President

Sarah Sallade (MS, MEd) is new to the area, but a native to New Hampshire’s White Mountains. She is passionate about nature and all it brings to people, from resources to adventures, education to joy. She appreciates nature as the grounding force for herself, her family and her business. Sarah is the owner of Growing Home, a new family business in Littleton focused on parent coaching and education consulting. She has a background in Natural Resources and Education, and has found her purpose in helping families to use a whole-child approach to education that includes nature and place based learning, Montessori principles and positive discipline techniques. Her husband Mike has a background in experiential and outdoor education, so together with their children, Fenton and Lena, they all share their passion in outdoor pursuits with family and friends old and new. Keep an eye out for them on the biking on the single track, hiking and climbing local mountains, paddling nearby lakes, and skiing backcountry glades.

Little known fact: Sarah, partnered with an old friend, won the North American Wife Carrying Championships in 2008 at Sunday River, ME and then traveled to Finland for the World Championships.

Vice President

Alex is a public defender. Earlier in his career, he worked as an assistant teacher in a San Francisco public school, and he has since served on the Parents' Association of a progressive elementary school in New York. A Woodland parent, Alex lives in Kirby, Vermont, with his wife and three children -- and their dog, a Pyrenees Lab mix. Alex enjoys skiing, sledding, and baking with his family, and playing tennis whenever he can.

Little known fact: In a former life, Alex was a speechwriter.

Treasurer

Sam grew up in Massachusetts and currently lives in Bethlehem with his wife Erin and daughter Lily. He is a passionate educator and an avid outdoor enthusiast - enjoying trail running, skiing, hiking, rock climbing, and snowshoeing. His first experiences in education came as an outdoor experiential educator, and he pivoted to the classroom in 2014. He has taught math, science, and robotics to students in grades 5-12, and is currently a data analyst for a national education non-profit. Sam serves as Treasurer and chairs the Finance Committee.

Little known fact: Sam owns (and can solve) over 20 different varieties of Rubik's cubes!

Secretary

Lily grew up in the White Mountains of NH where she developed a love for all things outdoors, eventually leading to a degree in Environmental Studies and Education from St. Lawrence University. She then spent her senior year of college telling people that she would be interested in becoming a teacher, but only if it was at a school "like this little school in Bethlehem called Woodland". Eventually, that script was shared with the right person, and she learned of a teacher position opening. Lily taught at Woodland from 2013-2017 where she was able to experience the power of nature and project-based learning for kiddos. After 4 wonderful years teaching, Lily and her husband Goose chased the snow to Bend, OR and she has since become a school-based and part time acute care Occupational Therapist.

Little known fact: When she is not adventuring with Aussie pup "Winston," Lily loves to throw pottery.

Christine Kelly grew up in New York's Hudson Valley. After receiving a dual BS degree in Political Science and Anthropology from the University of Vermont, she lived in Boston and San Francisco. She met her partner, Bruce Etter, while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and they now live in Bethlehem, NH with their two dogs. Christine is the Executive Director of The Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem.

Little known fact: Christine holds a first degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Amanda grew up in western Massachusetts where she found a passion for teaching environmental and experiential education during her undergraduate years. Following college, Amanda pursued many outdoor education teaching opportunities from the sandy dunes of Cape Cod to the tidal pools of the Puget Sound. She received her MS in Natural Resources from the University of Idaho and an Environmental Education certificate from the McCall Outdoor Science School. She is now the Associate Director of Programs at White Mountain Science, Inc. (WMSI) in Littleton. Outside of WMSI, Amanda enjoys all forms of photosynthesizing in the sunshine including hiking, XC skiing, rock climbing, and snowboarding. She’s also been known to love reading, spending time with cats, sending postcards, and performing in community theatre.

Little known fact: Amanda once played in a competitive roller hockey league.

Chris Strahler

Chris grew up in Southeast Michigan before discovering that he loved the mountains and always wanted to live in or near them. He is currently a Woodland parent and loves exploring the outdoors with his partner, Emily, and two children, Daniel and Julian. Chris has been an educator for his entire career and is currently teaching math and physics at the White Mountain School. He has also had amazing experiences leading trips and exploring nature with his students in Puerto Rico, the Swiss and Italian Alps, and now in the White Mountains. In Chris' free time he enjoys woodworking, especially creating mathematically inspired wooden earrings. He loves to hike, ski, bike, climb, play ultimate, dance, and curl (with the broom and heavy stones).

Little Known Fact: Chris competed in both ultimate frisbee and ballroom dancing during college.

Board Liaison/WCS Director

Jenny Johnson grew up on the seacoast exploring intricate shorelines by boat, and now makes new discoveries on her feet in the White Mountains as often as she can. She lives in Bethlehem with her farmer husband, Sam, and three children, Thatcher, Sylvie, and Adler. Jenny was a founding teacher at Woodland and is continually amazed by Woodland students' motivation, creativity, compassion, and depth at which they explore. Jenny is currently the school’s Director.

Little Known Fact: Back in the day, Jenny was a competitive, synchronized figure skater!