Tom Gilbert - Executive Director
Tom is a Certified Compost Specialist (U.Maine/Orono Compost School), has 12 years experience working in agriculture and composting, and is Vice President of the Composting Association of Vermont. BA with emphasis on composting and sustainable agriculture from The Evergreen State College, Washington State, designer and project organizer for The Evergreen State College composting facility. As a full-time staff member Tom is a Technical Consultant in composting systems for the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District, and the Association of Vermont Recyclers, and serves on the Management Team. Tom oversees our programs and their implementation, as well as providing technical assistance to our clients.

June Van Houten - Director of Marketing and Development
Degree from the University of Vermont in Environmental Studies and Anthropology, teaching license through the Masters of Education program at Vermont College of Norwich University. Over 17 years experience in education and non-profit work including: teaching Social Studies at Cabot School in Cabot Vermont, coordinating in-school youth employment programs, Assistant Director to Central Vermont School-to-Work, and grant writing. Over 20 years experience in Vermont agriculture including milking cows at Shelburne Farms, and an internship in sustainable agriculture at the Intervale Community Supported Agriculture farm in Burlington, VT.

Josh Kelly - Project Manager
Project Manager.  Josh has a BS in Environmental Studies and Biology from St. Lawrence University; was previously the Director of the Lamoille County Natural Resources Conservation District and Nature Center; and has 7 years experience working for The Trust for Public Land (TPL) on a variety of land conservation projects.  Josh has worked on farm and forestland conservation projects such as the Brushwood Community Forest project—a new town forest in West Fairlee VT—and the Ballam Farm project in Walpole, NH.  Josh lives with his wife in Montpelier and works on implementation of Highfields’ ™Close the Loop! program throughout the state."

James McSweeney - Assistant Compost Specialist and Site Operator
James received a BA in Agroecology from Prescott College’s Environmental Studies Program.  He spent two years in Hawaii working on a research program in sustainable agriculture development, with a focus on soil microbiology and plant health in the tropics. James’ is committed to studying and teaching about applying ecological integrity to agricultural systems throughout a wide range of climates including the tropics, drylands and his native temperate northeast.  His work at Highfields includes providing technical assistance and systems design to composters as well as operating our Compost Demonstration and Research Site.