Staff

Rich Tulikangas, Executive Director
Rich is the founding Executive Director of Linking Learning to Life (LLL), a comprehensive school-to career non-profit in Burlington, Vermont created in 1997, which has been recognized nationally as an exemplary youth-serving organization.

For 11 years prior to that he served in the Vermont Department of Education in a variety of roles. These include developing and managing statewide programs to meet the educational and employment needs of students, including Jobs for Vermont Graduates and Vermont REAL Enterprises.

He directed the states initial school restructuring initiative and was loaned to the Governors Office for 18 months to lead the development of Vermonts School-To-Work Plan. Rich earned a BS in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan in 1979 and an M Ed in Organizational & Human Resource Development from the University of Vermont in 1985.

rtulikan@bsdvt.org
(802) 951-8850

Dhyana Bradley, College Connections/PILOT Coordinator
As a lifelong Vermont Resident, Dhyana has committed herself to developing the education opportunities for Vermont students. She has a broad depth of experience in the educational and social services field in Chittenden County.

Dhyana's experiences have provided her with the opportunity to teach in traditional classroom settings in the Colchester School District, as well as being the Educational Coordinator for a private non-profit social service agency dedicated to serve youth.

She started working with LLL in 2000 as the Employment Training Specialist and in 2001 took on the role of Career Development Coordinator supporting Burlington School District teachers K-12 to implement careers into their curricula.

Today, Dhyana is the College Connections Coordinator working with area high schools, alternative programs and technical centers in Chittenden County to recruit, advise and register high school students for dual enrollment opportunities. She works closely with all 6 area colleges to ensure successful course completion.  Dhyana also coordinates LLL's youth leadership program, PILOT, working with 20 high school juniors from 4 Chittenden County

Dhyana holds a Bachelors Degree in Education with a minor in Psychology from Saint Michael's College in 1995. She is licensed by the Vermont State Board of Education. Dhyana lives in Essex with her husband and two children. She enjoys running, taking bike rides, and doing crafts with her children.

dbradley@bsdvt.org
(802) 540-0953

Pam Gowland, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Pam has been a Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Counselor working with LLL since the fall of 2005.

She earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from West Virginia University in 1997 and her Masters in Counseling from the University of Vermont in 2005.

Pam is passionate about working with youth to help them realize their potential and to create meaning in their lives. Pams LLL program Youth Employment Services is a collaborative effort between Voc Rehab and a school based Employment Training Specialist who together work to support the transition process for youth with disabilities, specifically around employment and post-secondary education.

After living in several states including Maryland, West Virginia, Oregon and Florida, Pam and her family have settled in beautiful Vermont.

Pamela.gowland@ahs.state.vt.us
(802) 864-8430

Simon Parlante, Employment Training Specialist
Before moving to Vermont, Simon lived in Virginia and grew up in central and Northern California. After finishing high school in Virginia, he was recruited by Virginia Commonwealth University to run cross-country and track and field.

At VCU he developed a passion for the outdoors by participating in activities run by the Intercollegiate Outing Club Association. At the same time, he developed a second passion for working with youth in crisis by interning at a crisis shelter for youth. On completion of his Bachelors in Social Work he was able to combine his passions by taking on a leadership role in a multi-faceted residential facility for young men who needed guidance to change the direction of their lives.

There he implemented a group model called positive peer culture which planned and lead a variety of wilderness trips and activities. He also coached the young men in soccer. At the end of three years at Elk Hill he made a tough decision to resign in order to relocate to Vermont. Since living in Vermont he has provided direct service to students with disabilities in a variety of settings. He now has the role of co-facilitating two youth programs Ready, Set, Work! and L-Works.

His other role is in Youth Employment Services (YES) at Burlington High School, where he works closely with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to provide career guidance and job development for students with disabilities.

sparlant@bsdvt.org
(802) 864-8430

Penny Nolte, Data & Evaluation Coordinator
Penny holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from UVM. Her dissertation, in which she explores factors that teachers say make up best practices in providing training & other professional development opportunities, is available on Google Scholar. A life-long student, she has earned a number of degrees along the way, including an M.S. in Management Systems from Clarkson University, a BFA, two certificates in Museum Management and another in Paralegal Studies. While in graduate school she won an internship with ABC News, London, and a fellowship with the National Endowment for the Arts. Currently she is pursuing a certificate in Internet Business Marketing, with a focus on non-profits. 

Sarah Bertucci, Big Picture South Burlington Learning through Internships Coordinator
Sarah is committed to educating young people so that they are inspired and empowered to live their values and dreams. She has worked in a number of innovative schools around the country, including the original Big Picture school in Providence, Rhode Island. She taught geology in the context of rock climbing, and taught physics by installing solar panels on a Colorado school. In an interdisciplinary course on gender, her students led a conference for middle and high school students entitled, "Superwoman, Cinderfella, and Self." She brought Colorado students to post-Katrina New Orleans to do service work and study community and race through this disaster and its aftermath.

At Big Picture South Burlington, Sarah helps students find internships in their area of interest and tailor their individual curriculum to draw rigorous, real-world learning from the internship and other independent studies. BPSB is a school-within-a-school in South Burlington High School where students take responsibility for crafting and implementing an individualized curriculum that is interest-based and community-focused.

Sarah's academic background includes a Bachelor's degree in Geosciences with a minor in Education from Princeton University. She earned her Master's Degree from Skidmore College with a focus on Empowerment through Secondary Math and Science Education.

Sarah lives in the Old North End in Burlington with her partner, Jason, and their two year-old daughter, Mica.

sarah@bigpicturesb.net
(802) 316-0532

Jennifer Sutton, Hunt Middle School Community Outreach Coordinator
Jennifer Sutton moved from New York to Vermont and joined Hunt Middle School as the Community Outreach Coordinator in Fall 2003. She works with students and faculty on community service, service learning, career exploration and enrichment activities.

Jennifer holds a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering and worked for IBM in engineering, development, planning, recruitment and management. She also has many years of experience working with students in grades kindergarten through twelve as a tutor, teacher and Board member on the Committee for Special Education.

Jennifer has held numerous officer positions in the New York State Parent Teacher Association. As President of the PTA Council for the Union Endicott School District, Jennifer acted as a facilitator of seven schools to complete major projects and programs involving coordination between school superintendents, directors, school board members, principals, teachers, parents and community members.

Jennifer was also the Director of Parents As Reading Partners, a nationwide PTA sponsored reading program where she won a New York State Award for her Outstanding Reading Programs. Because of her many years of work in dedication to children, Jennifer was awarded the National PTA Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Service and Contributions to Children. Jennifer plans to continue to work to promote education, community and family involvement in her position at Hunt Middle School and LLL.

jsutton@bsdvt.org
(802) 310-4998

Amy Chambers, Edmunds Middle School Community Outreach Coordinator
Bio and picture coming soon...
achambers@bsdvt.org
(802) 316-1463

Mary Herrmann, Program Coordinator & AmeriCorps*VISTA
Mary is in the midst of her second year of Americorps*. Her first year she worked with the Vermont Youth Development Corps State program through the University of Vermont Extensions and 4H doing after school programming for elementary and middle schools in Franklin County. Mary decided to do a second year with Americorps as VISTA and serve as a Program Coordinator for Linking Learning to Life. She is currently working with the TIPS and Learn to Earn Programs. Mary grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Wanting a change in scenery she went to St. Lawrence University in upstate New York. Mary became very involved in giving back to the North Country community and was a student mentor for youth at local elementary school. Being a student mentor gave Mary the inspiration to pursue a career in youth outreach and education. Since moving to Burlington, Mary has embraced the outdoor setting and enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling.