2024 Board of Directors
Mark Wilch, President
Mark settled in Addison County 21 years ago. Since retirement he has spent his spare time working with others as Zoning Administrator in Salisbury, serving on the Middlebury Parks and Recreation advisory committee, as Treasurer of the Middlebury Dog Park committee, as a member of the Middlebury Development Review Board and, his favorite, serving at Homeward Bound as a dog walker and assisting with odd jobs/maintenance at the shelter. He currently lives in Middlebury with his family and ‘small herd’ of 3 dogs, a cat, and a fish.
Matt LaValley, Vice President
Matt started his career working with animals in 2000 as a veterinary technician. During this time Matt managed a practice and taught a veterinary assistant program for Middlesex Community College in Connecticut. In 2010 Matt open Wag On Inn a canine and feline grooming and boarding business located in Waltham VT. Matt has also volunteered for Homeward Bound since 2010. Matt lives in Middlebury with his fiance Nick and dog Troy.
Kris Pearsall, Treasurer
A life-long animal lover, Kris is very excited to join the Homeward Bound board and to be a part of the important work that this organization undertakes. Kris brings along her experiences in managing a large animal veterinary practice and years spent on a dairy farm while raising a family, as well as her background in the financial industry. Kris lives in Bristol with her family which includes two dogs (Ralph, an English Mastiff, and Cynder, a Belgian Tervuren Shepard) and Homie, the cat.
Maria Farnsworth, Secretary
Maria is a Reiki Practitioner focusing on animal Reiki. She has been volunteering at Homeward Bound for five years. Rescue is her favorite breed and together with her husband, Michael they have two dogs (1 from Greece) and one cat. When not spending time at Homeward Bound, Maria enjoys cheering her grandsons at their sports events. Maria is recently retired from Middlebury College and looks forward to spending more time time in her flower garden.
Paige Russell
Paige moved to Vermont in 1983 and now lives in Vergennes; she is a retired teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing. Paige loves retirement and the freedom to do volunteer work, travel and play outside. She lives with her dog Annie, who is the third pup Paige has adopted from Homeward Bound, beginning in 1991. She has volunteered at HB, mostly dog walking, since 2016. She is truly happy to be a member of the HB board and to have the chance to offer support to the wonderful animals and stellar staff there.
Liz Markowski
Liz and her family have lived in Addison County (Vergennes and Ferrisburgh) for 50 years. she has many adopted friends from Homeward Bound including 3 hilarious alpacas, 3 playful cats and 2 lovable dogs. She volunteers with her 2 granddaughters every Thursday in Catland while they “socialize” kittens in preparation for adoption. She looks forward to participating with the members of this board to keep Homeward Bound successful in protecting the many animals that need a gentle/strong human voice and to advocate for them.
Matt Longman
Matt has been a part of the Middlebury community for over thirty years. He has deep roots at Homeward Bound, where he initially started as a dog walking volunteer. Matt and his family adopted their cats Finn and Flower from HB, and most recently adopted Kylo the beagle this summer. Matt has served in various student dean roles at Middlebury College for over 25 years.
Andrea Tibbetts
After adopting two cats in 2021 and volunteering at the shelter, Andie is excited to join the Homeward Bound board. She has a background in international global health and currently works supporting the operations of Partners In Health. In her spare time, she enjoys woodworking, crocheting and crafts of all kinds. She went to Middlebury College and in 2020 was happy to move back to her college town where she now lives with her husband, two dogs and three cats.
Wright Hartman
Impressed by the warmth of the Middlebury community and its natural beauty during his studies at Middlebury College, Wright has made it his home since graduation ('95.5). He became acquainted with Homeward Bound in 2020, helping shape his aunt's legacy and upholding her final wishes. Some of Wright's interests include art and architecture, paddle sports (canoe, kayak, dragon boat), snow sports (Nordic skiing and snowboarding), carpentry and woodworking, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Sonya Sorenson Danyow
Sonya moved from NH to VT in 1993 and started her career in banking. After 20 years she transitioned to Champlain Construction as the office manager. In 2005 she adopted her soul dog Ruby from Homeward Bound and her love of the bully breed was born. She lives in Middlebury with her husband Jim and their 2 dogs, Mack and Reis. When not working, the couple can be found planning or executing another home improvement or landscaping project at their home or camp. “I am excited to be a part of an organization which is a great resource in our community.”
Hilary Hatch
Hilary works as an RN for Porter Medical Center and serves on the Executive Council of the nurses’ union at Porter. She recently retired from a career as a professional violinist with several regional orchestras including 38 years with the Vermont Symphony, and looks forward to having more time volunteering in the Middlebury community and spending summer months in her perennial garden. She lives in Leicester with cats Emmy and Dot, 2022 Homeward Bound alumnae. Hilary was previously a member of the Homeward Bound Board of Directors for 7 years, and is grateful to come back to work with familiar and new board members to support the vital mission of the staff, leadership, and volunteers who make Homeward Bound the singular organization it is.