BOARD OF DIRECTORS
KELLY LEVIS
Chair
Residing in the New North End, Kelly has spent her career immersed in marketing leadership, bringing media, analytics, and brand projects to life. Currently leading a cross functional team at a global media agency, Kelly brings depth in collaboration and strategic planning to the board. She holds a bachelors in Psychology and feels grateful to support the creative energy and mission of all things ONE Arts.
HILARY LINDER Secretary
Hilary Linder combines her knowledge in the fields of international development and humanitarian relief with her passion for non-fiction storytelling as the founder of Kudzu Films, a production company dedicated to spreading social justice through film. She directed and produced Indivisible, a Peabody Award-winning film about the fight to reunite families separated by deportation.
Previously, Hilary monitored humanitarian emergencies for USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and served as a Program Manager at the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund managing projects aimed at promoting job growth and sustainable economic development. Hilary holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She lives in Vermont with her family.
JEFF KELLAR
Treasurer
Jeff Kellar is the Director of Finance and Controller at VSAC. A graduate of St. Michael’s College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Jeff holds an active CPA license. He began his career at RSM in 1999, specializing in auditing non-profit clients, before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2005 to audit insurance and financial service clients, including a major publicly traded bank in Burlington, Vermont.
Jeff brings extensive expertise in internal controls, including audits subject to Sarbanes-Oxley. He spent over a decade as an auditor at the Vermont State Auditor’s Office, assessing government programs and systems such as tax collection, payments, liquor distribution, and tax increment financing districts.
From 2017 to 2023, Jeff served as Controller at Vermont College of Fine Arts, leading a five-person team. He overhauled processes, systems, and controls, achieving a spotless audit record and significantly improving efficiency. Jeff also developed advanced financial forecasting models to support strategic decision-making by the College’s leadership.
Jeff lives in Richmond, Vermont, with his wife and daughter. In his free time, he enjoys camping, skiing, golfing, cooking, and watching movies with his family.
community advisory panel
ANDREA AQUINO
Community Advisory Panel
Andrea (she/her) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Vermont in 2015. She is an avid reader, baker, seamstress, knitter, and dabbler in a million other things. She lives in Burlington with her husband, cat, and two children.
EURYDICE ABOAGYE
Community Advisory Panel
Eurydice Aboagye is a fourth year PhD student in the Food systems program at the University of Vermont. She specializes in food safety and is passionate about making scientific information and science education accessible and comprehensible to everyone. This is why she is excited to partner and serve with One Arts in developing and exciting the curiosity of our children. Eurydice is a mother to a passionate preschooler and the one arts community which is more like a family ensured that she found a place and a community when she first moved to Vermont with her infant daughter.
MOLLY RITVO
Community Advisory Panel
Molly Ritvo has been writing for her whole life, beginning when she was selected as the class poet in the 1st grade. With an MFA in creative writing, Molly works as a writer and grant-writer in Burlington, VT, and also serves as a communications & fundraising consultant specializing in annual appeals, newsletters, print publications, and grant proposals and reports. Her clients include nonprofits in the arts and social justice. She is a proud mother of a 1st grader & is humbled and grateful to support the growth of One Arts.
SANDRA NNADI
Community Advisory Panel
Sandra Nnadi is a Phd student studying Plant Biology at the University of Vermont. She is from Nigeria in West Africa and has a lovely 8 year old son on the Autism spectrum.
Sandra enjoys cooking, painting and sewing. She is currently a family partner with Children with Special Health Needs (CSHN) and a Co-chair, UVMMC Multilingual Patient Family Advisory Council.
leadership team
MARGARET COLEMAN
Co-President and Chief Ideation Officer
she/her
Margaret Coleman received her BFA from the University of MN in 2005, her MFA from Pratt Institute in 2009, and her Doctorate from the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts in 2023. She has held many roles in the arts and arts education, including exhibiting her work, curation, teaching all ages, and arts administration. She served as Co-Founder of the Visitor Center Artist Camp (2009-2016), the Executive Director and Co-founder of art collective, Art Shape Mammoth (2009-2019), and as the Executive Director of the T.W. Wood Gallery (2019-2023). She is one of the co-founders of ONE Arts, forming it with Co-President and Co-Founder Becca McHale in 2013, after her move from Brooklyn to Vermont. Dr. Coleman is passionate about making creative practice accessible and giving young people tools to shape the future and push the boundaries of what is possible. She lives in Burlington, VT with her husband, three young children and their dog.
BECCA MCHALE
Co-President and Chief Compassion Cultivator
she/her
Becca McHale received her BFA from St Mary's College of MD in 2000 shortly before moving to Vermont with intentions of creating a family and a life enriched with the arts. Becca worked as a graphic designer for 11 years and ran her own business before joining forces with Margaret Coleman to create ONE Arts in 2013, when they opened the ONE Arts Center, their first location that offered after school art classes and camps for elementary school students. Becca enjoyed managing the programming and teaching there for 9 years, before ONE Arts became a non-profit and expanded, opening 2 early learning centers in 2021. Becca still enjoys making art with folks as much as possible and cares deeply for our community and giving people of all ages opportunities to explore creative expression. She lives in the Old North End of Burlington with her husband, 2 children, and 2 dogs.
