Main content

The Team

Hillary Bailey

Gleaning Manager

Born and raised in the Granite State, Hillary is thrilled to begin her adventure here in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Hillary has a BA in Post-Colonial Literature and Creative Writing from Keene State College. After college, she spent a year as a disaster relief specialist with AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps, and a second year as the Operations VISTA at the NH Food Bank. Her experiences with these AmeriCorps programs, combined with her upbringing on a small farm in central NH, brought her true passion to the forefront of her mind: the food system. Hillary has spent her professional life working on small farms and with non-profit organizations to build connections between food producers and those who are food insecure. She is excited to get to work here in Vermont, helping Salvation Farms build systems to connect farmers and food producers with the institutions and consumers who struggle with food access. When she is not working, Hillary can be found in her gardens, reading, or wandering around VT with her partner and their dog.

hillary@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Kelly Dolan

Executive Director

Dolan most recently worked as the Farm to Plate Network Manager for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. While there, she collaborated with food systems organizations to incorporate the goals and strategies contained in the Vermont Agriculture and Food System Strategic Plan 2021-2030 to their organization, local or regional community. Prior to Farm to Plate, Kelly led University of Vermont (UVM) Extension’s Migrant Education Program overseeing a statewide effort to support migrant farmworkers and their families. Her previous work includes community development as a Peace Corps Volunteer in both Guatemala and Panama. She holds a master’s degree in Community Development and Applied Economics and a secondary teaching license in World languages. Dolan has also enjoyed seasonal farm work at nurseries and diversified small farms and volunteering with other organizations, most recently as a board member and fundraising chair for the Vermont Mountain Biking Association. Learn more about Kelly on LinkedIn.

kelly@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Ciara Konhaus

Gleaning Coordinator Northeast Kingdom

Ciara grew up in the small coastal town of Elizabeth City, North Carolina and eventually made her way across the state to the Carolina mountains to attend Appalachian State University where she earned her BS in Sustainable Development and Agroecology. Since graduating, she’s worked on several small organic vegetable farms and served two terms as an AmeriCorps member. One term as an Agricultural Education Capacity Building VISTA in Virginia and one term as a Farm to School Coordinator here in Vermont. Having now fallen in love with Vermont, Ciara is looking forward to putting down roots and getting to work with Salvation Farms to better serve the local food system and build community around food. In her free time, Ciara enjoys playing the piano, hiking, and reading any good books you can recommend.

ciara@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Jessa Gebbie

Community Relations Coordinator

Jessa is a graduate of Michigan State University with degrees in Comparative Cultures and Politics and Chinese. Moving to Vermont is an exciting change from the Great Lakes State. After living in a housing cooperative for one year of college, Jessa became interested in cooking for large groups of people with local foods, and the benefits of community gardening. She loves to dance and getting people moving and grooving. Jessa is looking forward to getting to know Vermont by spending a lot of time outside!

jessa@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Jennifer Hagen

Administrative Manager

Jen grew up in the small town of Abington, Massachusetts and earned a BA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance at Bryant University. She started a career as an accountant for TJX Corp. and then worked for Petco as an analyst. Although Jen loved working with numbers and data, she always had a strong pull towards the creative arts. When she moved to Fort Myers, Florida she switched gears and started her own small art business and worked for a boutique on Sanibel Island creating art with natural materials. This led her to teaching art and craft classes and eventually going back to school to get certified to teach art. After teaching at an elementary school for five years, Jen had to face the fight of her life as she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thankfully, she fought and beat cancer and decided to make a fresh start with her husband Jeff in the beautiful state of Vermont. As part of this new phase of life, Jen chose to look at food not just as sustenance but also as medicine and adopted a whole food plant-based lifestyle. When searching for a job she found Salvation Farms’ mission and its work resulting in improving the health of Vermonters by making fresh produce more accessible and affordable to be near and dear to her heart. When she’s not working, Jen enjoys nature walks, doing anything creative, running, yoga and cooking delicious vegan meals.

jennifer@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Megan Hartigan

Lamoille Valley Gleaning Coordinator

Megan joins Salvation Farms with an extensive background in community collaboration, education and farming (both vegetables and flowers!). She has worked as a Farm to School Educator in both NH and VT and is thrilled to continue those experiences with Salvation Farms. She is dedicated to the Lamoille Valley and creating a more equitable and accessible food system for everyone. She enjoys being active outdoors in every season, reading, traveling, yoga and nurturing her creative side with floral installations.

meganh@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Martha Machia

Vermont Commodity Manager

Martha is a life-long Vermonter, following the tradition of 6 previous generations of her family setting down roots in the Green Mountains. She is passionate about the pastry arts, preservation of the beautiful Lamoille Valley, and the act of eating good food. Martha attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY and graduated with a degree in Pastry Arts. She has practiced her craft in many local restaurants, large scale organic bakeries and corner cafes. Martha is excited to shift gears from pastry baking to get involved in the local community and the strengthening of the food system in the Northeast through her work with Salvation Farms. When she’s not working, Martha enjoys gardening, hiking on the Long Trail, and exploring the many lakes and ponds in the North East Kingdom with her partner and their pup, Libby.

martha@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360


Tony Risitano

Clearinghouse Director

Born and raised in the Boston area, Tony moved to Vermont in 1999 (in the midst of an epic blizzard) and hasn’t looked back. After graduating from Johnson State College with BAs in both Business Management and Performing Arts he found his true passion working within Vermont’s agricultural community. Tony spent several years at High Mowing Organic Seeds in operations-based positions, and then worked as the Sales Manager at Deep Root Organic Cooperative, where he got to “see the seeds after they’d all grown up”. His most recent position was at Ingredient Connection, a Vermont-based bulk ingredient supplier, where he got to explore the workings of the global food supply chain. Tony believes that strong localized food systems can be foundationally beneficial to the communities in which they are based and which they serve, and is excited to work with Salvation Farms to help further their goals of building increased resiliency in Vermont’s food system. Outside of work Tony enjoys all things snowshoeing, hiking the backwoods of Vermont, and playing the upright bass. He lives in Wolcott with his wife Kelli and their dog Winston.  

tony@ salvationfarms.org
802-888-4360