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 Deputy Director of the Dartmouth-American University of Kuwait program at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
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 5 Years and then as the Executive Director for 1 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
retired engineer and executive residing in Hanover. Over a 25-year corporate career, he held diverse engineering and leadership roles at General Electric, Magna International, and Graham Packaging. Following his corporate tenure, Andrew dedicated ten years to higher education, serving in academic and leadership positions at Dartmouth College and Harvard Business School.
An avid woodworker, Andrew continually hones his craft in his workshop, creating both fine projects and plenty of sawdust. When not in his shop, he and his wife, Anne, enjoy traveling and exploring hiking trails across Europe.
Andrew is deeply committed to community service, having served as Executive Director and board member for Habitat for Humanity. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the Tuck School of Business. His passion for volunteering drives his ongoing efforts to support others in times of need.
Board Member
Sarah H. Nunan
Managing Partner of Vitt & Nunan, a corporate and employment litigation firm based in Norwich, Vermont. With over eighteen years at the firm, she brings deep expertise in managing complex litigation, including the investigation and coordination of witnesses, discovery strategy, mediation, and trial preparation.
Sarah’s practice spans a wide range of corporate and employment disputes, but her most meaningful work has been her steadfast advocacy for individuals with disabilities in both employment and higher education settings. Her commitment to ensuring equitable treatment and access reflects the values at the core of her legal practice.
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
MBA candidate at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where she is focused on investment research and asset management. She is currently serving as an equity research intern at Thornburg Investment Management.
Prior to Tuck, Kate was an Investment Officer at the Wallace Foundation, where she spent three years contributing to the strategic oversight and performance of a multi-asset class portfolio. She began her career as an Investment Analyst at VCU Investment Management Company, where she supported manager selection, portfolio analytics, and investment due diligence.
Kate earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and is a CFA charterholder.
Outside of her professional pursuits, Kate is an avid runner, tennis player, and skier. She also enjoys spending time with her orange polydactyl cat, Koi.