MACED Staff

Angie Allman, Forestry Program Associate, aallman@maced.org
Angie Allman joined the MACED staff in July 2005. Angie originally served the finance and operations teams by providing accounting and operational support to MACED programs and staff. In 2010 she joined the forestry team and serves as Forestry Program Associate. Before coming to MACED Angie worked as a legal assistant with an environmental law firm supporting cases involving the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act. Angie graduated from Berea College in May 2002 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources. While at Berea College Angie was an intern with the Forestry Department and assisted with timber stand improvement and trail maintenance. Angie is a lifetime resident of Kentucky and currently resides in Mt. Vernon. Angie and her husband Ian are co-owners of Allman’s Beer Cheese, a small specialty food business. In her free time she enjoys cooking, gardening and hiking.

Nancy Arnold, Accounting Supervisor, narnold@maced.org
Nancy Arnold joined MACED in July 2007 as Senior Accountant. Her primary responsibilities as a member of the finance team include cash management, general ledger, financial statements and grant reporting. She has over twenty-five years of experience in accounting, which includes sixteen years of nonprofit experience and eight years of grant accounting. She graduated from Mountain State College, majoring in Accounting and Business Administration. Nancy and her husband relocated to Central Kentucky from Southeast Ohio in December 2000. She enjoys church, family and friends. She recently became a grandma which added a wonderful new dimension to her life.

Jason Bailey, Research and Policy Director, jbailey@maced.org
Jason joined MACED’s staff in September 2007 after working as a research consultant to the organization for several years. From 1998-2005, he was a staff person and then co-director of the Democracy Resource Center, a former MACED affiliate. Jason’s work there included policy analysis and public education on Kentucky’s budget, tax system and economic development policies, as well as research on a variety of state and local issues. Jason has a master’s in public administration with a specialization in public finance from New York University.

Regina Becknell, Enterprise Development Project Specialist, rbecknell@maced.org
Regina Becknell started working with MACED in July 2004. She staffs MACED's eastern Kentucky office. She most recently served as the president of the Floyd County Chamber of Commerce in Prestonsburg, KY. In addition to her position with the Chamber, Regina worked part-time for the Morehead State University Small Business Development Center. Her duties at these positions included fundraising, marketing, finance, design, leadership initiatives, economic development and technical assistance to businesses. Regina is a graduate of Berea College. She returned to eastern Kentucky to be closer to her parents and to raise her two children. Prior to her return to Floyd County, she was the marketing director/accountant for Buell*Fryer*McReynolds, a structural engineering firm, and accounting manager for Frontier Nursing Service. Regina has served as board member for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Executives, and has been a member of the Kentucky Industrial Development Council and Prestonsburg Rotarian.

Laura Best, Accounting and Payroll Clerk, lbest@maced.org

Laura joined MACED in October 2010 as payroll and accounting clerk. Prior to joining MACED, she managed a law office specializing in workers compensation and personal injury and worked in the legal arena for over 20 years. Laura moved to Central Kentucky from the Cincinnati area eight years ago and has lived in Berea for several years. She and her husband, David, are interested in alternative fuels as well as sustainable energy and sustainable agriculture. Laura thoroughly enjoys her family, cycling, mountain biking, hiking, camping, reading and music.

Joshua Bills, Energy Specialist, jbills@maced.org

Josh joined MACED in March 2008 to develop and coordinate energy assessments and pursue emerging energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities for client entrepreneurs. Josh assists the Business Development team in developing financing opportunities for energy reduction and renewable energy projects. A former renewable energy installation entrepreneur himself, Josh brings a distinctive perspective to the position, with firsthand knowledge of the needs of, and the demands on energy efficiency and renewable energy installers today. He brings a wealth of knowledge to his role, with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis, and experience with over 100 renewable energy installations throughout Kentucky, Haiti, and as far off as West Africa.

Bill Blair, How$mart Data Manager, bblair@maced.org

Bill joined MACED in June 2010 as the On-Bill Data Manager. The On-Bill program works through utility companies to allow a customer to pay for energy efficiency retrofits over time via their utility bill. He is a former Project Manager for Sanmina-SCI Corporation and, most recently, a Banner Analyst and Oracle Application Developer for Berea College. He is an alumni of Eastern Kentucky University. A lifelong resident of Rockcastle County, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife and children as well as riding his motorcycle and flying radio control aircraft of all shapes and sizes.

