Our Board
Local Leadership; Shared Purpose.
The Reading Community Trust is guided by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of residents who bring diverse professional experience, community insight, and a common commitment to Reading’s vitality. Each board member contributes time and expertise to oversee organizational governance, fundraising, community engagement, and project planning.
Jack Kartsch
Jack Kartsch and his wife, Jane Kartsch, are retired and have lived in Reading for the past three years. Their choice to live in Vermont is part of a plan to reduce their carbon footprint and be part of a solution to a sustainable future. Jack and Jane’s connection to Vermont began in 1980, as skiing was a way to share an activity with their son and many friends and family members. They bought a house in Plymouth and spent wonderful years there, in both winter and summer. Jack began a general contracting business and then became a project manager for large building projects. Jack has a BA in History from Temple University and an MA from Fordham University. He and Jane are co-founders of the Future Is Reading community group. Jack cites the best job and most successful work experience as Head Counselor of a kids' summer camp, where he learned about inspiring kids and organizing activities.President
Christina Hedberg
Christina Hedberg and her husband have owned a home in Reading for 35 years. Christina brings to this project deep experience
in entrepreneurship, business development and business planning accumulated through
40 years working in the biotech industry. Christina recently retired from MIT where she was involved in launching new biotech companies. Vice President
Lisa Quirk Kaija grew up in Michigan and Massachusetts, and came to the Upper Valley to attend Dartmouth College (BA, Art History) in 1979. Through a colleague at the Hood Museum of Art, she married Kevin Kaija, who was born and raised in Reading. They moved into a circa 1800 family homestead and raised five children, who cherish their rural upbringing. With education as a lifelong passion, Lisa trained to be a teacher through the Upper Valley Teacher Institute (now Upper Valley Educator Institute) and obtained dual certification in K-6 Elementary Education and K-6 Art Education. Currently, her teaching energy is focused on PK-6 students at Artistree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret. She also serves as a Docent Supervisor and tour guide at the Hall Art Foundation in Reading. Lisa sits on the boards of several local nonprofits and has experience with fundraising, grant writing, public relations and community engagement.SecretaryLisa Kaija
Brian Cali
Brian Cali purchased a 1782 farmhouse in Reading with his wife Sophie Evett in 2020. They've since completed a net zero energy retrofit and renovation of this historic property, with Brian having served as project manager and construction team member. He serves on the Reading Energy Committee, and spearheaded the process that led to voter approval of a town-owned solar array. Brian has been a biotechnology entrepreneur, executive and board member, and is currently a board member for several non-profits. He holds a BS from Cornell University and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.Board Member
Kate Alfieri
Board MemberAfter earning her Masters in Business Administration & Accountancy from Boston University Kate spent 5 years in the Boston Coopers & Lybrand audit practice. Afterwards she held a series of corporate controllership roles in high tech, low tech and consultancy companies in the Boston area. Since moving to South Reading with her family in 2020 she has enjoyed part-time work scanning passholders at Okemo Mountain and in the MVSU school system as a substitute teacher. 
Claire Walton has had a home in Reading with her wife, Eve Waterfall, and two children since 2007. Now retired, she worked in finance and investment management for nearly 40 years, including co-founding an international investment advisor. She is a director of the BlackRock Multi-Asset funds, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont and the Finance and Investment Committees of SBP (non-profit providing disaster relief). Claire previously served on the boards of Woodstock Ski Runners, Boston Hedge Fund Group and the Massachusetts Council on Economic Education. She has a BS in Psychology from the University of Maryland and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.TreasurerClaire Walton
Gerry Marletta, along with his wife, Erika, and daughter, Zoe, have called Reading home since 2018 after spending 13 years in New York City. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, he is a trained musician and audio engineer, and has spent over 20 years writing, recording, and performing music with numerous bands. Elsewhere in the world of live entertainment, he has worked in theater and live music as a sound designer and sound engineer. For the past 18 years, he has had a successful professional career in revenue systems consulting, with a focus on the B2B SaaS and Events industries. He is a member of the Reading Recreation Commission, which he has led in the past, and the Future Is Reading community group.Board MemberGerry Marletta
Marie Anderson is a lifelong Vermont resident who moved to South Reading, VT in 1991 where she and her husband, Kevin, built their home, raised three children and became active in the local community. Marie has been the Green Up Day coordinator for 25 years, served on the local elementary school board for two terms and was an active member of the local PTO. Marie is a language educator who has traveled abroad numerous times with her middle/high school students and also has over 15 years of Human Resources experience through her work at one of the largest ski resorts in the east.
Board Member