Susan Brace

Susan had a long career in nonprofit financial management in Boston. She was the director of finance for the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. and consulted with several other housing and economic development organizations. She taught managerial accounting and financial management as an adjunct instructor at the School of Community Economic Development at Southern New Hampshire University for 15 years, after earning her master’s degree in CED from that program.
Susan and her wife moved to Rockingham in 2009 where they run a small farm. Susan worked for Southeastern Vermont Community Action for 8 years, first as an energy auditor, then as coordinator of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for Windham and Windsor counties. She sings in several local choirs and plays ukulele. Susan and her wife hosted CASP’s first asylum guest in 2017 and have been involved as volunteers since CASP’s inception.

Christine Colascione

Christine moved to Vermont seven years ago to attend Sterling College, where she studied Ethnoecology and Social Change and developed a strong love for community organizing through facilitating an active environmental justice affinity group. She has worked with Groundworks Collaborative for more than three years, first as an Americorps volunteer and then as Foodworks Coordinator, where she now manages our area’s busiest food shelf. She deeply values the connections she is able to make with the community through this work and continuously seeks to create an environment where all people feel respected and welcomed to access nourishing food in whatever way works best for them. Christine also co-chairs the Windham Region Hunger Council and serves as a core member of other local groups determined to make systemic changes to our local food system beyond emergency distribution through collaboration and innovation. Christine is a vipassana meditator and regularly attends and volunteers at silent meditation retreats in Shelburne Falls, MA. She loves to travel, having spent much time farming around the U.S. and South America. She lives in Brookline, VT, with her partner, cats, dog, and chickens.

Ruben Garza

Ruben believes that a healthy community is one that delivers on its promise to support, enrich, and provide opportunity to the lives of all its members, regardless of race, gender identity or sexual orientation. He believes that active participation is required by all community members to uphold and protect its shared values. Ruben strives to lead by example; he employs his use of free time volunteering and engaging the community as a board member and supporting local arts and artists.

Ruben moved to Brattleboro, Vermont from Laredo, Texas in 2015. Ruben’s favorite Vermont past times are swimming in the Summer, generally being terrified of winter driving, and leaf peeping in the Autumn. You may catch Ruben walking around the downtown area shopping, playing basketball in the Parks and Rec league, and attending theatre performances throughout the year.

Karen Hoover

Karen spent 25 years in New York City as a physician in HIV and internal medicine before moving to Brattleboro, Vermont, in 2017. Following a two-year stint with a local primary-care practice, she retired and, interested in the mission of supporting asylum seekers, joined CASP. She had previously served two short-term medical assignments in disaster areas following an earthquake (Haiti) and a hurricane (New Orleans) and had found that working with victims of such catastrophes – as well as an underserved population in urban NYC – was uniquely challenging and rewarding.
In CASP she will be identifying healthcare providers in the local area for our guests’ medical needs as well as exploring other health-related support available to them.
Karen was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and received her medical degree from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

John Hatton

John has been in sales and customer service for his entire working career. He has been a licensed Realtor since 2003, has his Broker’s license, and is the Sales Manager at Berkley & Veller. John and his family have been in the Brattleboro area since 1991. John is known for providing superlative and personal customer service. He was voted the Southern Vermont Board of Realtors (SVBR) “Realtor of the Year” for 2011. He was the President of the Southern Vermont Board of Realtors 2020-22. John has been the state representative to the Vermont Realtors Board of Directors, and was the Chairperson of the Governance Committee. John teaches the Realtor portion of the First-time Homebuyer classes for the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust. He was on the Brattleboro Food Coop’s (BFC) Board of Directors for 8 years, acting as Board President for 7 of those years, and is now on the BFC Board again, along with the Board of Directors of the Rich Earth Institute (and CASP!). John lives with his wife Kate Bullock on a small farm in Westminster, loves to garden and road bike. Their kids, Tyler and Guthrie, are now adults and out in the world!

Francie Marbury

Francie’s professional life was committed to public school education, culminating in a 15-years as principal of the Marlboro School. Since retiring she has brought her passion for issues of equity and social justice and her Quaker belief of “that of God in everyone” to her work with CASP. She first connected as a volunteer providing transportation to Asylum Seekers, accompanying them to meetings where they need language support, giving driving lessons, and helping to find host homes, among other things. She is clear that it is an honor to accompany these brave people as they create new lives in southern Vermont. Francie has found her service on the board to be enriching and challenging. There’s so much to learn – not only about the ins and outs of the process of seeking asylum but also about herself.