Jenny Talke Munyak, Trustee, President

Jenny relocated to Middletown Springs, Vermont in 2005, after having worked in NYC for 20 years in the Men's Fashion Industry. Only months after arriving in Vermont, she and her husband Dave, were drawn to SolarFest, its mission, and its culture, and have been active members ever since. Jenny is a member of the Festival Committee and manages the Box Office. She is currently President of the SolarFest Board of Trustees. Jenny graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University, with a degree in French and Economics. She studied for a year at the Universite de Tours in Tours, France. Jenny loves to travel, bike, play her flute, garden, and is involved in various community activities. She is currently serving as an apprentice (gopher) to her husband during the construction of his furniture workshop.

Carol Tashie, Trustee, Vice President

In 2004, upon moving to Rutland, Vermont, Carol Tashie and her partner Dennis Duhaime immediately became involved with SolarFest, first as volunteers and then festival committee heads. Three years ago, Carol joined the Board of Trustees and was later elected Vice President of the board. As a community organizer who co-chairs the Creative Economy's Sustainable Rutland, serves on the board of many local organizations, is active in the peace and justice movement, and is a founding member of the Rutland Area Localvores. Carol's passion for SolarFest rests in her belief that a peaceful and just world is possible when people come together to work for the common good. Carol and Dennis run Radical Roots Farm in Rutland. She currently coordinates SolarFest's workshop committee and can be reached at workshops@solarsest.org.

Laura Daubenspeck, Trustee, Clerk

Laura Daubenspeck has attended and volunteered at SolarFest almost since its inception.  As well as serving on the Board of Trustees, she has also been the Vendor Coordinator and Co-Head of the VIP Gate for the Festival. Laura is a recent graduate of Castleton State College in Vermont, with majors in Environmental Science and Spanish Language and Literature.  She is currently the Bulk Department Manager at the Rutland Area Food Coop.  She greatly enjoys the sense of community, involvement and sustainability that goes hand in hand with SolarFest.

Alan Calfee is a landowner, forester and conservationist. Alan has been practicing forestry in southern Vermont for over 20 years. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management and a Masters in Forestry from UVM. His business Calfee Woodland Management helps hundreds of private woodland owners steward their properties with a holistic and sustainable long-term approach. Alan has taught at the college level and worked extensively with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forest management certification program in the U.S. and other countries. Large and small scale biomass generators, carbon sequestration, wood heat and gasification as well as the sustainable use of locally grown wood fuels are some of the interests Alan brings to SolarFest. He has a passion for observing and studying the whole forest and for hands on management. Alan is always learning and he enjoys sharing what he knows with others.

Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman, Trustee, Past President

Melissa has been involved since the first year of SolarFest in 1995, when she joined the planning council in the spring. Since then, she has served the organization in many ways: writing promotional materials and grants, developing and implementing educational programs (most recently as a member of the Workshop Committee), as Volunteer Coordinator most years, director of Theater-in-the-Woods for five years, as Co-Executive Director in 2000 and 2001 after SF incorporated as a non-profit, and as Board President for five of the past seven years. She can be reached at volunteers@solarfest.org. Melissa is a music educator and director, the Chair of the Arts Department at Long Trail School in Dorset, Vermont, and is a founding member of the professional vocal ensemble Counterpoint. She loves SolarFest because it is a community created together, around a hopeful vision for the future, that generates an amazing energy of its own. It's made a lot of friends - Power to the People!

Robin Chesnut-Tangerman, Trustee

Robin has been involved with SolarFest since year one, serving on the board for many of those years and booking SolarFest performers and speakers for 10. He has also served on his Town Select Board for many years and is a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Vermont Progressive Party. In real life Robin is the owner of Talisman Woodwork, a design/build firm offering "Renovations and Innovations", including energy efficiency and historic preservation. His periodic Weekly Planet columns can be found in the Environment section of the Rutland Herald.

Tim Chila, Trustee

Tim Chila is a woodworker and builder currently living in Wallingford, VT. He founded Arch. Wood, Inc. in 1988 and has a portfolio of fine woodworking projects he's done for clients across the Northeast and beyond. Tim's passions include playing music, skiing and organic gardening. Along with his wife Laura and three children, Jeremiah, Sarah and Jake, he has been volunteering at SolarFest since 2002 and has been a trustee since 2005. Tim helped design and build the main stage of SolarFest from salvaged lumber. He is currently the chairperson of the SolarFest Publicity Committee.  He is also the chairperson of the Wallingford Conservation Commission and the Wallingford Energy Committee, as well as being a member of the Rec. Development Committee and on the steering committee for the Rutland County Energy Challenge.  Tim and Laura plan to open a sustainable living retreat on their land and will be committed to SolarFest for many years to come.

Taylor (Chip) Mauck, Trustee

After receiving an education in Natural Resource Management and Forestry from Duke University and the University of New Hampshire, Mr. Mauck has worked in the renewable energy field for the past 25 years. He is the owner of SunWeaver, a company specializing in the installation of renewable energy systems. He also co-owns the Solar Uprising Soundsystem, a solar electric powered sound system featuring politically charged music. It is committed to using music as an instrument for change, and a healer of spirits. He is co-director of the Traveling Solar Show, a festival based energy education center funded through it's solar powered kitchen. For the last 15 years, he has been actively involved with SolarFest, and the New England Renewable Energy Fair. His other interests include writing, homesteading and leading workshops on resource-responsible, solar living.

Mark McChesney, Trustee

Mark grew up in nearby Pawlet, VT, left for fifteen years - college (Cornell University), and then work in the hospitality industry in Chicago and Manhattan. In 1998, Mark and his wife Margaret, whom he met and married in Chicago, moved with children Jack and Olivia back to Pawlet to purchase and operate The Barn Restaurant. Mark and Margaret have been involved with Solarfest since 2001 as food vendors, and have long wanted to become a more integral part of the organization—both in planning, and in promoting its success. Mark is thrilled to be a part of the board, and looks forward to feedback and ideas from the entire Solarfest community. Mark also serves on the board at Live Green, and is a contributing member and amateur actor with the Dorset Players.

Michael Sorce, Trustee

Michael Sorce is a founding SolarFest council member and the Technical Director for the SolarFest festival. A graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, Michael freelanced as a lighting designer in San Francisco and New York City before relocating to Vermont. He is president and founder of Dark Star Lighting & Production here in Vermont, which provides lighting, sound, video, generator, and production services for the entertainment industry throughout New England. Dark Star is proud to provide professional theatrical lighting, sound and production management for SolarFest since its inception.

Melody Squier, Trustee

Host of SolarFest at Forget-Me-Not Farm, Melody and her family have been involved with Solarfest since its early beginnings. Mother, equine specialist, animal communicator, farrier, firefighter, organic gardener, flower fanatic, gourmet cook, B&B and premier green wedding site proprietor, and of course wife of the wonderful Tinmouth luminary, Marshall Squier. Melody is involved year round with Festival planning and presentation, and especially enjoys meeting and working with the Volunteers for Peace who come from all over the globe each year to help make SolarFest shine!

Patty Kenyon, Managing Director

Patty has been involved with SolarFest in one capacity or another since 2000, starting off in the volunteer ranks, becoming the bookkeeper and finally settling into her current role in late 2005. Patty's experience includes many years as a bookkeeper and office manager, a short time owning and operating her own craft business, seven years as a homeschooling parent as well as a Town School Director, and is currently an auditor in the Town of Middletown Springs. Patty brings her attention to detail, work-ethic and sense of humor to everything she does.