Staff

Kelsey O’Connor

Additional Roles	Title IX Deputy
Staff Member	Office of Housing & Residential Life  Office of Student Engagement  Title IX Team
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Contact	Skiff Hall Email Me

Biography

Kelsey O’Connor currently serves as the Director of Residential Life & Student Engagement at Champlain College. A 2014 Champlain graduate with a BS in Event Management, Kelsey has dedicated her career to enhancing the student experience at her alma mater, where she has worked since 2015. Throughout her time at Champlain, she has held multiple roles, from Associate Director of Student Engagement to Area Coordinator, gaining a broad perspective on student activities and residential life. She also holds a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from Champlain College Online.

Originally from Bedford, Massachusetts, Kelsey moved to Vermont to attend Champlain and fell in love with the state’s vibrant community. Outside of work, she enjoys kayaking and spending time with her two golden retrievers, Maple and Frankie.

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April O’Dell

Staff Member	Office of Finance & Administration
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	University of Vermont, Bachelor of Science
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Miller Center at Lakeside

Biography

April O’Dell, CPA, is the Chief Financial and Business Officer at Champlain College, bringing over 12 years of experience in financial leadership within complex operational environments. With expertise spanning financial reporting, budgeting, internal control frameworks, and federal compliance, April has a proven ability to strengthen organizational productivity through transparent communication, collaboration, and holistic problem-solving.

During her time with Champlain, April has overseen initiatives such as an initial public rating with Standard & Poor’s and the issuance of bonds in public markets, reflecting her commitment to innovative financial stewardship. Additionally, her leadership has driven multiple system integrations to enhance efficiency and transparency across financial operations.

April began her career in public accounting at KPMG, LLP, advancing to Audit Manager, where she developed expertise in risk assessment, compliance, and client relationship management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Vermont, graduating cum laude with recognition in accounting.

April is committed to fostering financial resilience in higher education and is known for her holistic thinking, collaborative leadership, and dedication to strengthening institutional outcomes.

Hobbies

Traveling, reading and watching my children play sports

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Connor O’Brien

Staff Member	Facilities
Pronouns	He/Him/His

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Nathaniel Orvis

Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	Vermont
Fun Fact About Me	Can mess up a spreadsheet just by looking at it.
Contact	Perry Hall Welcome Center

Biography

Nathaniel Orvis was born in Lincoln, VT. He grew up in Middlebury, VT, and attended Middlebury Union High School. Nathaniel currently lives in Middlebury with his beautiful 2 dogs and 3 cats. His favorite season in VT is Fall. Fall is a sign of change; the seasons are changing, children are starting school, but most importantly there are a lot of fall festivals. Nathaniel enjoys festivals and concerts, but Country music is his choice although he listens to a little bit of everything. In March of 2022, he came to Champlain to work and loves his job. When he’s not busy working, he enjoys traveling the United States and is particularly fond of California.

What are your hobbies?

Walking and Geocaching

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Fire and Ice

Walking the Robert Frost Trail

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Roland Palmer

Staff Member	Office of Institutional Advancement
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	Champlain College, Associate in Science
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Miller Center at Lakeside

Biography

Roland is an alumnus of Champlain College (Class of 1990) and is a native Vermonter who currently resides in Brookfield, Vermont (home of the floating bridge). Roland started at Champlain College in August 2006.

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Susan Paquette

Staff Member	Champlain College Online
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	University of Vermont, Bachelor of Arts; Champlain College, Associate in Science
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Remote

Biography

Susan is a Senior Course Producer on the eLearning team in Champlain College Online. She has worked for Champlain College since 2000 and in eLearning since 2016. She earned a BA in Studio Art from the University of Vermont and an AS in Accounting from Champlain College. She worked in the Champlain IS department for over 15 years where she was a Senior IT Analyst before transferring to the eLearning team. She loves music and flower gardening.

What are your hobbies?

Singing in chorus, flower gardening, & baking.

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Paige Paradise

Staff Member	Division of Communication & Creative Media  Office of Academic Affairs
Pronouns	Please Ask Me
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Communication and Creative Media

Biography

Paige Paradise is a higher education leader with a strong foundation in strategic marketing, inclusive programming, and academic operations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Strategic Marketing and a Master of Business Administration in General Management from Plymouth State University.

Paige currently serves as the Academic Operations Manager for the Stiller School of Business and the Game Studio at Champlain College, where she oversees faculty onboarding, event coordination, and cross-functional support to ensure smooth academic delivery and student engagement. Her work bridges strategic planning with creative execution, supporting both business and game development programs in a fast-paced, innovation-driven environment.

Before joining Champlain, Paige held multiple DEI leadership roles at Plymouth State University, where she helped co-found the IDEA Center (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access)—a campus hub for equity-driven programming, student support, and institutional change. As Assistant Director, she led initiatives to foster belonging, mentored underserved student populations, and facilitated over a dozen workshops on topics ranging from antiracism to interfaith dialogue. Paige also taught credit-bearing and professional development courses focused on social justice and inclusive leadership, blending theory with real-world application to empower learners at every level.

Paige is known for her collaborative spirit, operational savvy, and commitment to building inclusive, student-centered environments. She has chaired university councils, contributed to statewide DEI committees, and continues to advocate for equity and excellence in higher education.