BOBBY RILEY
Senior Director of Education
Bobby Riley brings over two decades of experience as a school leader, educator, and community builder, grounded in heart-centered, trauma-informed approach to learning and leadership. After 24 years in the Burlington School District, including 17 years as a principal, he joins ONE Arts inspired by its committment to the whole child, creativity, and educator wellbeing.
Most recently, Bobby served as Principal of Eagle Bay Academy, where he led a successful program merger, expanded restorative practices, and strengthened community based learning. He is a nationally recognized leader and was named Vermont High School Principal of the Year (2025). Bobby is also an author, musician, and passionate advocate for schools as spaces where people feel seen, supported, and valued.
DIDI HARRIS
Associate Director of Early Childhood Education & Program Quality
Didi Harris is an experienced early childhood education leader with more than three decades of experience in program administration, workforce development, and systems-level collaboration. She most recently served as Senior Programs Manager at Let’s Grow Kids, where she spent 14 years designing and implementing statewide initiatives to improve child care quality, expand access, and strengthen professional development pathways for educators. Her work included launching mentoring and workforce programs, managing grants, partnering with employers on child care solutions, and collaborating with community, philanthropic, and policy stakeholders across Vermont.
Earlier in her career, Didi spent 20 years at the Greater Burlington YMCA, advancing from classroom teacher to Director of Early Childhood Programs, where she oversaw multi-site programs, led staff recruitment and development, managed budgets and grants, and maintained high standards of quality and accreditation. She holds a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education Administration and Leadership from Champlain College and is deeply committed to equity of access to high-quality child care and to advancing early childhood education as a respected, well-supported profession. She is excited to bring her experience and collaborative approach to ONE Arts Community Schools.
MELANIE DUBE
Operations Director
Melanie brings over 12 years of experience in early childhood education, with a strong background in both teaching and program leadership. She holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and Business, and has spent more than six years in director and administrative roles within early learning centers.
Melanie is passionate about building strong community connections and creating supportive, enriching environments for children, families, and educators. Her leadership focuses on collaboration, quality improvement, and ensuring that every child and family feels valued and included. She believes deeply in the power of early education to strengthen communities and inspire lifelong learning.
DAYLE SARGEANT
Director
ONE Arts Community School Burlington
I am a born and raised Vermonter who has been working in early childhood education for 12 years now. I have taught preschool and infant-toddler in this time, and for the past two years I have been a Director. I have a Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont and a Masters degree from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, both in early childhood special education. I also hold a specialization in trauma Informed teaching and a birth through age 6 teaching license in early childhood special education. I am passionate about making schools a physically and emotionally safe environment for the community they support, this includes children, families, and teachers.
In my free time I enjoy cozy hobbies that can be done from the comfort of my couch. I dabble in embroidery, sewing, coloring, cozy video games, and I love audiobooks and podcasts. I consider myself a collector of hobbies, and I will try anything twice. I live in Burlington with my amazing partner and our two dogs.
KATHLEEN BENITEZ MARTINEZ
Assistant Director
ONE Arts Community School Burlington
Kathleen Benitez Martinez(they/them/theirs) is the Assistant Director and Preschool Teacher at the Burlington ONE Arts Community School. They are a Latinx transplant from the Bronx, NYC. They have lived and worked in Burlington as an early childhood educator for almost a decade, and are deeply committed to the children and families of this community. They strongly believe in putting children first (their interests, their needs, their joy!). They are deeply committed to creating learning communities that serve as an antidote to the harmful entangled societal systems we live in. Kathleen loves cooking and baking, thrifting classroom materials and practicing their chess game.
ERIN WIEGOSKINSKI
Director
ONE Arts Community School Lakeshore
Hi my name is Erin Wielgoszinski! I am the program director here at ONE Arts Community School in Colchester. I have received both my Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design as well as my Master’s degree in Elementary Education from Franklin Pierce University. I have been working in the education field for the last decade as a classroom teacher with a specialization in remediation. I love kids and watching them learn and grow into themselves. In my free time, I love spending time with my husband, 3 kids and my dog, reading and creating graphic arts.
ABBY ADAMS
Assistant Director
ONE Arts Community School Lakeshore
Hello ONE Arts families! My name is Abby. I am the assistant director as well as the infant teacher. I spend most of my time with infants but I also work beside all of the teachers in the Colchester ONE Arts center to support all of the classrooms and families. I started my Early Education career starting in 2008 in the Center For Technology Essex in the Early Education and Human Services program. I then followed my second passion and received a degree in visual arts. Both passions, going hand and hand helping little hands create. I love learning and observing creativity from the kids as it inspires my own art. I am born and raised in Vermont and in my free time enjoy spending time with my dogs and family, camping, kayaking, hiking and traveling.
