Board of Trustees

Abe Dunne

Abe, TSA ’26, is a senior at The Sharon Academy, and is in his second year serving as a student representative on the Board of Trustees. He lives in Hartland and chose TSA because of its welcoming community and supportive learning environment, both of which have made his high school experience incredibly rewarding. As a student board representative, he makes sure that student perspectives are heard in board meetings, and takes on the role of a student leader in the school community. Along with his fellow representatives, he helped create and administer an all-school student survey to better understand student opinions on key issues. He hopes this project will continue in the future for many years and give the board long term data on the student perspective. Abe decided to take on this position because he wanted to support this wonderful community that has brought him so much joy these last few years, and to make sure that the student voice is part of the important decision making that happens in TSA.

Ashley Patton

Ashley holds a BA in American Studies from Smith College and has worked at Vermont Law and Graduate School since 2010. She found her niche in advancement services and happily spends her days immersed in fundraising databases. Ashley and her family have lived in Sharon since 2017, and her son is a member of the TSA class of 2029. In her free time she enjoys wandering through her garden, baking things with lots of butter, and trying to keep up with the reading for her book club.

Cora Swanberg

Cora is a social work professional with over six years of experience at Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont (HCRS). As a Police Liaison and Crisis Intervention Specialist, she co-responds with Vermont State Police to support individuals in crisis through trauma-informed, community-based care. With a background in clinical social work, case management, and victim advocacy, she is committed to bridging public safety and human services. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Vermont, a Bachelor’s from Simmons University, and is a 2014 graduate of The Sharon Academy.

Dee Gish

Dee is a parent of two TSA graduates and her husband, Kevin, is a part-time math teacher at TSA. The Gishes moved to Sharon from Missouri in 2008, due in large part to an impressive visit to the TSA middle and high schools on a house hunting visit. Dee works in accounting and also serves on the boards of Building A Local Economy(BALE) and the Sharon Energy Committee. Personal interests include environmental advocacy, yoga, hiking and gardening.

Erik Skarsten

Erik holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and has been teaching science in private and public schools in Vermont and New Hampshire since 2004. He has been involved in various non-profit organizations focusing on surface water quality, school advisory, land conservation, and land stewardship. Erik and his family moved to Sharon from southern Vermont in 2016 in part because of the excellent educational opportunities for his 3 children. His middle daughter is a member of the TSA class of 2025, and his younger daughter will be joining TSA in a few years. In his free time he enjoys hiking, biking, and skiing, and has been a National Ski Patroller since 1998. As a teacher and parent, Erik understands and appreciates the value and experience that TSA offers its students.

Evan Hare

Evan, TSA ’26, is a senior at TSA. She transferred to TSA during her sophomore year and now lives in Strafford, VT. When she is not working on the Board, she loves playing soccer, downhill skiing and rides horses competitively. She loves to travel and is hoping to minor in French in college so she can travel to French speaking countries in the future.

Jazmin Guyette

Jazmin Guyette is the Assistant Vice President Risk Governance Officer for Mascoma Bank, leading a team focused on identifying, mitigating, and reporting on financial and non-financial risks and document management. She received her associate’s in accounting; her bachelor’s in business administration with a focus in finance and is currently pursuing her Master of Business Administration with a focus in Leadership from SNHU. She is a passionate lifelong learner and mother with strong values that align with TSAs; to promote and nurture intelligent, independent, and creative thinking. Jazmin believes our future lies in the hands of our children and their ability to make a difference in the world. Even though she didn’t attend TSA, she hopes to make a difference for the school with her love for strategy and finance. In her spare time, you can catch her fishing with family, planting trees, drawing, or learning new skills.

Ken Wright

Kylie Eastman

Kylie Eastman is a current TSA parent of Riley (’22) and alumni parent of Lydia (’21) Eastman. She grew up in Tunbridge, Vermont, attended Chelsea High School and now resides with her family in Chelsea. She has served as the TSA Athletic Booster Club president for the past several years. Kylie works in the field of occupational therapy, serving Vermont senior citizens. She is excited to join the board and finds that purposeful engagement is very important to her.

Natalie Muckenthaler

Natalie grew up in California and earned her BFA in Art from Cal State Fullerton. She homeschooled her boys until they joined TSA and loves spending time with her family, hiking, reading, and growing pumpkins.

Owen Brackett

Owen, TSA ’27, is a junior at The Sharon Academy and a passionate community leader. He plays a key role in organizing student events throughout the year, including prom and seasonal dances. He was also a participant in the Finland Global Citizenship Program in his 9th grade year, where he expanded his understanding of global issues and cross-cultural collaboration. In addition to his academic and leadership roles, he is a proud member of TSA's Varsity Boys Soccer Team.

Phillip Lapp

Phil is a managing partner with Gallagher, Flynn & Co, an accounting and consulting firm with offices in Burlington, VT, and Lebanon, NH. He has sat on numerous other charitable and community boards in the area and lives in Sharon. He has two children, one at TSA High School and one who graduated in 2019. He enjoys riding on an off-road motorcycle in the woods of Vermont. Phil has a BA from Goshen College in Indiana and studied accounting at Portland State in Oregon. More recently he has pursued continuing education at Case Western Reserve University.

Scott Muckenthaler

Scott joined the board in 2025 following a 27-year career as a designer and creative director in digital marketing. He has two sons currently attending TSA. Between board meetings you can find Scott on the slopes, on the fairways (okay, in the rough), at the fishing hole, traveling with his family, walking our dog, or tossing a pizza.

Stephen Farrington

Stephen is the founder of Transcend Engineering, which specializes in extracting hidden insights from sensor data using machine learning and artificial intelligence, and CTO of Landscan, a climate-smart farming technology startup. Stephen has served on several non-profit boards, is Lead Coach/Mentor of the local FIRST Robotics team “Archytas,” and recharges by composing and producing music. His wife, Catherine, is his business partner. They have a daughter and a son who both graduated from TSA and are amazing young adults.

Tanya Swett

Tanya has been involved in education for over 20 years as a longtime elementary educator, a middle school math teacher, a trustee at the Upper Valley Waldorf School and a curriculum development advisor. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, Tanya created an interdisciplinary, self-designed major combining courses in education, psychology and organizational behavior (through the Tuck School of Business). She has a Master’s Degree in Education from the joint program of the Shady Hill School in Cambridge Massachusetts and Lesley College. In addition to her work in education, Tanya has worked as a doula, assisting women and families at births. She and her husband, Matt, live in Norwich and are the parents of three daughters, two of which are TSA Alumni.

Trisha Watson

Trisha has a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing. She worked in marketing for many years before transitioning into project management and process improvement in the public sector. Trisha has worked for the State of Vermont for 14 years, including as a Program Manager for the Agency of Education. She is a Certified Public Manager®, a Project Management Professional®, and a Green Belt in process improvement. Trisha and her family relocated to Sharon from the Montpelier area in 2023 so that their daughter could attend TSA as a freshman. The experience has been better than they dreamed, and is why Trisha decided to give back to the school, first as a volunteer for TSA’s annual Phoenix Phest fundraiser and community event and making pizzas at TSA home soccer games, then joining the board. In their free time, Trisha and her husband are avid mountain bikers and travel all over Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to bike, even in the winter, thanks to fat bikes!

Tulio Browning

Tulio has a BA in English Literature from Colorado College and an MS in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Texas at Austin. He is married to storyteller and artist Jools Skeet and lived with her in the Basque Country of Northern Spain where their three children were born and raised. In 2008 the family moved to Vermont where all three children graduated from TSA. A native of Austin, TX, Tulio appreciates 80’s punk rock and believes in the power of youth.