Root to Rise staff & Board
Stacey Doll, Executive Director
Stacey Doll is a permaculture educator and designer from Littleton, NH. Stacey has over 20 years of experience in land use, community, and sustainability planning work. She is a member of the American Planners Association as has been a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2004. Stacey has her Permaculture Design Certification, several advanced Permaculture Design Diplomas, and has taught Permaculture courses and workshops throughout the region for the past four years. She is currently an adjunct professor at Green Mountain College and a guest teacher at Colby Sawyer College teaching a variety of permaculture courses. Stacey also ran a successful yoga studio for over four years and still teaches yoga classes and mindfulness workshops there today.
Steve Whitman, Board President
Steven Whitman is a professional planner and educator based in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Steve's work is focused largely on community planning and sustainability issues through the lenses of resilience and ecological design. Steve is a certified permaculture teacher, and a contract faculty member at Plymouth State University. Steve frequently teaches courses in the US and internationally in environmental planning, community planning, and permaculture. Currently, Steve is completing doctoral work with a focus on municipal level understanding of ecosystem services and green infrastructure planning. He is a past board member for the Permaculture Association of the Northeast (PAN), and participates in a wide range of grassroots efforts that promote community resilience here in New Hampshire.
Audrey Crowe, Vice President
A Northern NH native, Audrey Crowe has operated a successful company, Audrey Crowe Landscapes, for the past 31 years, doing what she loves best: digging in the dirt! In addition, her son and daughter play an integral role in the company. She designs and creates gardens while striving to use native plants and organic materials when possible. As a Master Gardener and Certified Permaculture Designer, Audrey believes in educating her clients. She shares her gifts, curiosity and talents with her Garden Team, local Garden Clubs, her children, grandchildren and her community. Audrey holds a BA from Norwich University Adult Degree program in Eco-Psychology and continues to be a lifelong student holding numerous certificates from a variety of Environmental Studies and Landscape conferences. She donates her time and efforts to local organizations such as WREN, The Colonial Theatre, Bethlehem Summer Recreation Program (kids yoga), and Master Gardener Programs. During the winter season, Audrey is an avid xc ski instructor and coach. She teaches Children’s Yoga and Sit N Fit chair yoga.
Christine Frost, Board Treasurer
Christine Frost grew up and is continually influenced by rural Vermont and the gardens that her father found solace and productivity in cultivating. She is a lifelong learner who holds the frugality and public service of her parents as a foundation for work that she seeks out. Christine completed her Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) in the spring of 2016 which sparked an interest in ecological systems thinking and confirmed connections that were always present in past work. She is currently enrolled in a year-long international Permaculture Women’s Guild to receive a second PDC.
Christine Frost is currently the Program Director at Northern Border Regional Commission, a Federal-State partnership funding projects and programs in economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Previously, she was the Executive Director of North Country Council and the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) responsible for the oversight, management and execution of all programs and activities associated with the day-to-day and long-term functioning of the organization.
Christine has managed a great variety of projects, water and sewer infrastructure development, all-hazard and wildfire mitigation planning, natural resource planning, and economic development initiatives. She managed the financing and construction of the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center, a biotech business incubator that has been instrumental in creating over forty new businesses.
At UVLSRPC Christine investigated the geographic availability of healthy food options in relation to housing in an effort to recommend changes to local land use regulations that met local needs, improve community walkability, and induce positive public health outcomes. This project received funding in the inaugural round of the Federal Sustainable Communities Initiative Community Challenge Planning Grant Program.
Christine received a degree in Resource Economics from the University of Vermont, has taken numerous certification programs and courses in Economic Development and Regional Planning.
Christine Frost grew up and is continually influenced by rural Vermont and the gardens that her father found solace and productivity in cultivating. She is a lifelong learner who holds the frugality and public service of her parents as a foundation for work that she seeks out. Christine completed her Permaculture Design Certification (PDC) in the spring of 2016 which sparked an interest in ecological systems thinking and confirmed connections that were always present in past work. She is currently enrolled in a year-long international Permaculture Women’s Guild to receive a second PDC.
Christine Frost is currently the Program Director at Northern Border Regional Commission, a Federal-State partnership funding projects and programs in economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Previously, she was the Executive Director of North Country Council and the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC) responsible for the oversight, management and execution of all programs and activities associated with the day-to-day and long-term functioning of the organization.
Christine has managed a great variety of projects, water and sewer infrastructure development, all-hazard and wildfire mitigation planning, natural resource planning, and economic development initiatives. She managed the financing and construction of the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center, a biotech business incubator that has been instrumental in creating over forty new businesses.
At UVLSRPC Christine investigated the geographic availability of healthy food options in relation to housing in an effort to recommend changes to local land use regulations that met local needs, improve community walkability, and induce positive public health outcomes. This project received funding in the inaugural round of the Federal Sustainable Communities Initiative Community Challenge Planning Grant Program.
Christine received a degree in Resource Economics from the University of Vermont, has taken numerous certification programs and courses in Economic Development and Regional Planning.
Gal Potashnick - Board Secretary
Gal is a lover of the outdoors both for activity and pure lazing. She likes to get her hands in the dirt, has a passion for cooking and is always looking for new things to learn. She moved to Littleton in 2011 from Brooklyn, NY in pursuit of clean air and year-round adventure and found both and much more. She decided mission-driven community minded work was important to her and so found her way by a somewhat circuitous route her current position as the Outreach & Member Services Director at the Ammonoosuc Conservation Trust. She finds that she can express her passion for living in the North Country and serve her community more successfully through her work with ACT and is excited to strengthen that similar connections with Root to Rise. She was introduced to Root to Rise through a partnership with ACT and knew quickly she wanted to be part of an organization which makes it it's mission to serve all those in our community through nature and nurture. She has a background in marketing, photography and project management. Gal graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a BFA in Photographic Arts & Sciences. She lives in Dalton.
Jessica Williams, Board Member
Jessica Williams grew up in rural New Hampshire and currently lives in Littleton. She attended Keene State College where she received a BS in Elementary Education, a BA in Spanish, and a Special Education certification. She has been a public school teacher for the past 10 years. She has loved the outdoors her whole life. She enjoys biking, snowboarding, climbing and gardening. She is currently working toward her Permaculture Design Certification. She has participated in the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WOOF) program. She has also completed the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) New Hampshire training. Jessica continues to look for ways to be an active member of her community.
Jessica Williams grew up in rural New Hampshire and currently lives in Littleton. She attended Keene State College where she received a BS in Elementary Education, a BA in Spanish, and a Special Education certification. She has been a public school teacher for the past 10 years. She has loved the outdoors her whole life. She enjoys biking, snowboarding, climbing and gardening. She is currently working toward her Permaculture Design Certification. She has participated in the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WOOF) program. She has also completed the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) New Hampshire training. Jessica continues to look for ways to be an active member of her community.