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Heidi Nortonsmith, Executive DirectorI was delighted to join the NSC as Executive Director in May 2004, having previously been a program manager at a national non-profit, the director of operations at a fast-paced socially-responsible local business, and a public interest lawyer serving the deaf community in the Washington, DC area. My spouse, Gina, and I live in Northampton with our two sons, Avery and Quinn, and are active in the Northampton Quaker Meeting. |
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Sarah Pease, Program DirectorI began volunteering at the NSC in 2000 and was immediately hooked on the place, so it was truly a blessing to become the Program Director in March of 2008. Previously, I have done administrative work for educational and social service organizations and worked as a computer programmer and a math teacher. Although I spent 11 years of my childhood as a corn-fed Iowa girl, I have lived in this area for more than 20 years and feel blessed to call Northampton my home. When I am not at the NSC, I enjoy doing origami and singing a capella music. |
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Diane Meehan, Hilltown Pantry DirectorI live in Worthington with my husband and our two children who are in college. I have worked for the Hilltown Food Pantry for over ten years with a group of very dedicated volunteers. In 2005 the pantry needed to find a new parent agency in order to keep operating. The Northampton Survival Center took on that role with enthusiasm and commitment, and now the pantry is stronger than ever. The staff at the Center have been very supportive and a pleasure to work with. I feel very fortunate to be part of a staff that approaches their work with great compassion and good humor. |
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Maria Jimenez, Staff AssistantI have been at the Northampton Survival Center since 1989. I like working with people. I had been working here as a volunteer for many years and I’m so glad it paid off because now I have a good job and best of all is that I like (or better yet – love) what I do. |
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Marie L. Muir, Office ManagerI grew up in Vermont, and have enjoyed living in the Pioneer Valley since moving to South Hadley in 2004 to attend Mount Holyoke College. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology, I’m very passionate about issues surrounding food security, food advocacy/access, and nutrition. As an avid birder and outdoors-woman, I enjoy biking, hiking, photography and gardening during my spare time. I feel energized to be part of an organization that fulfills such a vital role for community members of Hampshire county who are in need. |
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Lynne Saner, Volunteer CoordinatorI was a singer-songwriter based out of Boston for a decade before returning to the valley in 1995. I worked in publishing for several years, but longed for work more deeply rooted in my community. When I joined the NSC staff in February 2010, it felt like coming home. Not only did the NSC community welcome me, but the Center itself is located a stone’s throw from my childhood home. I’m daily filled with gratitude for the generosity of the NSC volunteer community. I live in Florence with my husband, Stephen, and our children, Amelia and Aidan. |
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Kristen Stake, Donor Relations CoordinatorI moved to Western Mass in 2009. Before that, I lived in Portland, Maine for about ten years where I was a Grant Writer and Fundraising Events Manager for the Girl Scouts of Maine, having previously worked at a National Program Office of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Most recently, I hosted events and managed the office at Earthdance, a nonprofit dance retreat center located in the Hilltowns. I am thrilled to be a part of the great team at the Northampton Survival Center and am proud to support its mission! I am also happy to say that I live in Easthampton where I am completing massage training. In addition to bodywork, I also practice Contact Improvisation (a form of contemporary dance), write poetry, and enjoy incorporating creativity into everything that I do. |
Northampton Survival Center» Staff
