Newsroom

The VLT team is growing!

5 Min Read
November 22, 2023

New staff welcomed

Clarice Cutler, Evan Foster, Maria Brosseau, and Mead Binhammer joined the Vermont Land Trust.

Clarice Cutler to advance farm conservation in central VT and NEK

Clarice Cutler has joined VLT as Project Director for central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom. Her prior experiences include roles focused on water quality and agriculture at the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, and at the Vermont Association of Conservation Districts.

At VLT, Clarice will be working with farmers on new conservation projects and helping to steward lands that have already been conserved.

“In 2016 and 2017 I served as the Assessment and Planning Assistant at VLT through the ECO AmeriCorps program and I’m thrilled to be back,” said Clarice. “I always imagined I’d return to VLT. The mission is close to my heart.”

Evan Foster to serve as Lands Coordinator

Evan Foster graduated from the University of Vermont in 2020, and served an ECO AmeriCorps term with the land trust in 2021-22. He joined VLT full-time as Lands Coordinator in October 2023. He will be focused on creating and maintaining systems for managing lands VLT owns, many of which are open to the public, as well as the organization’s restoration and forest management programs.

Evan lives in Burlington and enjoys skiing in the mountains in winter and rock climbing throughout Vermont in the summer.

“Having spent much of my childhood and adult life in the outdoors,” Evan said, “I feel extremely connected with the natural world. This connection has inspired me to dedicate my professional life towards protecting and conserving land within Vermont.”

Maria Brosseau joins as Legal Project Manager

Maria Brosseau joined VLT as Legal Project Manager for conservation projects, bringing skills and experience from her last position at a Burlington law firm. She will be working closely with landowners, communities and VLT staff on the legal aspects of land conservation throughout the Northeast Kingdom and Orange and Bennington counties.

Born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom, Maria moved to Burlington after her graduation from Northern Vermont University-Johnson.

“I have seen firsthand VLT’s commitment to conserving the land,” said Maria, “and their impact in preserving the agricultural and community traditions important to so many. It is at this intersection of Vermont’s landscapes and Vermont’s people that I find myself most inspired.”

Mead Binhammer to further conservation in central Vermont

With a background in land stewardship and wildlife biology, Mead Binhammer has previously worked at the Trustees of Reservations in Massachusetts, the National Park Service and Buzzards Bay Coalition, a regional Massachusetts land trust. As a Project Director at VLT, he will be working on new conservation projects as well as stewardship of protected lands in central Vermont, with a special focus on the Mad River Valley.

He grew up in Brookfield, Vermont, attended Randolph Union High School, and graduated from Union College with a degree in Environmental Science.

Mead said: “I’m thrilled to return to the state to carry out VLT’s mission in the central Vermont towns that gave rise to my ardor for the outdoors and passion for conserving these important landscapes.”

Long-time staff members advance to new roles in conservation and stewardship

Congratulations Cara Montgomery and Britt Haselton!

Cara Montgomery is new Stewardship Director

Since joining VLT in 2007, Cara has held many roles within the organization and seen first-hand the role conservation can play in securing the future of Vermont’s important agricultural and forest resources. She grew up on a fruit and vegetable farm, and remains passionate about farming and food systems.

Cara now serves as a stewardship leader within VLT, developing policies to govern the ongoing protection of conserved land and supporting stewardship staff statewide in their work. When not at work, she is out skiing, hiking, biking, and gardening, exploring Vermont’s mountains and lakes with her husband and son, or playing a game of pick-up soccer with friends.

“Conserving and stewarding our farms and forests forever is a big responsibility. I’m looking forward to deepening our work to be more in tune to the needs of conserved lands and the people who manage them, and help achieve better outcomes.”

Britt Haselton becomes Conservation Director

Britt has worked closely with farmers and partners on conservation and restoration projects in Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom as VLT Project Director. He joined our team in 2012, after working on a variety of conservation science and land protection projects in Vermont and New York.

In fall 2023, Britt stepped into the position of Conservation Director. He now helps lead our easement conservation work in terms of policy and external relations, as well as providing support for our Project Directors and others on the Land Protection team. He lives in Bolton with his wife and two kids.

“VLT has an incredible team of people who are passionate about Vermont’s varied landscapes and communities, and we are fortunate to have the support and partnership of many individuals and organizations who share this passion. As Conservation Director, I am excited to work with landowners, communities, partners, and colleagues across the state—particularly groups and communities that historically have been underserved by land conservation efforts.”