Ashley Burba, Human Resources and Compliance Coordinator, aburba@maced.org

Ashley joined MACED in November of 2010 as the Human Resources and Compliance Coordinator. Her responsibilities include working closely with the operations team to ensure that MACED is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. She is also responsible for enrolling new employees and providing ongoing benefits education. Before becoming a permanent staff member, Ashley worked as a temporary operations assistant. Her past work includes working as the manager for The Black Feather Café, a small business in Berea that sources as much food as possible from local, independent farmers. Ashley graduated from Berea College in 2009 with a degree in Agriculture and Natural Resources in Sustainable Systems. During her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, cooking and gardening.

Yvonne Burchett, Enterprise Development Program Assistant, yburchett@maced.org

Yvonne Burchett has worked with MACED since August 2006 and serves as the Business Development Assistant for MACED’s Paintsville office. Among other things, Yvonne helps manage the Paintsville office, works individually with client entrepreneurs to solve problems, and facilitates group training. Yvonne has been certified to administer FastTrac entrepreneur classes and is experienced with providing technical assistance in QuickBooks. Prior to joining MACED Yvonne worked as business manager for a trucking business and a grocery business, both in Paintsville. Yvonne is a lifelong Johnson County resident.

Maurice Davidson, Maintenance Assistant, mdavidson@maced.org

Maurice joined MACED in May of 2009. He maintains our buildings and grounds. Prior to joining our staff Maurice worked in the Facilities Management department at Berea College for 18 years.

Irene DeLuna, Forestry Program Associate, ideluna@maced.org

IIrene joined the forestry team in July 2009 with a B.S. in Agriculture and Natural Resources. Irene is responsible for grant writing and reporting for the forestry program as well as marketing Appalachian Forest Offsets to potential buyers by coordinating sales transactions, designing promotional materials and developing the Appalachian Carbon Partnership website. Irene has previous experience in childhood development, community programming and environmental education.

Greg Doyle, Senior Lender, gdoyle@maced.org

Greg directs MACED’s loan fund which invests money in small and new businesses in Appalachian Kentucky. His primary responsibilities include managing the loan fund, deal development, chief underwriting and due diligence analysis, strategy development and implementation, marketing and staff supervision. Prior to joining MACED in October 2006 Greg worked in the banking industry for 25 years, primarily as a small business and commercial lender. A native Kentuckian, Greg earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History from the Virginia Military Institute and an MBA from the University of Kentucky.

Elizabeth Graves, Senior Program Associate, egraves@maced.org

Elizabeth Graves joined MACED in January 2009 as program manager for the Energy Efficient Enterprises project. Her responsibilities include promoting the program, creating strategic partnerships, and working closely with Energy Specialist Joshua Bills to ensure project participants receive useful information to help them reduce energy use and cost. Elizabeth has past experience as a marketing manager in Asia, a product manager, copy-editor as well as teacher and coach. She is a graduate of Princeton University and obtained an MBA from the University of Kentucky in 2001. Although Elizabeth has worked and lived in many places around the world, Kentucky is her home.

Danny Isaacs, Enterprise Development Project Specialist, disaacs@maced.org
Danny Isaacs started working with MACED in April 2006. He is from Marietta, Georgia. He graduated from Berea College in 2005 with a degree in business administration. He started working with the business development program as a business development analyst and is currently serving as the project specialist representing the Berea office. He covers 22 counties in the western portion of MACED’s service area. Danny’s responsibilities include identifying entrepreneurs and partners and providing technical assistance to small businesses in rural Appalachia. Danny’s prior experience includes an internship with the Letcher County Water and Sewer District and working with several family owned small businesses where his appreciation for their roles within local communities began. Danny is a board member for the Human/Economic Appalachian Development Corporation (HEAD).

Carol Lamm, Operations and Finance Director, clamm@maced.org
Carol Lamm has served MACED in many capacities beginning in 1978. Her responsibilities have included technical assistance to community organizations, research, new program development, fundraising and internal organizational development. From 1988 to 1994, she served as the first coordinator and then the director of the Brushy Fork Institute, an Appalachian leadership and development program of Berea College. From 1999 to mid-2002, she worked as an independent consultant and studied accounting, passing the CPA exam in November 2001. She re-joined MACED in the summer of 2002 and is now operations and finance director. As a volunteer, Carol has served as president of the Kentucky Conservation Committee, as an elected member of the Berea Community School-Based Decision Making Council, as president of the Kentucky Association of School Councils and in numerous officer positions with local and regional Quaker bodies. She has a master's in English from Cornell University.

