This summer we’ve welcomed two new staff members in CE – Megan Brakeley (on the right) our new Assistant Director, and Elle Bacon (on the left), our SerVermont Americorps Vista member for 2015-2016.

We’re so excited to have them both in the office!

Megan grew up in Birmingham, AL, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, PA. After graduating from Middlebury in 2006 with a degree in Spanish and a minor in Environmental Studies, she worked as a farmer and youth educator in a number of locations (Adirondacks, Oregon, Southern VT) and roles (Spanish and ES teacher, Associate Academic Dean, farm owner/operator, ski instructor). She is excited to be joining CE after earning a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, where she worked on connecting youth education, food systems, water resource management, and spatial analysis.

Megan is working with CE to advise youth programs and mentoring and to manage Communications for the office. She looks forward to working with students to continue to develop youth and mentoring programs, as well as students’ own capacities to be effective and compassionate—and have fun– in the work they do!

Elle is from Wilmington, DE, but just recently followed her parents to Hartford, CT. In May of 2015, she graduated from the College of Wooster with a degree in Religious Studies, and a minor in Sociology. Her most cherished moments as a student include being an integral member of a volunteer-based intentional living community, learning to play rugby while in Scotland during the fall of 2012, and completing her senior thesis, which discusses issues around health care.

Elle is collaborating with students and the CE office to enhance already existing service-learning programs, such as Privilege & Poverty, and identifying service opportunities between students, faculty, and the community. Elle is excited to become a part of the Middlebury community and to help generate interest in issues of poverty alleviation.