Meet Our Board
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
President
Kerry Laufer
Kerry Laufer is a higher education administrator with over twenty years of experience in strategic planning, consulting project management, business development, international education, and experiential learning design and delivery. She is currently Acting Executive Director of the Dartmouth-American University of Kuwait program at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Kerry joined the Board in August 2021 and has been Board President since October 2022
Vice President
Joseph Deffner
Joseph Deffner works at Thetford Academy, an independent school which serves as the public school for Thetford, Vermont and surrounding communities. Joe has been on the faculty and coaching staff there as an English/social studies teacher and cross-country coach since 1994. His past teaching lives include working in Kenya as a Peace Corps volunteer, in inner-city schools as a substitute teacher, in a residential school for students with learning disabilities in Massachusetts, and in Fukuoka, Japan (2011-2012) during a sabbatical year as a part of the community of Fukuoka International School (FIS).
Treasurer
Thomas Hudson, CFA
Thomas Hudson, CFA joined Ledyard Financial Advisors in 2023 as a Senior Portfolio Manager and Investment
Strategist Tom has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. His primary
responsibilities include investing client portfolios and working with clients to help them meet their
objectives. He also helps develop investment strategy for Ledyard including asset allocation, manager
diligence research, security analysis and client communications.
Secretary
Nate Hill
Nate Hill has worked as a banker for many years and is currently an AVP Branch Manager at Rockland Trust. Nate brings vast institutional knowledge to the board, having worked at Maynard House as a Resident Manager for five Years and then as the Executive Director for one year. Nate has served in many leadership roles with numerous nonprofit boards, ranging from a volunteer to a member of the Executive Committee.
Board Member
Andrew Grimson
Andrew Grimson is a retired engineer and executive living in Hanover. He spent 25 years in engineering and leadership roles at GE, Magna International, and Graham Packaging, followed by a decade in academic and leadership positions at Dartmouth and Harvard Business School. A dedicated community volunteer, he has served as Executive Director and board member for Habitat for Humanity. Andrew holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Tuck. He enjoys woodworking, travel, and hiking with his wife, Anne.
Board Member
Sarah H. Nunan
Sarah Nunan is a managing partner at Vitt & Nunan, a Norwich-based law firm specializing in corporate and employment litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, she handles everything from complex investigations to trial prep. Sarah is especially passionate about advocating for people with disabilities in the workplace and in education—work that reflects her deep commitment to fairness and inclusion.
Board Member
Margot Stephens, M.D.
Margot Stephens, MD is a Board-Certified Family Physician who has lived in the area for 26 years. She is in the primary care practice at Alice Peck Day Hospital where she enjoys delivering care to all ages. She is on the Peer Review Committee and the Provider Operations Council at the hospital and participates in teaching medical and nurse practitioner students on their clinical rotations. She was previously on the Maternal and Infant Care Committee at APD, and also on the same committee at Springfield Hospital where she was a staff physician prior to coming to APD. She was also a founding physician of Family Medicine Associates in Worcester MA just after completing her residency at U Mass Medical Center and before the family moved to Vermont.
Board Member
Patty McIlvaine
Director of Advancement at Thetford Academy, where she has led the school’s fundraising and communications efforts since 2015. Before joining Thetford Academy, Patty contributed to development communications, annual giving, and grant writing at Vermont Law School.
In addition to her professional work, Patty is a dedicated peer navigator with FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) and volunteers as a coach for Girls On the Run in her hometown of South Royalton. She is a graduate of Vital Communities’ Leadership Upper Valley program, class of 2024.
In her free time, Patty enjoys hiking with her dogs and spending quality time with her husband and college-aged son.
Non-Voting Board Member
Kate Schlinke
Kate is an MBA candidate at the Tuck School of Business, focusing on investment research and asset management. She’s currently an equity research intern at Thornburg Investment Management. Before Tuck, she was an Investment Officer at the Wallace Foundation and began her career as an analyst at VCU Investment Management Company. A CFA charterholder, Kate holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Richmond. In her free time, she enjoys running, tennis, skiing, and hanging out with her polydactyl cat, Koi.