Hobbies

Reading, Gardening/Floristry, Crafts

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Tami Patnode

Staff Member	Office of Financial Aid
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Canton ATC, Associate in General Education
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Perry Hall

Hobbies

Skiing, Biking, Hiking and anything outdoors

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Jen Perlee

Staff Member	Information Systems
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Education	Keene State College, Bachelor of Science
Home State	Phoenicia, NY
Fun Fact About Me	I started the women's rugby club at Keene State College.
Contact	Miller Center at Lakeside

Biography

Jen moved to Vermont in 1992 and has never looked back. She joined Champlain in 1994 and has never left. While always being on the Information Systems team she has done just about every job there is in IS. Currently she is our Sr. Salesforce Administrator and enjoys helping make our staff jobs easier which in turns helps our students succeed.

What are your hobbies?

Anything outdoors especially hiking, travelling, golf, finding the best maple creemees and volunteering.

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

So many great farm to table restaurants and breweries in VT. I love to travel all over our beautiful state trying them all.

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Richard Pickering

Staff Member	Champlain College Online
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Contact	Remote

Biography

Dr. Richard Pickering is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director for Technology here at Champlain College Online. Richard has a PhD in Teaching and Learning coupled with an MBA and numerous technology-related certifications.

Prior to Champlain, Dr. Pickering enjoyed a distinguished career blending pedagogical expertise with strategic leadership in program management and product development within the educational business sector.

Dr. Pickering also has held positions as Chief Executive Officer at Virtual High School Global Consortium, Chief Operating Officer at Victory Productions, various Program/Product Manager posts as well as Adjunct Professor appointments.

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Stephen Piela

Pronouns	He/Him/His
Education	Champlain College, Bachelor of Arts; York County Community College, Associate in Science
Home State	Maine
Contact	Remote Email Me

Biography

Steve is a proud Champlain College graduate of the Class of 2011. His love for rugby began during his tenure as a founding member of the Champlain College Rugby from 2006-2011. Following his playing days, he transitioned into coaching, serving as an Assistant Rugby Coach from 2011 to 2015. Since then, he has proudly taken on the mantle of Champlain College Women’s Rugby Coach, guiding and mentoring a new generation of athletes with dedication and enthusiasm. As someone who became an athlete in college, his favorite part of coaching is witnessing a player find empowerment through being part of a team and discovering their abilities and fortitude, which are hallmarks of rugby culture. Beyond the rugby pitch, he works as a Treasury Management Sales Consultant at M&T Bank. He lives in Essex Junction with his wife Maggie and their 3 cats.

What are your hobbies?

Travel, dining, computer science

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

El Gato, the Middlebury Tasting Trail, watching local rugby

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Mark Pierce

Staff Member	Champlain College Online
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Home State	Vermont
Contact	Miller Center at Lakeside

Biography

Mark earned his BA in Philosophy with Saint Michael’s College in 2008 and his MS in Education with Wheelock College (now Boston University) in 2014. Mark solidified his passion for education through a service year with an AmeriCorps non-profit in Chicago, IL where he acted as a tutor and mentor to students in a public high school. From there he found himself in various roles supporting young learners in achieving both core educational benchmarks and socioemotional well-being throughout Chicago, Boston, and Chittenden County, Vermont. Mark joined the higher education realm with Champlain College Online as an Academic Advisor and found tremendous value in supporting students’ personal development while they pursued their own educational and career goals. Mark now acts as the Academic Operations Manger for CCO. Mark is a nerd at heart who enjoys movies, reading, and sharing laughs with friends over video game and tabletop game sessions during his free time.

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Nicholas Pierce

Staff Member	Library
Pronouns	He/Him/His
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	New York
Fun Fact About Me	My first job was playing trombone with 6 different professional marching bands across upstate NY & greater New England!
Contact	Miller Information Commons

Biography

Nick is the current Access Services Manager for the Champlain College Library at the Miller Information Commons, and has held a career in academic libraries for over 15 years. He’s worked at several institutions- Skidmore, Babson, UVM, and most recently, Yale. Nick loves leading and managing teams focused in access services and collections management, but he also has experience in interlibrary loan, preservation, and reference work. He lives in South Hero with his wife, Julia, who works as a wedding photographer, and their 3-year-old rescue pup Pickles. Nick is absolutely thrilled to be joining, contributing to and serving the Champlain community.

Hobbies

Hiking with my wife Julia & Pickles the pup, homebrewing, reading!

Favorite Local Eateries & Things to do in Vermont

Two Heroes Brewery, Winooski River Walk, Colchester Pond, Museum of Everyday Life!

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Darrin Pillsbury

Staff Member	Facilities
Pronouns	He/Him/His

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Hallie Pixley

Staff Member	Campus Operations  Office of Transportation
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Connect Online	LinkedIn
Home State	Massachusetts
Contact	Communication and Creative Media

Biography

Hallie Pixley is the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator with Campus Operations, where she passionately advocates for biking and active transportation. A 2024 graduate of Champlain College, Hallie holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Policy. Her dedication to promoting sustainable transportation solutions is driven by her commitment to environmental stewardship and community well-being.

What are your hobbies?

Hallie loves biking, skiing, playing guitar, going to see live music, and painting/drawing (as well as most things involving the great outdoors).

Favorite local eateries and things to do in Vermont:

Nothing beats The Grey Jay’s shakshuka followed by a bike ride down the Colchester Causeway!

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