Justin Maxson, President, jmaxson@maced.org
Justin Maxson first came to MACED in 1995 as director of community development for the Letcher County Action Team, a grassroots sustainable development organization in eastern Kentucky. Justin's work focused on leadership development, program development and community-based problem solving. From 1998 to early 2002, Justin was executive director of the Progressive Technology Project, a national grant making and technical assistance organization working to strengthen grassroots social change efforts through the strategic use of technology. Justin returned to MACED in February of 2002 as vice-president and was named president in November 2002. Justin brings many years of nonprofit experience focused on capacity building, program development, organizational development and social change. He has a master's in anthropology from Boston University.

Christopher Porter, Development Coordinator, cporter@maced.org

Chris came to MACED in late May 2011 after working as a writer in the Development Office at Berea College. He holds an undergraduate degree in English from Roanoke College and an MFA in Creative Writing–Fiction from the University of Montana. A native Kentuckian, Chris was excited to return home and put down roots after living in the Pacific Northwest for eight years. He enjoys spending time in the garden with his wife and daughter, where he pursues his passion for seed saving.

Carrie Ray, Research and Policy Associate, cray@maced.org

Carrie joined the MACED staff in January 2011 as a Research and Policy Associate with a focus on sustainable agriculture, forestry and biomass. A Kentucky native, Carrie received her Master’s degree in International Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2008, and moved back home as soon as possible. Prior to joining MACED, she coordinated grassroots organizations throughout the South for a nonprofit energy network. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, baking, reading and spending time outdoors with her fiancé and their three dogs.

Debbie Reardon, Loan Fund Administrator, dreardon@maced.org
Debbie Reardon has been at MACED since June 1999. She joined MACED as a staff accountant with a full range of accounting duties. In May 2002 she moved to the business development team as senior business development associate. Her responsibilities include all aspects of non-profit business lending, from initial contact through closings. Debbie attended Northern Virginia Community College and the University of South Florida. She worked as a staff accountant for a Northern Virginia local government from 1982 to 1995. In addition to her full-time work she was a mortgage loan officer of CAMCO Mortgage Bankers in Northern Virginia. With the transfer of her spouse to Tallahassee, Florida, she worked full-time as budget assistant for the Florida Bar, serving 70,000 attorneys. To complement her mortgage lending background, she attended classes and passed the state test for her real estate license. Currently, she teaches a monthly personal financial class for the State of Kentucky District Court System for Theft by Deception offenders. As a volunteer, she has worked with the Girl Scouts, the Madison County Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity. In addition she is an administrative board member of First United Methodist Church in Richmond, KY and a member of the Supervisory Committee of the Central Appalachian Peoples Federal Credit Union in Berea, KY.

Les Roll, Enterprise Development Project Specialist, lroll@maced.org

Les joined MACED in January 2011 as Enterprise Development Project Specialist for the Hazard office. In that role, he will identify potential partners and entrepreneurs, facilitate loans, and work to create strong and lasting local relationships. Les is a 2009 graduate of the UK College of Law and is a member of the Kentucky Bar. A former AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps*VISTA member, Les’s work experiences have (almost) all emphasized working with and in rural communities. In his spare time, Les dabbles in photography, reads science fiction and cooks.

Joseph Sheehan, Technology and Maintenance Coordinator, jsheehan@maced.org

Joe joined MACED in May 2008 as the Technology and Maintenance Coordinator. He has lived most of his life in Kentucky and graduated from Morehead State University in 2004 with a degree in Industrial Technology. Prior to coming to MACED Joe performed computer desktop support and technology planning for the University of Kentucky Department of Anesthesiology. While not at work he enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and daughter.

Scott Shouse, Forester, bsshouse@maced.org
Scott Shouse joined MACED's staff in January 2008 after several months of consulting work with the Forest Opportunities Initiative. Scott's responsibilities are focused on the carbon credits program but also include other sustainable forestry work. He has diverse forestry experience including tropical agro-forestry, urban forestry, forestry research and social/environmental certification. He is also experienced in database design and implementation as well as Geographic Information Systems. Scott holds a Masters of Science degree in forestry from the University of Kentucky.

