Board of Trustees

Alexa Manning

Alexa lives in Norwich with her daughter Adeline (TSA ’27) and dog Brûlée. She holds a BA in Political Science from Brown University. Alexa’s professional journey includes more than a decade in radio programming and on-air work at stations in New York City, Boston, Providence, and Albany. She has held leadership roles at several online start-ups and later worked as an independent consultant bridging business and technology divisions in the music, publishing, and education industries. Alexa’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for progressive education led her to found and lead a small, approved independent elementary school in southern Vermont. She also founded and runs the Upper Valley Rapids summer swim team at Storrs Pond Recreation Area in Hanover.

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.

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.

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.

Lorelai Putney

Lorelai lives in Sharon and is a junior at TSA. At TSA, she plays soccer in the fall and winter, and in the spring she spends her time coaching the Special Olympics basketball team in Randolph. During her freshman year, Lorelai participated in the Finland Global Citizenship Program, where she developed a deeper understanding of global issues. This year, she is also an Advancement/Enrollment Intern working with Misty. Lorelai is excited to serve as a student board member and hopes to help bridge the gap between students’ perspectives and the discussions taking place at board meetings.

Ross Evans

Nikki South

Nikki South is a parent of a current TSA student. She is a child protection and family law attorney in Sharon. Nikki and her family live in Tunbridge. Nikki is also on the Committee on Trustees.

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.

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 devoted more than 30 years to the field of education, serving as an elementary and middle school teacher, a special educator, and a curriculum development advisor. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, she designed an interdisciplinary major combining education, psychology, and organizational behavior (including coursework at the Tuck School of Business). She later earned a Master’s in Education through a joint program between the Shady Hill School in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lesley University. Beyond her career in education, Tanya has supported women and families as a birth doula. She and her husband, Matt, live in Norwich and are the parents of three daughters, two of whom 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!