Staff

Tami Patnode

Hobbies

Skiing, Biking, Hiking and anything outdoors

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Jen Perlee

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

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

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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Nicholas Pierce

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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Micah Pierce-Coleman

Biography

Micah is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at Champlain College’s Counseling Center, joining the team as a full-time staff member after completing a clinical graduate internship with the college. Micah has worked in higher education for multiple years and has experience supporting college students’ well-being across a variety of contexts. Micah has clinical interests and experience in anxiety, identity development, interpersonal relationships, and more.

Micah is originally from Breckenridge, CO, and has made a new home in Vermont after getting her Master of Science degree from the University of Vermont. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, baking, working on creative projects, connecting with friends, swimming, and trying new creeme spots!

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Darrin Pillsbury

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Hallie Pixley

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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Michelle Platt

Biography

Michelle earned a BA in Political Science at Southern Illinois University in 2008 and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Southern Illinois University in 2014. Michelle began working in Higher Education in 2014 after a 15 year career in retail management. Michelle was previously the Director of Outreach and Recruitment at a College in Washington State. Michelle is passionate about access to education, removing barriers and promoting educational equity. Michelle looks forward to working with students throughout their educational journey through to completion. In her spare time, Michelle is a geek and a dog mom who enjoys; attending Comic-con, tabletop gaming, pop-culture, movies and tv, reading, traveling, and collecting fandom art and collectables.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, Gaming, Listening to music, Travel, Film/Television, Comic-con and collecting fandom memorabilia.

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Alexis Pomerleau

Biography

Alexis Pomerleau serves as a Leadership Giving Officer, where she cultivates meaningful relationships that advance the College’s philanthropic mission. With expertise in donor relations, leadership giving, and strategic partnership development, Alexis works closely with diverse constituencies, including parents of current students, alumni, board members, and major gift prospects.

Alexis brings a unique professional background that spans higher education advancement, retail operations, startup ventures, and wellness services. Her career has been defined by a passion for connecting people with opportunities that create lasting impact. She excels at managing multiple high-profile projects simultaneously while maintaining the personal touch and attention to detail essential to effective relationship building.

In her role at Champlain, Alexis orchestrates donor cultivation activities, develops strategic communication campaigns, and coordinates volunteer advisory councils. She is particularly skilled in event stewardship, long-term relationship management, and creating value through authentic engagement. Her approach combines strategic thinking with genuine relationship-building, ensuring that every interaction advances both immediate goals and sustainable institutional growth.

Alexis holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing from Saint Michael’s College.

Hobbies

Horseback riding, cooking, hiking, and exploring new places.

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Ginger Pressey

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Hannah Puryear

Biography

Hannah is a versatile Systems & HR Specialist with a diverse background that encompasses roles ranging from Recruiting Administrator to Onboarding Specialist and HR Generalist. With a wealth of experience in the human resources landscape, Hannah’s expertise has been honed through her multifaceted career journey.

Having begun her professional journey as a recruiting administrator back in Oklahoma, Hannah quickly displayed a natural flair for nurturing meaningful connections. Her transition to an onboarding specialist role allowed her to ensure seamless assimilation of new hires into company culture, underlining her dedication to a positive employee experience.

She moved to Vermont at the beginning of 2021 and began a new role as an HR generalist. This allowed her to gain a comprehensive understanding of various HR functions such as, benefits, reporting, recruiting, and more.

Hannah has been with Champlain College since August 2022.

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James Quinlan

Biography

James is the Human Resources Manager at the People Center. He brings 15 years of HR and higher education experience. His strong commitment to education that transforms lives has included work in study abroad, curriculum development and human resources across the country. He’s made significant contributions at the University of Minnesota, Antioch University and Naropa University.

James holds a BA in Business from the U of MN and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Meridian University. He lives in Shelburne with his wife (a Champlain alum) and their two young children. Outside the office he can be found skiing, kayaking or renovating kitchens.

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Susan Ragusa

Biography

Sue joined Champlain’s Information Systems team as in 2024. Sue serves as the Canvas LMS administrator and provides academic technology support for the Center for Learning and Teaching. Prior to supporting instructional technology she spent many years as a design and technology instructor in higher ed. She holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and BA from Cedar Crest College.

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Linda Reid

Biography

Linda has been working at Champlain College Online since 2015. For five years, she worked directly with online adult students as a Senior Academic Advisor. Since 2020, she has been behind-the-scenes nerding out with Excel and other data tools to best support the success of all online students as the Senior Reporting Analyst. Linda has been working in higher education for over twenty years, starting with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2001) and followed up with a Master’s of Education degree (UMass Amherst, 2010). She has consistently worked either in an advising position or in a data position. People and data are her passions, except of course for her husband and son. She is focused on access needs for all students and has a particular interest in the needs of/support for neurodivergent students (youth and adults).

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