Staff

Laura Rice joined CLiF in March 2023, stepping into the big shoes (literally and figuratively) of CLiF founder Duncan McDougall. Laura has worked in leadership roles for mission-driven organizations for over two decades, including The Mentor Network, a national home and community-based care provider; Grassroot Soccer, an international adolescent health organization; and WISE, a Lebanon, NH-based non-profit that seeks to end gender-based violence.

A proud alumna of Mount Holyoke College and Boston University School of Public Health, Laura has lived, worked, and raised her family in Hanover, NH since 2002. She loves each of the beautiful seasons of New England, and is quick to get outdoors to kayak, cross-country ski, run, bike, or hike at any opportunity. Her three young adult children believe she has found her true home with CLiF as they often lament that their parents failed in exposing them to cool movies or music during their childhood years, but knocked the ball out of the park when it came to library visits and book-reading snuggles.

As Program Manager, Jana works to identify and recruit potential partners and award and implement Community Literacy, Summer Readers, and Children of Incarcerated Adultsprogram grants. Jana grew up in the small town of Fair Haven, Vermont and earned degrees in Literature and Spanish from Ohio Wesleyan University. She went to law school at The Ohio State University College of Law and worked as an Assistant Attorney General in both Ohio and Vermont. She joined CLiF in 2014. She loves exploring Vermont with her husband, son, and golden retriever Wilson.

Sarah joined CLiF in 2022, and oversees the organization’s publicity and outreach efforts. A lifelong bookworm, she studied American Literature at Middlebury College, and earned her master’s degree from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. After grad school, she worked for E! Entertainment, chronicling celebrity exploits on and off the red carpet, before leaving Hollywood behind to return to her East Coast roots. She has also worked as a creative consultant, copywriter, social media manager, and startup cofounder. Sarah lives in Fayston, Vermont with her husband, two children, and an array of spoiled animals.

Cassie Willner joined the CLiF team as the literacy program manager in August 2022. Cassie oversees the Year of the Book, Rural Library, Literacy Enrichment, and Early Childhood Literacy grants across the span of their lifecycles, always working in partnership with grantees to maximize impact.  

Prior to CLiF, she worked in a public school library as well as many years in nonprofit communications. Cassie holds a M.A. in communications and journalism from the University of Colorado and a B.A. in English from Colgate University.

When not consuming sweets, reading, traveling, or playing outside with her husband and daughter, she loves to garden and grow lots of flowers at her home in Montpelier. She is also a Jan Brett superfan. 

Mary Edith Leichliter joined CLiF in December 2022 as Project Specialist. She comes to the role from a career spent working in K-12 and adult basic education. Originally from Pennsylvania, she most recently supervised a community education program serving adult learners there. Along the way, she has taught female inmates at a local prison, worked with returning citizens pursuing high school equivalency diplomas and further education in the local community, and taught out-of-school youth and middle school language arts. She also served as school climate regional coordinator in the public schools there.

A brand new Vermont resident, she is enjoying all that the outdoors offers here, from biking and kayaking to a first outing on snowshoes and ski lessons. Mary Edith shares a home in Duxbury with her husband, Mike, and two pups who have gladly stepped into the attention-gap created when their three children became adults and launched their own lives across the Northeast.

As a State of Vermont employee for over three decades, Samantha Kelley has 20 years of experience in the financial field. (And counting!) Though technically retired, she was lured back into the workforce as a very welcome addition to the CLiF team in November 2023. When not at work, she can be found gardening, doing needle crafts, or playing with the grandchildren.

Megan joined CLiF in April 2026. As Development Manager, she focuses on building relationships with current and prospective donors, and expanding partnerships with businesses across Vermont and New Hampshire.

Prior to joining CLiF, Meg spent more than six years in corporate development with the Maryland Public Television Foundation, increasing revenue through events, sponsorships, and underwriting, and supporting educational programming and outreach initiatives for K–12 students. She also served as a proud PBS Mentor, helping other stations reach their foundation goals.

More recently, Meg worked as a Strategic Area Sales Manager for Casella in Burlington, where she assisted companies such as Keurig Dr Pepper, Ben & Jerry’s, and the University of Vermont with their sustainability goals.

While seeking a return to local nonprofit work, Meg discovered CLiF and knew she’d found her calling. She’s excited to be out in the community representing CLiF at functions across the Twin States.

Originally from Maryland, Meg moved to Vermont in 2019, and now lives in Moretown with her wife and daughter. Depending on the season, you’ll find her exploring her adopted state on skis, by mountain bike, or on foot. She also serves on the board of Girls on the Run and enjoys volunteering at her daughter’s school when able.

Meg’s favorite children’s books include The Velveteen Rabbit, Wacky Wednesday, and Little Women (the inspiration behind her name!)