Our Team

  • Greg DeFrancis

    Executive Director

    Greg is a non-profit leader and educator with over 30 years of experience leading teams that make a difference in their communities. He brings to his work expertise in teaching and learning, community engagement, program design and evaluation, and teacher professional development. Greg’s work focuses on creating experiential learning experiences for students, families, and adults that are inclusive, welcoming, relevant, and impactful.

    Greg’s collaborative leadership style has inspired diverse teams serving communities at the regional, national, and global level. He has partnered with dozens of museums, libraries, and afterschool organizations across North America and looks forward to bringing that experience to Finding Our Stride.

    Greg comes to Finding Our Stride after his recent work at the American Precision Museum in Windsor, VT where he led strategic planning, program evaluation, and development efforts. Previously he has led education and community engagement teams at the MIT Museum on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich VT. Outside of work, Greg can be found in the mountains biking, hiking, running and cross country skiing and coaching.

    Email: greg@findingourstride.org

    Call: 802-299-9075

  • Amelia Donahey

    Program Director and Head Coach

    Amelia Donahey is excited to join Finding Our Stride as Program Director and Head Coach. Amelia brings more than 15 years of experience as a teacher, school leader and outdoor educator and has focused her career on helping young people build confidence and connection through meaningful experiences. As a longtime runner and former Finding Our Stride coach, Amelia has seen firsthand how challenge, teamwork, and shared goals build joy and belonging for kids, and she looks forward to supporting the coaches, schools, families, and partners who make that possible.

    When she’s not working, Amelia can usually be found outdoors—running, skiing, swimming, biking, and gardening with her husband, James. She loves spending time with friends and family, especially her two young nephews, and is a firm believer in the power of movement, adventure, and community.

    Email: Amelia@findingourstride.org

  • Annie Kearney

    Director of Development

    Annie Kearney is thrilled to join the Finding Our Stride team at the start of 2026. Passionate about social impact, health, and youth development, she is an AmeriCorps alum with a master’s degree in clinical social work from Boston College and a doctorate in health education, promotion, and behavioral studies from Columbia University. Her doctoral work included the creation of a small nonprofit, Healthy Choices, Inc., a summer health camp for inner-city, female-identifying adolescents, which spent time in the Upper Valley and focused on the opportunity gap and holistic health.

    After completing her doctorate, Annie worked as a freelance researcher and curriculum developer focused on youth and community health. She led the Accentuating the Positive in Adolescence study, in partnership with the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program and Boston Children’s Hospital, which identified the most effective programming and themes that positively promote youth development. She also conducted community health needs assessments and supported grant-writing efforts. Most recently, she served as Director of Wellness at the Kent School, where she developed and taught curriculum and led wellness initiatives.

    Annie grew up outside Boston, participating in sports her whole life. She ran the Boston Marathon twice and has been inspired by Finding Our Stride to return to long-distance running. She and her husband, Denny, have called Vermont home for many years, where they raise their three children. Annie enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time outdoors with family and friends.

    Annie is excited to build strong relationships across the Finding Our Stride community and to champion the life-changing impact of this work for youth.

    Email: annie@findingourstride.org

Explore our volunteer opportunities!

Jenny Williams

Founder

Jenny Williams has been a runner since the late 70’s, prior to Title IX, when she ran for her high school’s boys cross-country team. She walked onto the Dartmouth Women’s’ Cross County team in 1981 and discovered the great joy of running in the woods in New England. Williams has supported youth running programs since 2006, when coaching her son’s middle school cross-country program sparked the idea for Finding Our Stride.

Williams is a Joint Venture Partner with hotel development firm Norwich Partners. She previously worked in higher education fundraising. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in French from Dartmouth and her Master's degree in Public Administration from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. She has served on the boards of several human services organizations throughout Vermont and New Hampshire.

Board of Directors

Matt Rightmire – President

Managing Director, Borealis Ventures

Jason Lichtenstein – Vice President

Deputy General Counsel, White Mountains Insurance

Jennifer Karr - Treasurer

Owner and Leader, JKFit Health and Fitness Coaching

Mary Brown

Coach and Community Leader

Lori Bliss Hill

Owner, Enfield House of Pizza

Kelley Houde

3rd and 4th Grade English and Language Arts Teacher, Newbury Elementary School

Katie Roach

Principal, Mount Lebanon Elementary School

Katie Robbins

School Psychologist, Frances Richmond Middle School

Our Vision

We envision a vibrant Upper Valley where youth thrive socially, emotionally and physically and invest in their communities.

Our Values

Inclusion & Equity: FOS believes every person should have access to opportunities to enjoy fitness and achieve social-emotional growth. We strive to ensure that every participant feels welcome at FOS, and we remove barriers so that each child and coach experiences an environment where they can grow and contribute.

Culture of Positivity: FOS fosters a culture of FUN, where runners support and celebrate one another. We prioritize participation over competition.

Opportunities for Growth: FOS welcomes kids with no running experience. We nurture self-esteem and resilience by encouraging participants to try new things and set goals for themselves. We believe fitness enhances lifelong social, emotional and physical well-being.

Collaboration: FOS values coaches as co-creators of the program, and partners with school and community leaders to implement the framework that works best for them.

Commitment to Community: FOS builds community connections by inspiring youth to help others. These connections provide purpose, motivation and resilience.