MEET OUR TEAM

A North Country native, Dawn has 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, the past decade of which has been focused on developing programming and community initiatives to address poverty. She holds a B.A. in Public Relations / Marketing and an M.A. in Organizational Leadership. In addition to working in the fields of public broadcasting, academia, and tourism, Dawn served as the deputy director for Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County (2010 – 2018) and the executive director for Watertown Urban Mission (2018 – 2022). A strong advocate of those struggling with generational poverty, Dawn is actively involved in “Bridges out of Poverty” and the “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-by World” workshop series and is co-chair of the North Country Bridges Steering Committee. When not working, she enjoys goofing off with her husband Rick, a transplant from the Greater Toronto Area, and their needy, loveable rescue dog Duke.

Clement was born in Hong Kong and attended boarding school in England in Reading, about 50 miles west of London. After college, he completed his accounting qualification while working full time and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Clement spent much of his career working in London at various accounting firms, mostly as an auditor before moving to Watertown, NY in 2016.  Clement welcomed the change from busy London to a quieter life in the beauty of the North Country.  He is an avid traveler, having visited most countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. Clement currently resides in Watertown with his dog, Darcy, where he enjoys updating his house, golfing and cooking. Clement is an advisory member for the Orchestra of Northern New York and member of Watertown Noon Rotary.

A native of Upstate New York, Rachel worked as a reporter covering various beats at the Watertown Daily Times for three years before joining the team of the United Way of Northern New York in October 2022. Prior to becoming a journalist, she attended Binghamton University and received a bachelor’s degree in English, and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University for a master’s degree in the Magazine, Newspaper and Online Journalism program. When she’s not working or playing with Luci and Loki (her two rescue cats), she enjoys spending time with friends and family, catching up on reading and shows, trying new restaurants and traveling.

April brings more than 16 years of experience in program development, food systems work, and community wellness to her role at United Way of Northern New York, blending her passion for healthy, local food with her commitment to equity, education, and holistic health. Before joining United Way, she served in leadership roles at organizations including Cornell Cooperative Extension, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, and FirstLine Schools. April holds a B.F.A. in Acting from SUNY Fredonia, completed professional culinary training at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts, and is currently pursuing dual certification as a Health and Life Coach through the Health Coach Institute. She recently launched Thyme to Thrive Coaching and Cooking, a business focused on supporting individuals through wellness coaching and seasonal, gourmet-style cooking classes. April serves as the Director of Volunteers on the Take Up Space Foundation, Inc. board and is actively involved with NNY Women Who Lead, Little Theatre of Watertown, and Carthage Little Theatre. In her spare time, April enjoys acting, writing, reading, gardening, yoga, Zumba, and creating cozy spaces filled with good food, laughter, and intention with friends and family.

Jennifer joined the United Way team in 2021 as the Community School Site Coordinator at the Edwards-Knox Central School District. Her mission is to enhance access to essential services, foster greater participation in educational programs, and collaborate closely with community partners to elevate the well-being and success of both students and families. In addition to her role at the school district, Jennifer actively contributes to the St. Lawrence County People Project’s Board of Directors, demonstrating her commitment to community development and empowerment. Outside of her professional endeavors, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her four children and her husband Bruce. Her diverse interests span from beekeeping to caring for her beloved sled dog team.

A North Country native, Sue is a graduate of Ogdensburg Free Academy. She earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Plattsburgh, her master’s degree from Syracuse University, and her certificate of advanced study from SUNY Brockport.

Sue has been an educator for over 35 years and began her career as a speech language therapist/audiologist before becoming an administrator of special education programs and services throughout St. Lawrence County. She has served as the director of the Green Rockets Rising Program since April 2025.

Sue has two grown sons and daughters-in-law, two grandchildren, and four grand-dogs.  She is the oldest of six children, three of whom also live in the North Country.

Outside of work, Sue enjoys spending time with her family and friends and being outdoors. She has passion for spending time at her camp in the Adirondacks snowmobiling and cross-country skiing, pickleball, walking, biking, and spending time on the St. Lawrence River. She also loves to read. 

