bove. Christine now mentors other lake managers facing similar challenges. In recognition of her dedicated lake stewardship and volunteer work with FOVLAP, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources honored Christine with the 2022 Robert Arnold Award, which celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the care and protection of Vermont lakes. Through FOVLAP, she continues to network and build collaborations to advance the vital mission of safeguarding the state’s treasured lakes and ponds.

Lake Champlain

Kent Henderson

Dr. Kent E Henderson is the Board of Directors Chair for the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain (FNLC). After 43 years, he retired from dairy veterinary practice in northwestern Vermont and northeastern New York in 2017. His community service activities focus on FNLC, Watersheds United of Vermont, and FOVLAP board work, the Vermont Livestock Animal Handling Standards Committee (retired 2022), the Town of Georgia Conservation Commission (retired 2020), and the Georgia Industrial Development Corp. His recreational interests include maintenance of a self-created American Black Walnut grove and golf.

Harvey’s Lake

Jan Parsons

Jan Parsons has been captivated by lakes and ponds since early childhood when her family spent time at Skaneateles Lake, in upstate New York. Later, she spent summer vacations in Deerfield, NH, with frequent visits to pristine Pleasant Pond. Fast forward to the 1990’s when a trip to Harvey’s Lake in West Barnet brought back wonderful memories and a feeling of being home again. When the opportunity soon arose, Jan became a renter at Harvey’s and then a camp owner in 2004. Born in Syracuse, NY, Jan grew up in Malden MA and graduated from Colby College in ME, near the Belgrade Lakes. After earning an M.Ed from Boston College, her professional career was spent as a high school counselor and administrator in the Natick MA school system. She also taught as an adjunct professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston and at Boston University, retiring in 2013. Jan served for many years as a trustee of the Massachusetts School Counselor Association with a term as MASCA president in the 1990s. Jan’s personal career consisted of marriage, and raising two sons, both of whom appreciate the great outdoors. From 1988 to 2005, Jan was involved as a student, teacher and director of the New England School Counselor Practitioner Institute, (fondly known as NESCPI) at Lyndon State College, now Northern Vermont University. That was her introduction to the beautiful state of Vermont, Caledonia County and eventually Harvey’s Lake. Since 2011, Jan has been the Loon Monitor for Harvey’s Lake, as a volunteer for the Vermont Loon Conservation Project, run by the Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Vermont Fish and Wildlife. She became involved in kayaking the entire lake, channel, and adjacent stream and learning about its history as successful loon habitat. In 2014 Jan joined the board of trustees of the Lake Harvey Association, providing Loon Monitor reports to LHA membership, and has served as secretary of LHA since 2016. Jan attended her first FOVLAP Lake Seminar in June, 2019 and joined the FOVLAP board in September of 2019, the last in-person meeting at National Life before the pandemic arrived! She is especially interested in issues which affect the loon population as well as all native flora and fauna in, on and around our lakes. Jan appreciates the commitment and enthusiasm of her fellow board members to FOVLAP’s mission of protecting and enhancing Vermont’s public waters.

Lake Morey

Vince Pisegna

Vince, his wife Bobbi, and their family of three adult children, three grandchildren and three dogs have been on Lake Morey for almost 35 years. He has been a lawyer practicing with a law firm in downtown Boston for over 40 years, specializing in civil litigation. In addition to serving as managing partner of Krokidas & Bluestein, Vince was appointed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court as Chair of the Boar of Bar Overseers which regulates and disciplines the 60,000 lawyers practicing in Massachusetts. Vince has been a member of several boards and is currently a member of the boards of Greater Boston Legal Services, which provides civil legal services to those who cannot afford to hire a lawyer, and the Equalizer Institute which provides free legal services to start-up businesses which cannot afford a lawyer. Vince served as a board member of the Lake Morey Protective Association and, currently, is a member of the board of the Lake Morey Foundation.

Lake Dunmore 

Jeffrey Schumann

Jeff came to Vermont for the first time in 1973, visiting Lake Dunmore with his wife’s family. In 1987, Jeff & Joanie bought a cottage on the lake and in 2007 built their retirement house about 200 yards from the cottage. Jeff was a public school educator in Connecticut for 37 years in roles as a coach, teacher, assistant principal, principal, deputy superintendent and superintendent. He holds a BS and MS from the University of Rhode Island and earned a CAGS and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. He has served as the President of the Lake Dunmore/Fern Lake Association and currently serves as the Chair of the Otter Creek Watershed Insect Control District, on the Salisbury Developmental Review Board and Sugarbush Ambassador Advisory Council. Jeff competes in triathlons and enjoys woodworking, boating/sailing, skiing and killing time with his guitar and on the golf course. He and Joanie have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