EMILY ANNE STEWART
Director
ONE Arts Community School Garden Street
Emily graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education currently holds a Level II VT Educator’s License with endorsements in both fields. Emily has supported many early childhood education centers around the Burlington area as an Early Childhood Special Educator for the Burlington School District and then taught kindergarten at Integrated Arts Academy at H.O. Wheeler for years. Emily is thrilled to join the ONE Arts Community Schools and will be opening a new early learning center that will serve families of the UVMMC Health Network, which is due to open in the spring of 2025 in South Burlington. She recently received her Level II Program Director Credential and has been accepted into the Early Childhood Leadership Institute.
Emily enjoys spending time with her family in her South Burlington home. She enjoys spending time in her garden, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, and just about any outdoor adventure!
KRISTA DRAKE
Assistant Director
ONE Arts Community School Garden Street
she/her
Hi my name is Krista Drake. I am passionate about building strong communities to support early education centers and providing joyful education experiences for families and teachers. I have been an early educator for the last ten years with a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Vermont and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Champlain College. I have experience as a Childcare Manager, Director and Head Teacher for a Montessori preschool, and Kindergarten teacher. I live with my husband, daughter, and dog and when not working with children I can be found on the ski slopes, walking in the woods, or painting.
MIKAYLA MESSIER
Director
ONE Arts Center Burlington
Mikayla is the Director of the ONE Arts Center in Burlington. Mikayla was born and raised in Vermont and has been teaching art to elementary school aged kids for four years now. She earned a BFA degree in Studio Arts at Johnson State College in 2018 and received a MFA degree in Studio Arts at NVU-Johnson in 2020. Mikayla loves to paint and find new ways to incorporate sculptures in her art. She has been showing many of her paintings around Vermont, so keep an eye out and you might see one of her pieces! You can also check out her website at mikaylamessierpainting.com. Besides being an artist, she also loves to read, swim, travel and play tennis. Mikayla believes that art is just as much about the process as the finished product and with that in mind everyone can be an artist as long as they have fun making it!
SARA DOWNES
Director
ONE Arts Community School Berlin
Salutations! My name is Sara and I am thrilled to be leading the Berlin team for One Arts Community School. I have been working in the field of Early Education for the past twenty plus years, in various roles, such as Public Prek, owned my own licensed family child care program and was Assistant director for another program. Currently I hold a Bachelor's in Liberal studies, with a focus on family history and a level 4A on the Vermont Career Ladder.
What makes me excited about One Arts Community, is the community aspect. Bringing families and educators together to create the best learning environment for their children, driven by their children. Keeping Farm to table, being outside and allowing children's work being the center of our focus and fostering connections for children.
During my free time, I like to try new things, go on adventures,vintage thrifting, be outside, read, and spend time with my family and friends.
STEPHEN EAKIN
Facilities Director
Stephen Eakin is the Facilities Director at ONE Arts, where he supports the organization’s mission by stewarding safe, functional, and inspiring spaces that enable creative youth development and community engagement. His role draws directly on years of experience managing fine art storage facilities and university art studios, where precision, care, and long-term planning were essential to protecting artwork and maintaining high-quality learning environments.
Stephen earned his MFA in Experimental Media from the University of Minnesota in 2007 and taught art as an adjunct professor, giving him a strong understanding of how facilities impact teaching and creative practice. An accomplished artist with a robust exhibition history, he spent a decade living and working in New York City before continuing his career across academic and arts-based institutions.
Having lived in Florida, Hawaii, California, New York City, and Minnesota, Stephen brings a broad perspective to facilities leadership. He and his wife, Heather, joined ONE Arts after relocating from the Sierra Nevada region of Northern California to their new home in Burlington, where he is committed to ensuring ONE Arts’ spaces remain welcoming, well-managed, and responsive to the needs of students and staff.
HEATHER GARLAND
Arts Curriculum Director
Heather Garland serves as Arts Curriculum Director at ONE Arts, where she leads the development of engaging, inclusive arts curricula that support creative youth development and a lifelong connection to the arts. Her work reflects a deep commitment to teaching, mentorship, and creating meaningful learning experiences for children through visual art and design.
Heather earned her MFA from Pratt Institute and spent many years living and working in Brooklyn, New York, where she taught art and developed after-school programs that blended creative exploration with skill-building. Her passion for working with children has shaped a teaching practice grounded in curiosity, accessibility, and respect for young artists’ voices.
An accomplished artist, Heather has exhibited extensively for decades in New York City and beyond, maintaining an active studio practice alongside her work in education. She brings this dual perspective as both educator and practicing artist to her role at ONE Arts, ensuring that curricula are rooted in contemporary art practice while remaining developmentally responsive and engaging for students.