An active Board of Directors comprised of community leaders supports the school, providing quality oversight and long-term planning to ensure that a secure place in society awaits students upon graduation.
Craig White
Craig White is an entrepreneur by nature with a heart for helping others. After a successful partnership in pizza restaurants on Cape Cod, Craig returned to Greenfield over thirty years ago and worked as Food Service Director for the Brattleboro Retreat and the Austine School for the Deaf. Craig’s next job as Food Service Director at Bement School was a pivotal one; his idea for a Pizza fundraising business was launched when he partnered with a friend who was selling his produce to the school. Originally conceived as a fundraising business only, Hillside Pizza has grown to three restaurants, and a Fundraising pizza program. The fundraising business recently celebrated the milestone of helping local groups raise over $ 560,000 for their goals.
Craig is most fulfilled when helping others, and in 2007, a chance encounter with a neighbor in distress led him to become a Co-Founder and Board Member of The INSPiRE School for Autism in Brattleboro, Vermont. Hillside Pizza has been a natural fit over the years for Inspire students to receive vocational training, and currently employs 3 young adults from the school, as well as 4 adults with Autism from the community. Craig is passionate about using Hillside Pizza as a model for employing adults of all ability levels, and creating a place where all can enjoy the dignity of work as valued members of the Hillside “Pizza Family.”
Craig and his wife Amy live in Bernardston. They share a passion for napping, dogs and the ocean, and combine all three pursuits as often as possible.
Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson is the Sheriff of Windham County Vermont, who currently serves as INSPiRE’s Treasurer. Having worked at the Sheriff’s Office since 2004, Mark enjoys working with many people from all walks of life. He joined the board in 2017, having previously served as its chair.
Mark obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of Massachusetts. He is a Flight Chief in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. Mark serves on a variety of boards, including as President of the Vermont Sheriff’s Association, member of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, Board Member of West River Valley Thrives, and Treasurer of the Safe Place Child Advocacy Center.
Chuck Dissinger
Varied work experience in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Respiratory Protection, Training, Radiological Controls, Sales, and Emergency Preparedness over a 39 year period
Moved from Medford, New Jersey to Wilmington, Vermont in 2005, then Brattleboro in 2007 where I worked with many people associated with town government and emergency services
I Became a member of the Board in January of 2020. I’ve spent many summers with friends who have autistic children, and enjoy utilizing my experience and community contacts to help support the school.
Bill Vranos
My wife Kathy, Craig and I founded INSPiRE when it became apparent that there was an urgent community need for a school that specialized in autism education for adolescents. Our son, as well as two other local students, were classmates in a local elementary school. It became apparent as they were aging out that they had no place in the area that met their needs. Thus INSPIRE was born. That we have grown from three students to over twenty demonstrates the need for the services that INSPIRE provides. Our son is now an adult but I am proud of INSPiRE’s growth. I am happy to serve on the board and serve a community I care so deeply about.
Martha Lewin
With a background in theater, Martha was living in New York City working for a computer company when her now adult son with autism was born. He led her from New York City to Massachusetts and to a professional life as a Family Support Manager for approximately twenty years. Over the years, Martha received awards from the MA Department of Developmental Services, and thoroughly enjoyed her work with families. For a period of a couple of years Martha also worked as an inclusion specialist for a western MA public elementary school. She is now happily retired.
Samantha Prince
Samantha Prince has been working for the last 10+ years to advocate for and provide service to survivors of physical and sexual violence in trauma-informed manner throughout various systems. As the Executive Director and Interview Specialist at Windham County Safe Place, she is able to provide interviews to more than 200 members of the community each year. She is dedicated to inclusivity and outreach within the community and provides training and outreach opportunities for children, adults, and professionals. Samantha is honored to provide assistance to the INSPIRE school as both of her degrees are in clinical psychology and she is very passionate about this population.