Ashley Spalding, Research and Policy Associate, aspalding@maced.org
Ashley joined MACED in October 2011. Ashley has conducted research on social and economic policies affecting low-income families for the past ten years. Her doctoral and postdoctoral research projects at the University of South Florida focused on low-income housing and education, respectively. At MACED, Ashley now works on Kentucky budget, tax and policy analysis. Ashley holds a PhD in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida, an MA in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina and a BA in English from Samford University. A Kentucky native, Ashley is thrilled to have returned to the area to live and work.

Kristin Stratton, Senior Associate, kstratton@maced.org
Kristin Stratton graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 1997 with a bachelor of arts degree in public relations. Within a matter of weeks, she was working at MACED as a intern and has been with the organization ever since. Through the years, her position has evolved and she has served in many roles including communications, fundraising, programmatic work, grant administration and technology coordinator. Kristin is involved in community development in her hometown of Paint Lick. She is board president for the Friends of Paint Lick and the Paint Lick Family Clinic. Kristin lives on Bell Spring Farm with her husband, Shawn, and their sons, Mason and Evan. Her boys are the fifth generation of the family to live on this farm.

Greta Tompkins, Office Manager, gtompkins@maced.org

Greta became Office Manger in November 2010 after working with MACED part time as office assistant since February 2008. She is a graduate of Somerset Community College with an Associate’s degree in Accounting. Greta is a lifelong resident of Kentucky and now resides in Mt. Vernon with her husband and four children.

Kristin Tracz, Research and Policy Associate, ktracz@maced.org
Kristin Tracz joined MACED in June 2010 after finishing her Master of Environmental Management degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Kristin works closely on energy efficiency and renewable energy policy in Kentucky and Central Appalachia and supports the Appalachian Transition Initiative. Prior to graduate school, Kristin was a Senior Program Associate for the Blue Moon Fund in Charlottesville, Virginia, working with rural economic development projects throughout Asia. A Virginia native, with a B.A. from the University of Virginia, she is happy to be away from the cold winters of the Northeast.

Geoffrey Willett, Program Specialist, gwillett@maced.org
Geoffrey started at MACED in 2008 as a staff recruiter and is now a program specialist with the Enterprise Development Team. Geoffrey has degrees from Gettysburg College and Duke University. He is a graduate of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Institute and completed a Kellogg Fellowship in International Community Development focusing on Latin America. Geoffrey worked for 32 years with the North Carolina State Government and among other positions was Chief of Planning, Policy and Technical Services for the Division of Coastal Management and a Chief Planner for the Department of Commerce. He taught at the University of North Carolina Environmental Studies Program in Asheville, the Duke University Center For Nonprofit Management and Warren Wilson College. He has worked closely with numerous nonprofit organizations serving as an adviser and board member. Geoffrey loves to travel and ride bikes with his wife and is an amateur nature photographer.

Chris Woolery, How$martKY Residential Energy Specialist, cwoolery@maced.org
Chris Woolery joined MACED in the summer of 2011 as the residential energy specialist for How$martKY. As a former ENERGY STAR® builder and energy efficiency contractor, Chris has been a pioneer in energy efficient construction and remodeling in central Kentucky for over a decade. Having built 21 ENERGY STAR homes and implemented energy upgrades to over 600 households, Chris has learned which energy improvements are good investments. In working with How$martKY, Chris helps to design and install efficiency upgrades that are paid for out of savings on utility bills. When he is not being an energy nerd, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, especially his two children.

Paul Wright, Enterprise Development Director, pwright@maced.org

Wright is responsible for MACED’s Enterprise Development programs throughout the Appalachian service region. His duties include coordinating new enterprise development products and strategies; program performance management; and facilitating linkages to new resources and partners. Prior to joining MACED in August 2011, Paul was Senior Program Officer at Local Initiatives Support Corporation where he developed a nationally recognized comprehensive community development initiative. With over ten years experience consulting small businesses (including his own), Paul brings a wealth of knowledge to the MACED team. Paul holds a BS in Business Administration from Birmingham-Southern College and an MBA in Community Economic Development from Eastern College. He resides in Berea with his wife and four kids.

Consultant

Shari Hawley, Communications Consultant

Barbara Wyckoff, Forestry Consultant