The Board:
Our board of directors consists of a diverse and motivated group of women committed to the success and vibrancy of girls in our community. Their wide range of expertise is instrumental in achieving the overall goals of GEMS.
Kara Merrill
Kara is in her 10th year as a school counselor at Randolph Union High School. She has been involved with GEMS since its infancy. Kara is a firm believer in the power of summer programming from her years as both a camper and counselor at Lotus Lake Summer Camp in Williamstown, VT. Kara loves the Randolph community and her work at the high school. She is one of the first people to get to know students as 7th graders and remains in touch right up until she helps them work on their post-secondary planning, RU has been an amazing place for Kara to begin her school counseling practice, and GEMS is a way to be involved in the greater community. Kara lives with her husband and two small children in Warren, VT. Kara and her family spend lots of time skiing, hiking, swimming and just enjoying the outdoors.
Katie Jickling
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Katie founded GEMS in 2012 and has served on the board since 2017. She has worked as a journalist at half a dozen Vermont news organizations, and is currentlypursuing a Master's in Theology at KU Leuven in Belgium.
Marya Merriam
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Marya started as a co-director of GEMS and a counselor in 2014. She graduated from Randolph Union and Columbia University and now works at Strafford Creamery.