Liberation Ecosystem Staff

Director of Partnerships & Community

Samantha (she/her) is passionate about local food and ag, particularly cheese, and lives with farmer who runs a small organic farm on their property. Previously working as a chef for several farm-to-table establishments, she has been involved in food for over a decade. Before that she spent many years working in outdoor and experiential education at Hidden Villa, a nonprofit farm & wilderness preserve in California.
Samantha studied Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations (conc. Arabic) at Yale University, where she picked up a healthy love of learning languages. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors at the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op. She loves meandering in the woods, discussing paleontology, and is always ready to eat a meal, plan a meal, or reminisce about previous good meals.
Contact her here

Technical Assistance & Resource Manager

Jennifer (she/her) spent the first 30 years of her life in Los Angeles before finding her way to the Green Mountains. Jennifer initially worked in the music industry and through that, she found herself engaged in a lot of volunteering opportunities with community youth which changed her life choices and her career path. She has spent over 20 years serving at risk and homeless youth in both Oregon and in Vermont. Jennifer found herself wanting to do more work within her own community and with the land, so joining the team at Liberation Ecosystem felt like a very natural move. She is passionate about land and food sovereignty, access to healthy food for all, and centering BIPoC voices. Jennifer spent 4 years serving on the Vermont State Commission of Native American Affairs and 2 years as a City Council Member in Montpelier. She is also a mom, wife, beader, avid camper, kayaker, snowshoer, loves getting her hands in her tiny garden, and generally prefers to be in the woods whenever possible.
Contact her here.

Director of Operations

Alyssa (she/her) is a Boricua Jersey Girl who made her way to the Green Mountain state two years ago. A former "city mouse", she fell in love with Vermont (even during mud season!) thanks to her wife (a Vermonter).
Alyssa leverages over a decade of experience in progressive movement organizations, higher education, and social justice programming in her current role as the Director of Operations at Liberation Ecosystem. This role combines her love of project management, strategic thinking, and a well-organized spreadsheet in service of a mission near and dear to her heart: building community for BIPOC Vermonters also committed to a just, equitable, and sustainable future. The descendant of Puerto Rican farmers and restaurant workers, Alyssa is the first in her family to graduate from college (Wellesley College) or hold a master's degree (Indiana University - Bloomington).
In contrast to her urban upbringing, Alyssa deeply enjoys now living at the base of a mountain in Bristol. A theater kid at heart, she will never say no to a karaoke night or dance class. You can find her binge watching reality TV (Bravo universe preferred), baking something complicated for no reason, cuddling her dog, or reading a book by the New Haven River on the weekends.
Contact her here

Liberation Ecosystem Board of Directors

Susan Yao (she/hers) is a homesteader and educator based in Bellows Falls, VT and serves as the Board Chair of the Liberation Ecosystem Board. She is co-founder of the Vermont Village School, a new microschool in Southern Vermont that reimagines school as a liberatory space, especially for children of color. She is passionate about making Vermont a place where people of color can thrive. She lives in a DIY tiny house with her family.

Najat Croll (she/her) is a daughter, sister, partner, and creator. She grew up in the green mountains and has never felt so well rooted. She primarily works as an Architectural Designer for a natural design/ build co-op. Najat found Liberation Ecosystem on her own search for community building. It was clear how needed and powerful this community was. She is excited to deepen her support of the collective by joining the Liberation Ecosystem board. Najat loves to come together in community to share food, skills, and adventure. During her free time, you will find her walking her goats, roller skating, hiking, or reading by the water.

Lily Hammerling (they/she) came to Vermont for school from St. Paul, Minnestoa. Professionally, they are working to become a carpenter at a natural design build co-op. In their free time, Lily enjoys spending time outside, foraging, canoeing, and tending to their chickens. Making art, reading, or binge watching tv shows are other ways that Lily finds relaxation, though they especially love to cook, looking at different recipes before creating their own. Lily found Liberation Ecosystem during a time in their life when they needed community and was supported by Liberation Ecosystem’s facilitators and members in a way they didn’t know they needed. As a result, Lily chose to join the board to help support the ecosystem that Liberation Ecosystem nourishes.

Liv Peña (she/her) serves as the Vice Chair of the Liberation Ecosystem Board and was a member of the first Organizing Squad. She also founded the organization in 2020. Liv studied Food Systems at the University of Vermont and has worked across a variety of spaces and roles related to food and agriculture, policy, and racial justice / social change. An aspiring farmer, she comes from a long line of agricultural ancestors in the Dominican Republic, Virginia, and New Jersey. She dreams of creating and contributing to physical and social spaces to advance food sovereignty and justice for Black people and other communities of color in Vermont and beyond.