Harvey’s Lake

Jackie Sprague

Jackie and her husband Sherm (Chip) bought their camp on Harvey’s Lake in 1982. (Sherm grew up on Harvey’s from the time he was one when his family spent two weeks each year there.) Beginning in 1983, Jackie and her daughters spent summers at Harvey. Jackie immediately became involved with Harvey’s Lake Association to learn more about the lake. One of the members invited her to attend an annual meeting of the Federation of Northern Vermont Lakes and Ponds. She immediately became actively involved in both. She initiated a Lake Protection Committee at Harvey’s Lake, and supported the joining of both the Southern and Northern Federations to become the statewide Federation of Vermont Lakes and Ponds in 2001. In 2006, Sherm and Jackie began building their year-round home on the lake. Jackie received her master’s degree from Norwich University and continues to take graduate classes on issues for young children. She held office as the president of the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children (VTAEYC) and represented Vermont in Washington, DC as well as president of Vermont Division of Early Childhood. Jackie continues to hold Vermont endorsements in Early Childhood Education (Birth to grade 3) and Early Childhood Special Education (Birth to Age 6). Upon “retirement,” she continues her passion of supporting young children’s social and emotional development through training and coaching in private and public schools and programs. Jackie also teaches graduate classes at Champlain College and undergraduate classes at CCV. Jackie loves the challenge of creating trainings and higher education classes! In her spare time, she is currently board Vice President of the Lake Harvey Association and represents Vermont at the New England Chapter of the North American Lake Management Society. She has held the office of President, Vice President and Secretary in both the Lake Harvey Association and FOVLAP. Her most precious moments are spending time with her granddaughters, especially on the water.

Northern Lake Champlain

Jay White

Jay grew up spending summers at his family’s property in North Hero, VT. He has watched the water quality in Lake Champlain deteriorate over the years. In the late 2000’s, he joined the PBRA (Partners In Bay Restoration Association) which mechanically harvests Eurasian watermilfoil in Pelots, Carry and several other bays in North Hero. Jay has served on the FOVLAP Board since 2018 and is a member of the legislative, membership, and nomination committees. He is an avid angler and boater.

Hazelton Pond

Richard “Rich” Williams

Fishing in Hazelton Pond with his great grandfather sparked Rich’s lifelong passion for aquatic ecosystems. Rich’s career path was inspired by discussions with Barry Commoner (the father of modern environmentalism and sustainability, and the author of The Closing Circle) while Rich was a graduate student at Washington University. Like Commoner, Rich believes in making scientific information accessible and useful to the public. Rich has a Ph.D. earned at the Univ. of Minnesota’s Limnological Research Center, a MA in molecular biology from Washington Univ., and a BA in Microbiology (UNH), as well as extensive experience in aquatic ecology; eutrophication/invasive species; risk assessment; wetland ecology; and sustainability. Rich facilitated an international team of 46 ecotoxicology and human health experts to determine whether the existing environmental risk assessment science was capable of detecting risks posed by bioactive pharmaceuticals being detected in surface waters. Rich discussed the draft findings with a US White House team composed of 8 agencies with water quality responsibilities. Rich was the Editor of the resulting book. Rich directed environmental risk assessment programs and was a member of the science and regulatory policy team at the world’s largest biomedical company. Green chemistry sustainability tools prevent hundreds of millions of pounds of water pollution annually. Rich co-founded and chaired a green chemistry team that won a US Presidential Green Chemistry Award for waste removing innovations in chemical synthesis. At the invitation of the Society of Toxicology, Society of Risk Analysis, and ACS, Rich described to the US Congress water contamination issues and the opportunities for pollution prevention presented by green chemistry methods.

Seymour Lake

Andy Barter

Seymour Lake

Bruce Barter

After a 31 year management career with several former Bell System companies (including New York Telephone, AT&T, Bell Laboratories, New England Telephone and NYNEX), Bruce is now fully enjoying life in retirement. He has spent summer vacations at Seymour Lake since childhood in a cottage bought by his parents in 1953. He and his wife, Peggy, now spend summers living at that cottage. He has been on the Seymour Lake Association (SLA) Board of Directors continuously since 2012 and membership secretary for the SLA continuously since 2008 (typically 370 +/- members). After attending several FOVLAP annual meetings for SLA he realized the value of FOVLAP as a coalition of lake associations and individuals throughout Vermont with the objective of preserving its lakes and ponds and decided to become involved with FOVLAP as well. He served on the FOVLAP Board of Directors from July, 2011 through July, 2012 and as FOVLAP Treasurer from July, 2012 through July, 2016.

Seymour Lake

Peggy Barter

Peggy and her husband, Bruce, have spent some time each summer since 1961 at their cottage on Seymour Lake, becoming five month residents after retirement. The five month limit is necessary because the water pipes are above ground. Before us, Bruce’s parents set the example of stewardship by their work with the lake community. Upon retirement both Wynne and Harold took on lake association tasks. Their friends included Dot and Mel Carter (who were among the founders of FOVLAP) and Seymour Lake’s first Lay Monitor, Bob Arnold (for whom the Robert Arnold Award is named). Both of our children and all the grandchildren have enjoyed time at the lake as they were introduced to it and have become stewards of the lake. For the past 23 years, it has been Peggy’s privilege to work alongside her family, lake neighbors and FOVLAP friends to steward Seymour Lake and all of Vermont’s lakes.

