We're a group of local people who share common values and a commitment to change. We believe car-sharing is a practical and easy way to reduce car use, increase mobility, improve community health, and enhance the environment, and we're thrilled to help make it available in Vermont!

Our Staff

Annie Bourdon is CarShare Vermont's founding executive director. Annie has a history in car-sharing having helped her two friends launch San Francisco's City CarShare, where she worked from 2001 to 2004 in the positions of marketing director, San Francisco director, and eventually deputy director. During that time, Annie helped expand mission-driven car-sharing throughout the Bay Area and beyond. She is currently a member of City CarShare's board of directors.

Prior to leading the start-up of CarShare Vermont, Annie was executive director of Vermont's White River Partnership. She has about ten years of nonprofit experience working for a range of environmental and community development initiatives in both California and Vermont. Annie majored in environmental studies at Bates College and received her masters in public administration from the University of Vermont. Annie loves to cook for friends, be outdoors, and spend time with her family. She's a Vermont native and plans to stick around for a long time.

Karen McNeill Saielli brings her passion for community development and environmental work to CarShare Vermont as the first Outreach Coordinator.  Karen's history includes work in a variety of social and environmental organizations with experience in community outreach, education, volunteer coordination, and marketing. She received her bachelor's degree in Sociolgy and Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, and completed her master's work in Environmental Leadership at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. Karen is very excited to be working with an organization that is actively engaging in positive cultural change towards greater ecological and social responsibilty.  When she's not building bridges to "save the world", Karen spends her time gardening, cooking, camping and hiking with her husband Tom and happy dog Nya.

Our Board of Directors

Matt Kolan (chair) is an avid naturalist and educator who is passionate about social equity and transportation issues. He spends much of his time designing educational experiences that attempt to reconnect and realign human patterns with natural rhythms and cycles. As a faculty member at the University of Vermont, Matt teaches courses in landscape analysis, environmental problem-solving, traditional skills, and power and privilege. Matt also works as an educational and ecological consultant for a variety of organizations (including Shelburne Farms, The Center for Whole Communities, The PLACE Program, and Charlotte Conservation Commission) and is currently combining his passion for ecology and education in an interdisciplinary PhD program where he is hoping to better understand the principles that guide design of educational systems toward healthy, sustainable, whole communities.

Chapin Spencer (vice-chair) is a transportation professional with a keen interest in community development. He is the founding executive director of Local Motion (1999-present), a greater Burlington non-profit organization developing trails and fostering active lifestyles. Chapin is also a Commissioner for the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (2001-present). He grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, graduated with honors from Trinity College in 1993, and then came to Burlington in 1994 for an Americorps*VISTA placement with the Burlington Community Land Trust. He never left. Chapin lives in Burlington with his sweetheart Rebecca Grannis and their two huskies Diego and Osirus. Over the years he has volunteered for a variety of local nonprofits and won several leadership awards for his contributions. In his free time, he is an avid swing dancer, ultimate Frisbee player, and outdoor enthusiast.

John Kassel (secretary and treasurer) drives an electric car, commutes year-round on his bicycle, and believes that transforming our transportation system is not only possible, but necessary. He works as a lawyer on environmental, renewable energy and public policy issues for his Burlington firm, Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders. As a volunteer he has had the pleasure of helping many dynamic non-profits improve the quality of life in our community, state and region. He also served as the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, and as a Deputy State’s Attorney in Chittenden County, in the 1990s. His greatest pleasure in life – even beyond backcountry skiing – has been raising three wonderful children in our community, with his dear wife of 25 years, Julie Campoli. He also likes peanut butter.

Chris Cole is the General Manager of the Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) and has been in this position since 2001. His previous professional experience has been as a public policy analyst for both the New York and Vermont State Legislatures. Chris currently serves on the following Boards and Committees: Board member on the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization, since 2001; member of the Public Transit Advisory Council, since 2001; Board member on Vermont Public Transportation Association (VPTA), serving as Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee. Chris also previously served on several advisory bodies appointed by Governor Douglas and Governor Dean. Chris enjoys skiing, biking, fishing and spending time with his family.

Bryan Davis is a transportation planner with the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization where he advocates for bicycle, pedestrian and public transit projects. He is thrilled to be part of making car-sharing available as another great alternative to driving alone. A graduate of Texas A&M University, Bryan moved to Colorado to pursue mountain biking and public service with the US Forest Service. He gained non-profit experience in land conservation and affordable housing, and found his way to Vermont in 2003 for graduate school at UVM where he earned a degree in Natural Resource Planning. He finds peace in the outdoors, enjoys quality time with family and friends, and rocks out with his band Drive the Hour.

Beth Isler is an associate at Resource Systems Group in Burlington, working on transportation planning, operations analysis, and design projects. She first heard about car-sharing when she was completing her master's degree in transportation engineering at the University of Virginia. Since then, she has been a strong advocate for car-sharing and is very excited to be helping it come to Vermont.

Linda Gibson is the Director of Administration at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, a company whose mission is to "reduce the costs, both monetary and environmental, of energy use," and she is thrilled to be able to work in an organization whose values so clearly mirror her own. Some of the highlights of Linda's previous work career include being the Personnel Director for the City of Burlington when Bernie Sanders and Peter Clavelle were mayors, the Director of Human Resources for Wake Robin, and the Executive Director of a small software company in Georgia. She has volunteered for a wide range of community activities including the Burlington Airport Commission, the Mozart Festival, and the Tibetan Resettlement Project. Other interests include yoga, walking, cooking (especially local foods), and live music from Blues to Baroque.

Jessica Oski is a lawyer and has lived in Burlington for most of the past 27 years. She is an active and engaged member of the community, serving on a number of boards and committees for local organizations and government. Jessica loves life and enjoys cooking, biking, yoga, mah jongg, and spending time with her family, friends and neighbors.

Meredith Schuft is the Marketing Director of the Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA), providing programs and services to employees and students of its member institutions to help ease the personal and environmental costs of commuting. She became involved in CarShare Vermont because she sees it as a key piece to developing a full suite of transportation choices for CATMA members and the community as an alternative to driving alone. Meredith serves on various local committees advocating for programs and policies that promote transportation demand management. Additionally, she is actively involved in the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) and is currently serving as President of the ACT New England Patriot Chapter. Meredith lives in Richmond and shares a ride to work everyday with her husband, Chris.