MEET OUR TEAM
It's a Pleasure to Meet You!
New Hampshire Children’s Trust recruits highly skilled employees who are passionate about eliminating child abuse and neglect in New Hampshire. In collaboration with a diversely skilled board of directors and numerous volunteers, New Hampshire Children's Trust's employees work tirelessly every year to make strides in preventing child abuse in NH by educating, advocating, and collaborating.
Cliff Simmonds
Executive Director
Cliff joined the leadership team as Executive Director at New Hampshire Children’s Trust in 2019. He has more than 25 years of nonprofit experience with over 18 years leading two youth services organizations where he developed industry-leading Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) outcomes and measures to quantify the socio-emotional growth of underserved children. In a “prior life,” Cliff was a consultant for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program and many Fortune 500 companies. In his spare time, Cliff enjoys spending time with his wife, Nicole, and three children. When not at home, he can be spotted traversing the New England landscape on his mountain bike.
Contact Cliff at csimmonds@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0322
Tracy Vergason
Senior Program Director
Tracy Vergason is the Senior Program Director at NH Children’s Trust, providing strategic leadership for the Program Team. Tracy brings over 25 years of passionate service within the non-profit sector, where she has tirelessly championed the well-being of children and families. Her journey has involved working with various non-profit organizations, offering invaluable consultation, delivering training, providing technical assistance, and skillfully managing programs. Tracy's expertise extends to facilitating projects and spearheading both statewide and national initiatives, making her an invaluable asset to our team.
Tracy boasts a Master's from Wheelock College in Early Care & Education with an emphasis in Leadership and a Bachelor's in Humanistic Journalism. Residing in Hooksett, she shares her space with Harlan, her Boston Terrier who has a penchant for dance, and two unimpressed cats. Tracy's passions span from photography and exploring New England's beauty to attending art fairs and bowling. Lately, she's delved into birding and stained glass artistry.
Contact Tracy at tvergason@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0321
Becky Berk, M.Ed.
Impact Director
Becky Berk re-joined the New Hampshire Children's Trust team in 2020 after serving with the agency from 2010 to 2014. Becky has a 30-year history of working with NH non-profits whose mission is supporting children, families, and education in the broadest sense of the word. With a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College, Becky initially taught physics and biology in Cairo, Egypt. With a return to New Hampshire and a Master’s degree in Organizational Development and Leadership from Antioch University New England, she morphed into all aspects of non-profit program management. Becky has two grown children and lives with her husband in the NH countryside. When not reading or bird-watching, she can be found solving games of logic and puzzles of all kinds.
Contact Becky at bberk@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-1490
Nathan Fink, MFA
Senior Director of Advancement
Nathan Fink joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2019. As the Advancement Director he brings nearly 20 years’ experience in education, fundraising, marketing, and narration. Nathan received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Master of Fine Arts in writing from the University of New Hampshire. His work in academia, community mental health, and advocacy focuses on elevating the stories of everyday people striving to build community. Nathan can be found forever (re)hammering the floor nail of his old house in Durham, NH, where he lives with his wife and two feral sons.
Contact Nathan at nfink@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0329
Nick Riso
Director of Finance
Nick joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2020. Nick has worked in the non-profit sector for over 12 years, with expertise in many areas of accounting and finance. He received his B.S in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors; hiking, camping, fishing, and everything else the beautiful state of New Hampshire has to offer.
Contact Nick at nriso@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-1493
Diane Hastings
Community Relations Coordinator
Diane Hastings has been with the Children’s Trust since 2006 and works on fundraising and communications including the annual appeal, special events, and grant seeking. She comes from The Children’s Place and Parent Education Center (TCP) in Concord where she served in various leadership roles for over nine years, including two terms as board president and as their Executive Director. Diane led during an exciting time of great change and growth, including purchasing TCP’s first permanent home. A graduate of Leadership Greater Concord class of 2005, Diane is past chair of Concord Children’s Initiative and past treasurer of Family Support New Hampshire. Diane has a Master’s degree from Murray State University and lives in Contoocook with her husband. She has three grown children.
Contact Diane at dhastings@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0323
Kat Challis
Director of Development
Kat Challis, Development Manager, joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2020. She brings over eleven years of nonprofit experience working in the education, homeless and housing service, and land conservation sectors. Kat received a B.A. in anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She returned to NH in 2020 with her husband and they enjoy all that New England has to offer including camping, fishing, growing fresh food, making maple syrup, and the great outdoors.