Jinny has worked at Morristown Central School for the past 11 years. She has worked for the after-school program in the district for the past 7 years.  Jinny noted that it is such a pleasure to watch the children in the program. It is a wonderful group of people who work within the program. Jinny is thankful to the United Way for the opportunity to be part of the Green Rockets Rising Program.

Erin majored in French at SUNY Oswego and moved to the North Country from the Syracuse area in 2016. She has worked for the Morristown Central School District and its after-school program since 2016.

Erin has worked as an aide and substitute teacher at the school and has run or co-run at least 10 different after-school clubs and activities, including 2 crochet clubs. Erin has served as a Trustee and Assistant to the Director at the Morristown Public Library.  She enjoys reading, yoga, cooking, baking, and especially crochet. 

Erin lives in Morristown with her husband of 21 years, four sons, and two cats.  Her sons have all attended or graduated from Morristown Central School District.

Heather works as a teacher’s aide in a pre-kindergarten classroom at Morristown Central School during the day and as a teacher in the Green Rockets Rising Program in the afternoons. 

She has a wonderful husband and two great kids. Their daughter graduated in June 2025 and their son is currently a 4^th grader at Morristown Central School.  Heather and her family enjoy camping, swimming, fishing, watching the ships on the Seaway, spending time with family, and time on the St. Lawrence River. 

Heather notes that the thing she loves best about the Program is, of course, the children. She enjoys doing arts and crafts with them.  Heather and the children have a fun time and the children are proud of the finished projects they create.

Debra has been an employee of Morristown Central School as a kitchen worker for 4 years. She has worked in after-school programs for 3 years.  Debra’s hobbies include gardening, kayaking with her granddaughter, and baking.

Keitha has worked in the kitchen at Morristown Central School for over 20 years and has been part of after school programming at Morristown for several years.

Keitha has been married for 32 years. She and her husband have 4 children and 6 grandchildren.  Keitha enjoys being outside and spending time with her family.

Brenda worked as a teaching assistant with the Ogdensburg City School District for 21 years, with 14 years in the Ogdensburg after-school program. She also worked for several years in the Ogdensburg District’s summer school program.  Brenda earned her teaching assistant certification and worked in most grade levels throughout her career.  She joined the Green Rockets Rising Program in October 2025.

Leah works in the morning Green Rockets Rising Program. She is also a high school social studies teacher at Morristown Central. 

She lives close to the school so working mornings is an easy way to help out her community. 

In her free time, Leah likes to hang out with her dogs and travel. 

Libby resides in Ogdensburg and joined the Green Rockets Rising Program in September 2025. Her family and friends are the most important part of her life.

Libby is a disabled woman, and in her spare time she likes to color, make bracelets, do puzzles, and watch her favorite shows. 

Lauren is the speech language pathologist at Morristown and Hammond Central School Districts. She joined the Green Rockets Rising Program in the summer of 2025.

Lauren is grateful to work in her local community, having grown up in Morristown and graduating from MCS.

Lauren attended Elmira College for her bachelor’s degree and SUNY Plattsburgh for her master’s degree.

Since moving home, Lauren is having a great time spending time with her family and friends, along with reading through her extensive “to be read” list of books.

Lauren enjoys working with students of all ages to enhance their communication and is passionate about providing neuro-affirming care for all.

Bobbie Jo has worked at Morristown Central School for 25 years. She is also an alum of the district. Bobbie Jo has worked with the Green Rockets Rising Program for 2 years. She has 2 adult children.

Bobbie Jo has served as a volunteer fire fighter with the Brier Hill Fire Department for 17 years.

Trina is a secondary science teacher at Morristown Central School. She currently teaches middle school science (grades 6-8), Environmental Engineering, and college-level biology.  Trina has been a science educator for 13 years. This is her 5^th year at Morristown Central School. 

Trina is a graduate of SUNY Potsdam where she earned her B. A. in biology and her M.S.T. in secondary science education.  She holds certification in secondary biology education with an extension to grades 5-6.

Trina has been part of the Green Rockets Rising Program for a little over a year. She participated in the summer program as well.  Trina greatly enjoys supporting students beyond the regular school day. 

Trina is the proud mom of three teenagers: two high school seniors and a sophomore.  Her family also included two dogs, a cat, and a turtle.

In her spare time, Trina can usually be found reading a good book, paddle boarding, or relaxing by the water.