Meet our Board
Jesse Badger
Jesse Badger, Chairman of Northeast Waldorf Education Foundation is the owner of Badger Nautical Corporation, a management company serving the Maritime Industry since 2001. Badger Nautical manages private yachting programs throughout the world providing qualified crew and experienced leadership. A US Coast Guard, British Maritime Coast Administration, Cayman and Marshall Islands Master Mariner upon all Oceans as well as a licensed turbine helicopter pilot, Jesse has used his extensive experience afloat to provide leadership and management training to many of today’s rising cadets in the maritime sector. A strong advocate for education, Jesse has worked to promote Waldorf education at home in New Hampshire and abroad. When not travelling the globe building maritime programs, Jesse can be found at home in Intervale NH with his wife and child taking advantage of it’s incredible outdoor offerings.
Ethan McKenney
Ethan McKenney, Vice Chairman of Northeast Waldorf Education Foundation is the Director of Compliance of Professional Ambulance Service, a premier Emergency Medical Service primarily based in Cambridge, MA, as well as Pro EMS Solutions, an EMS Billing Agency in MA. Ethan has worked in the EMS industry since 2005. As an Officer in the US Army he developed his leadership skills. Ethan remains in service to the community through The American Legion as Post Commander and recently a State-Level Officer for the Department of Maine American Legion. Ethan resides in Conway, NH with his wife and two sons and has promoted Waldorf education since being introduced to it, wanting as many children as possible to experience the Waldorf way.
Tara Hartnett
Tara Hartnett, Northeast Waldorf Foundation’s Treasurer is an alumna of Sweet Briar College, where she received a B.A. in Studio Arts. Tara ‘s background includes Photography, Studio Management & Creative Consulting. After several years working with Garnet Hill in Franconia, New Hampshire Tara took the opportunity to work with a number of Fortune 500 companies. Tara developed in-house photography studios allowing companies to streamline creative workflows while improving the bottom line. Tara has spent most of her life in the Great North Woods of New Hampshire enjoying all the experiences of living in the woods. In 2013 Tara and her husband, Rich were joined on their journey by their son Jack. A little luck and good timing lead the young family to Waldorf education and a deep understanding of the power that education combined with the nature have to nurture our future. Tara has joined the Northeast Waldorf Foundation with a desire to make possible alternative education experiences for families whilst allowing children to thrive in the beauty of the Mount Washington Valley.
Spring McKenney
Spring McKenney, Secretary of Northeast Waldorf Education Foundation is the owner of Spring Smith Studios, a wedding and lifestyle photography studio and a realtor for Coldwell Banker Lifestyles. Spring Smith Studios has been operating in Mt. Washington Valley since 2009. Spring is also a member of the ‘MidPines foundation which raises camperships funds and fosters strong alumnae connections to Waukeela Camp for Girls in Eaton, NH. When Spring isn’t photographing weddings, selling real estate or volunteering she can be found spending time with her husband and two kids outside enjoying their family’s camp on Lovewell Pond and the surrounding mountains.
Heidi Miller
Heidi Miller is a Waldorf certified teacher who believes wholeheartedly in Waldorf education. She received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maine at Farmington and worked with young children and their families in Maine for nearly ten years before moving to the Mount Washington Valley area. When Heidi first learned about Waldorf Education she felt at home and soon after began her journey to becoming a trained teacher earning her Master’s level certificate in Waldorf Education Grades 1-8 through Antioch University New England. Heidi enjoys living in the White Mountains with her husband and two young children and she takes full advantage of all the hiking and skiing this area has to offer. Her greatest passions in life are the outdoors, education, and being a mom.
Carolyn Harrison
Carolyn Harrison has worked with children since she was a teenager when she was a counselor at a large recreational summer camp in her hometown of Lancaster, PA. This experience lead her to study Education at the University of Richmond where she received a BA in American Studies and Elementary Education. After teaching adult education, she moved to New Hampshire to continue her studies. Carolyn received a Post Graduate degree in Elementary Education from the Upper Valley Teacher Training Program in Lebanon, NH. This program allowed her to work for two years in elementary schools in the surrounding areas under the mentorship of identified master teachers. While pursuing this degree, she was introduced to Rudolph Steiner’s philosophy of child development and Waldorf education. She and her husband moved to the White Mountains of New Hampshire to raise their three sons in a community where the vast beauty of the unspoiled natural surroundings supported their love of year round outdoor recreation. Carolyn and her husband knew they had truly found the best place to raise their family when they discovered a Waldorf School in this area. They enrolled their children and became active members of the White Mountain Waldorf School community for the next 16 years. Carolyn pursued her Waldorf teacher training at the West Coast Institute for Anthroposophy in Vancouver, British Columbia. Carolyn has been the Kindergarten Teacher for the past 7 years. She moved away from the Mount Washington Valley for a year to teach Kindergarten at the Maine Coast Waldorf School in Freeport Maine and care for her aging parents. Carolyn has since moved back to Mount Washington Valley and looks forward to helping make affordable Waldorf inspired education available to all as a member of the Northeast Waldorf Education Foundation.
Jory D.V. Bailey
Jory Bailey is a Founding Board Member of the Northeast Waldorf Education Foundation. Jory Bailey is originally from Arcadia, Michigan. Our small family moved from the Carbondale/Aspen Colorado area to Silver Lake, NH in 2002, to be closer to family when we discovered that our first son Boone would be arriving soon. Jory lives with his wife Amanda and three children, Boone, Dodge and Royal. They enjoy the outdoors, working on their small farm where we raise a few old goats, a couple of cows, and a mustang horse named “Mae”. When they are not building treehouses, WWI replica trenches, and or Large Trebuchets, they love the different seasons and the various activities that are available here in the Mount Washington Valley.
Jory Bailey is a General Contractor, and has operated as Arcadia Custom Building, LLC established in 2007, and DBA Jory D. Bailey since 2002. Our specialties include Custom Building, Excavation, Rough terrain material handling, Onsite High Capacity portable sawmilling for Custom Timberframing. Jory is certified to operate nuclear density compaction equipment, and is also certified as Hot Mix Asphalt Paving Inspector, trained/certified by North East Transportation Training Certification Program.
Additional Board Members
Heather Burnell, Amazing Community Leader