Contact Kat at kchallis@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-1492
Liz Scruton, M.AED
Family Support and Early Childhood Initiatives Director
Liz Scruton joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2022. She brings nearly 20 years of Early Childhood Development experience from a variety of roles. Liz is a passionate trainer and brings a strengths-based approach to technical assistance on a variety of subjects. She has earned her Master of Education with a focus in Family and Society Services from Ashford University, a B.A. in Early Childhood Administration, and an A.A. in Elementary Education. Liz holds multiple Early Childhood Credentials from the DHHS, Bureau of Child Development and Head Start collaboration. She is an NH Native and spends her time enjoying the seasons of NH with her husband and dogs. She can often be spotted checking out NH’s hidden gems while enjoying food and music.
Contact Liz at lscruton@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-1243
Maria Doyle, MSS
Primary Prevention Director
Maria Doyle joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2011. Maria brings over 30 years’ experience working with children and families to the position. Maria received her B.A. in psychology from Westfield State College and a Masters in Social Service from the Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She has worked in community mental health, child welfare, and training. Joining NH Children’s Trust helped Maria discover her passion, focusing on assuring every family has what they need to be their strongest. She is a certified trainer in the Bringing the Protective Factors Framework to Life Series and the Standards of Quality for Family Strengthening and Support.
Contact Maria at mdoyle@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0324
Nathalie Gagnon
Bookkeeper
Nathalie Gagnon joined our team as Bookkeeper at the New Hampshire Children’s Trust in October 2022.She has worked in the accounting industry for over 20 years. She earned her BS in accounting from Our Lady of Elms College in Chicopee, MA. She lives with her daughter and two felines. In her free time she reads, watches movies and enjoys crosswords.
Contact Nathalie at ngagnon@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-224-1279
Lindsay Allsop
Data & Organizational Performance Manager
Lindsay Allsop joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust in 2023 as the Data and Organizational Performance Manager. She has an MBA with a specialization in information systems and business analytics from UNH and a B.S. from Bates College. Prior to joining NHCT, Lindsay split 15 years of her professional career between the UNH Institute on Disability and Wayfair and enjoyed a 2-year stint between them as an alpine ski patroller in NH. She grew up in Concord, NH, where she now lives with her husband. Lindsay currently serves on the Board of Directors at Building Community in New Hampshire, a Manchester based non-profit that supports New Americans in the granite state.
Contact Lindsay at lallsop@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-415-0326
Carroll Berg, MFA
Communications Manager
Carroll joined the New Hampshire Children’s Trust team in 2023 after working in the Graphic Design and Print field since 1996. Carroll received his BFA and MFA from Maine College of Art in Graphic Design where his work was focused on Social and Political Impact.
Carroll is a NH Native from Goffstown, and when he isn’t working, he enjoys glamping and vacationing with his wife and two kids, as well as tending to his wonderful flock of chickens.
Contact Carroll at cberg@nhchildrenstrust.org or 603-224-1279
Jamie Huard-Ramos
Program Administrative Coordinator
Jamie Huard-Ramos joined the New Hampshire Children's Trust team in 2023. She has spent most of her career in administrative roles and the past two years in a nonprofit. Jamie earned BA in Human Services from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a native of the Granite State and lives with her husband, dog, and cats. In her free time, she can be found spending time in the mountains, reading, or doing jigsaw puzzles.
Contact Jamie at JHuard-Ramos@nhchildrenstrust.org or (603) 415-0506
Kathy Palys
Early Childhood Specialist
Kathy joined the NH Children’s Trust team in October 2023 as the Early Childhood Specialist. She has worked in early childhood for almost two decades in various settings and roles. She holds a B.A. in Human Development/Early Childhood Education/General Special Education from Rivier University. Residing in Southern NH, she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, running, and reading in her spare time.
Contact Kathy at kpalys@nhchildrenstrust.org or (603) 415-1489
Jennifer Paveglio
Office Manager
Jennifer joined the NH Children’s Trust team in October 2023. She is our office manager and comes to us with a background in operations management and compliance management in the financial services field where she has worked for the past 8 years.
Jen is a NH native and loves the outdoors and everything NH has to offer. In her spare time you will find her paddleboarding on the seacoast, hiking or spending time with her husband and 3 dogs
Contact Jennifer at jpaveglio@nhchildrenstrust.org or (603) 415-1138
Our Board of Directors
According to the bylaws, the New Hampshire Children’s Trust is governed by 10–20 passionate and committed community members from around New Hampshire with a range of experiences and networks. 100 percent of the board of directors contribute financially to the organization, and the group meets approximately six times per year. Each director serves on at least one committee and attends face-to-face and virtual meetings as the work of the committee dictates. The current committees include: Governance, Finance, Fundraising and Communications.
The Governance committee recruits committee members and board candidates year round. Elections for directors occur at the annual meeting, which is typically held in December. Terms begin in January and run for three years. Directors may serve up to three consecutive terms. If you are interested in learning more about serving on our board, contact Cliff Simmonds, Executive Director.