The Board of Directors
Eric Skovsted, Chair
Eric with his wife, Mary, owns and operates Joe’s Brook Farm in Barnet, which they founded in 2009 and is certified organic, and he is manager of the Littleton Farmers’ Market. Prior to farming, Eric worked at jobs ranging from carpenter to middle-school teacher to photographer. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Eric fell in love with Vermont (and Mary) while attending Middlebury College, where he received a degree in geography.
Richard F. Witt, Vice Chair
Rick was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Coral Gables, Florida. He attended Colgate University, served in the US Army and then graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Russian. An international business career followed, with a specialty in managing start-up and re-positioning ventures while living in Australasia, the Middle East, Africa and, following the breakup of the USSR in 1991, Russia and the former Soviet Republics. He was a Founder of a US non-profit concentrating in Russia, and serves as its Board President, and has been a Board Member of several other non-profits with US activities. While living overseas, Rick and his family purchased a home in Peacham, where they now reside.
Katy Smithy, Secretary
Katy grew up in St. Johnsbury. She graduated from Colgate University in 2003, earned her Master’s in Education/Human Development–with an emphasis on teaching diverse learners–from George Washington University in 2020, and she loves her job teaching ELL at St. Johnsbury Academy. Katy is a community volunteer and particularly treasures her role as a wish granter for Make-A-Wish Vermont. She enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, writing, yoga, and playing and watching sports. Katy and her husband have three sons and live in St. J.
Hannah Wigginton
Hannah is originally from Indiana but has also resided in Ohio, Argentina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Colorado. She arrived in the Northeast Kingdom 3 years ago and has really taken to the area and its people. In her job with the United States Department of Agriculture, Hannah works with farmers and landowners to address natural resource concerns on their land. She has been involved in the Saint Johnsbury Shambhala Center as well as the Center for Restorative Justice. Hannah spends the rest of her free time gardening, fixing things around her house, and exploring the trails in the area by foot or by bike.
Celia Jackmauh
Celia was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, grew up mostly in London, attended Brown University, and completed her education at the Art Institute of Boston, where she majored in Graphic Design. She joined the in-house Creative Department at Lotus Development Corporation, then one of the big three high-tech companies along with Microsoft and Apple, where she become Art Director, working on marketing plans and producing packaging, point of purchase displays, collateral materials, trade shows, and advertising. After 12 years, she left to raise her two sons, who graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy. Celia currently works at the Academy as a paraeducator, a job she loves. She is also part of the nonprofit Aruna Designs, which works with underprivileged widows in South India, importing and selling their handmade home goods in the US. She and her husband, Greg, live in Barnet.
Scott Davis
Scott Davis moved to St. Johnsbury in 2015 to become the development officer for the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum. He previously worked in educational fundraising for 21 years in Connecticut, at Quinnipiac University and the University of New Haven. Scott discovered a love of food while teaching English in Seoul, South Korea in the early 1990s.
Margaret Healey
Margaret Healey is a retired Foreign Service Officer. She worked for 25+ years for the U.S. Agency for International Development at U.S. Embassies in Asia and Africa as the chief administrative officer. She received a BA in sociology and an MBA in finance, both from Rutgers University, and is a certified management accountant. She supports the community with her work as a volunteer in a number of organizations in the Northeast Kingdom. She and her husband live in Saint Johnsbury.
Eli Emerson
Eli Emerson lives in St. Johnsbury with his wife, Lisa, and two children, Olivia and Jacob. He is an energy lawyer at the law firm of Primmer Piper Eggleston and Cramer, working out of Littleton, NH, and Burlington, VT. He was born in Brattleboro, VT, and attended the University of Vermont and Vermont Law School. He grew up very close to his grandmother who was from Felitto, Italy, and learned to love cooking with simple, fresh local ingredients. He cannot wait until there is a local food cooperative where he can continue this passion.