Lake Bomoseen

Liz Bird

Liz grew up in Rutland, Vermont, and Lake Bomoseen has been a part of her life here since early childhood. She, her husband, and three sons have been coming to the lake for over 30 years and have owned a home at the north end since 2006. Liz holds a BA degree in Film & Television from New York University and worked as a film editor for many years in New York and Los Angeles. She and her husband live in Northern & Southern California, and spend a large part of each year in Vermont, where they have extended family. As President of the Lake Bomoseen Association, Liz combines her lifelong connection to the area with her dedication to environmental advocacy, working to preserve the lake’s natural beauty and ecological health. Liz sees FOVLAP as an invaluable tool to Lake Associations, providing guidance in Aquatic Invasive Species control, offering excellent scientific references, and helping the layperson navigate the grant, lake-health, and legislative processes. She looks forward to working with FOVLAP as an Auxiliary board member.

Ann Bove

From 1987 to 2017, Ann worked as an aquatic biologist/environmental scientist for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation where her focus was aquatic plant inventories, and assisting natural resource partners and the public identify and manage aquatic plants and prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species. She was department lead on aquatic invasive species from 2002 until she left state government in 2017. To pass on what she learned during her state government career, Ann provides regional aquatic invasive species technical assistance to groups and individuals managing aquatic invasive species. When not in or on the water, in the woods, or searching or refurbishing vintage goods, Ann is an avid gardener and back country skiing enthusiast.

Lake Morey

Bruce Durgin

Bruce grew up as a summer resident on Shadow Lake in Glover at his grandparents cottage. To this day he has spent every birthday in Vermont. In 1962, his parents bought a cottage on Lake Morey in Fairlee. Following graduation from UVM IN 1967, he joined Eastman Kodak and spent 30 years in marketing positions in Atlanta, NYC, Dallas and Denver with Kodak. In 1967 with his retirement from Kodak, he joined Steelcase for 10 years in a like role covering the 16 Western states. Following that second retirement, he began spending five months at Lake Morey and became active with the Lake Morey Protective Assoc. as a Board Member and President. He also served as Board Member and President of the Lake Morey Foundation. While President of LMF, was instrumental in raising $425,000 to purchase a 420 acre parcel adjacent to the Lake Morey shoreline and saved it from forestry operations to protect the water quality. I also served on the FOVLAP Board and as an officer prior to joining the Auxiliary Board in 2019.

Averill Lakes

Susan Gresser

Susan lives in St. Johnsbury with her husband Stan since 1992 and it is where they raised out one son and multiple critters. But her roots to VT go back to the late 70’s and as the saying goes “I wasn’t born here but I got here as quick as I could.” They came to VT via MN after a long romance of canoe trips, that they continue to pursue throughout North America. They fell in love with Little Averill and purchased land there in 2006. She is a retired family practice physician. Currently, she serves as an officer on the Averill Lakes Association and has been involved in tributary testing on the lake for 2 years. She piloted a Greeter Program on Big Averill this past summer. Lake health and management is high on her list of priorities. She found out about FOVLAP via the association and hopes to help strengthen the work they do in supporting associations, educating the public and our politicians and advocating for the health of our inland lakes and ponds.

Lake Paran

Erin Labovitz

Lake Fairlee

David M. Roth

David M. Roth’s career has spanned the globe and included executive leadership roles in the private, public, diplomatic, academic, NGO and non-profit sectors. David co-founded and currently serves as CEO of The Wakaya Group, an organic agricultural enterprise with operations throughout the United States as well as Fiji, Tonga, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru and the United Kingdom. David and actor/musician Stevie Van Zandt co-founded Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary and Wicked Cool Spirits, for which David also provides day to day leadership. David and his wife Anita co-founded and operate Cary & Main Co., an organic, kosher and halal maple products producer in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. David makes maple syrup, is a drummer, a practicing magician and a sommelier certified by The Court of Master Sommeliers. David and his family live in St Johnsbury.

Seymour Lake

Beth Torpey

Beth has been coming to Seymour Lake since she was born and has been a full-time resident since 2009. Although she was born and brought up in NJ, she calls Seymour her “heart home”. Beth has pursued an over 40-year career as a scientist in the environmental field with experience in hazardous waste, stormwater management, water quality, safety, risk assessment and watershed management. She teaches various courses for the VT State College System, including Freshwater Ecology, Forest Ecology, Current Environmental Issues, The Natural History of Vermont and Science and Spirituality. She is a long-time member of the Quebec-Vermont Steering Committee, was appointed to the Memphremagog Study Advisory Committee for the US/Canada International Joint Commission on Boundary Waters (IJC), is a Director on the Connecticut River Joint Commission (CRJC) and sits on two Basin Water Quality Councils (BWQC), being the chair of the Memphremagog BWQC. In 1999, Beth wrote a grant during the first round of grant funding by VTDEC for Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) that was used as a model for other programs who wanted to start up Greeter Programs and invasive patrollers. She continues to work in AIS as the Program Manager for the Seymour Lake Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program and is also the Water Quality Planner for the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) as well as the Zoning Administrator for the Town of Morgan.

Lake Champlain

Deborah Miuccio