OHF Quarterly Newsletter
Hi everyone!
There has been a lot going on here at Ottauquechee Health Foundation! I started February 27th and our Annual Meeting was held on March 30th. This will be a shorter newsletter than you may be used to, but I wanted to catch everyone up to speed!
My name is Hali Robinson, and I am the new Executive Director at OHF. I’m very excited to be here! I grew up in Woodstock, Pomfret, and Barnard. You may even recognize me from working at Teago (starting at the age of 11!), Barnard General Store, and Woodstock Farmers Market. I returned to Woodstock immediately after college and began an internship with the Student Conservation Association in Water Inventory & Monitoring with the National Park Service’s Northeast Temperate Network at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller. There I realized, as much as I enjoy the environment, I had had enough of ticks, eels, watersnakes, and trying to keep one step ahead of oncoming thunderstorms while carrying a metal pole (used to measure water discharge). I pivoted and started working in healthcare; I worked in dentistry, optometry, and various positions in cancer research. During that time, I pursued my Master’s degree in Public Health. I completed my practical experience with the New Hampshire Birth Cohort study (NH Birth Cohort Study Link). Most recently, I worked as an epidemiologist for the Vermont Department of Health on the COVID-19 response team. During that time, I became Certified in Public Health, which requires me to stay current in public health issues by completing 50 credits of education every 2 years. My husband, Jake, and I are raising our 8-month-old son, Knox, in Woodstock. With all that being said, I bring a public health perspective and lived experience—from my own childhood through raising a family in this community—to this new role.
Thanks to my public health background, I know from experience and greatly value the importance of input from stakeholders—trustees, members, community members, donors, employees, and most importantly, the recipients of our grants. I want to connect with a wide variety of individuals who are involved with OHF so we can better serve the community. I am also hoping to engage members in new ways. If you are interested in volunteering your time, we do have some opportunities!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out,
Hali Robinson
Executive Director
director@ohfvt.org
I bumped into Alisa Fritzhand, one of our members, at the Billings Farm Baby Animal Farm Celebration and she snapped this photo. Thanks, Alisa!
What Else is New at OHF?
We have updated our Good Neighbor Grant Application. A big thank you to Beth and our Grants Committee for their work on this. We are phasing out the old application; applicants may still use the previous version. The application can be found outside our door (on the left side of the building) at 30 Pleasant Street. It is also available on our website (GNG Link).
We have walk-in office hours!
In addition to our office phone, we have work cell phones. Don’t feel like calling? You can text us!
Beth: 802.547.3752
Hali: 802.359.3932
What is OHF? What is a Member?
Our members vary in their knowledge of OHF. Some have extensive knowledge (prior executive directors, interim executive directors, and trustees) and each year we nominate new members. I want to take the time this year for the newsletter—as I am learning my role and learning A LOT about OHF—to go back to the basics. In the next 3 newsletters, we’re going to go back to square one of OHF.
Annual Meeting
We said “thank you” and “see you!” to our Board President Mary Young-Breuleux, Governance Committee Chair Josh Roylance, and Grants Chair Rebecca Nash. We hope they will continue to be involved in OHF in the future. We welcomed Vali Stuntz and Katie Burke as new trustees (I’ll give each of them a spotlight in future newsletters).
Here are the links for the Annual Report (Annual Report Link here) and slides from the Annual Meeting slides (Annual Meeting slides here). If you would like to save some paper and postage next year, please let me know if you would like to receive this electronically in the future instead of a hard copy.
Health and Wellness Carnival
The Windsor Central Supervisory Union is having a carnival-themed Health and Wellness Fair at the Union Arena in Woodstock on Saturday, April 22, from 10am to 2pm. OHF will be hosting a booth with a fun game. Come see us!