Amanda Bouldin
NH (Secretary)
Amanda Bouldin is a mom to an 18-year-old son and lives in Manchester with her son, her partner, her mother, two dogs, and two parakeets. Amanda served five consecutive terms in the NH House. Her proudest legislative accomplishment is having made naloxone an OTC drug and legalizing its distribution by nonprofits such as Harm Reduction Coalition. Most recently, she passed a House Resolution calling on Congress to close the loophole in the 13th Amendment. She is passionate about drug policy, housing, and more broadly, DEI and abolition in their many forms. At parties, you’ll find her in the corner with the dog.
Jaime Contois
VT (Co-Chair)
Jaime worked as a community organizer in NH and VT for over fifteen years, leading campaigns for living wages, health care reform, affordable housing, labor and LGBTQ rights, and addressing systemic racism. She has worked in NH as Director for Working Families Win, been a campaign organizer for MoveOn.org and EDF Action.
In VT, Jaime has served on the school board, and helped create and served on the Equity Committee for the Town of Putney. Jaimeis exploring how we can use non-violence, communication, democratic process, personal empowerment and community practice across political and ideological divisions to restore or create communities that are healthy and just for all of their members.
Esther Charlestin
VT (Vice Chair)
Esther Charlestin is a devoted wife, working mom, educator, and change agent who chose Vermont for its peaceful lifestyle and vibrant community. She has built a career in higher education and public schools while serving in leadership roles, including a successful term on the Middlebury Selectboard. Esther chairs the Vermont Commission on Women and has received the Leahy Award for exceptional community leadership. As founder of Conversation Compass LLC, she supports organizations in strategic planning and communication. Committed to equity and justice, Esther weaves her life experiences into advocacy, striving to create a world where every voice is valued and respected.
Audrey Grant
VT
Audrey Grant (she/her) is the Operations Director at NEKO (Northeast Kingdom Organizing). She grew up in Hardwick, Vermont, and just returned to Vermont after graduating from Simmons University in Boston with a Bachelors in Political Science and a Masters of Public Policy. Audrey became interested in politics and government growing up as a low-income Vermonter, and saw how the effects of policy directly affect the lives of the working class. She currently lives in St. Johnsbury with her partner and cat, Winooski. She looks forward to continuing to be a part of this critical organizing movement.
Susmik Lama
NH (Co-Chair)
Susmik is a one-and-a-half generation Nepali immigrant to the United States, born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2020, Susmik moved to New Hampshire to work as a field organizer for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. In New Hampshire, Susmik reached out to immigrant and refugee communities in the state, which has a particularly high number of Bhutanese refugees from Nepal. Susmik now works at People’s Action on the National Field Team, where she supports deep canvassing and movement politics work.
Spencer Reed
At-Large
Spencer Reed is a progressive movement organizer with a background in education, campaigns, and nonprofit leadership. He was born and raised in Middlebury, Vermont, and while currently living out of state with his two cats, plans to return for good in April. He is Executive Director of Movement Campaigns, where he offers capacity-building support for nonprofits, unions, and movement organizations around the country. Spencer has been working with RAD since 2020 through regional and national networks, and is excited about the prospect of offering his nonprofit experience and network more directly to support the growth and development of RAD.
BARBARA WILSON
VT (Treasurer)
Barb grew up on a small dairy farm in Michigan and graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education and Mathematics from Michigan State University. She spent 38 years working for a large telecommunications software development company in New Jersey, where she designed, implemented, and deployed engineering support software. Upon moving to Shoreham in 2008, she started a small fruit farm where she grows berries, peaches, and other fruits to make value added specialty products, such as jam and sorbet.
Barb has been a member of Rights & Democracy since 2016 and was first elected to the RAD C4 board in 2020. She has been active on many fronts, where those most impacted are often unable to fight back, including litigating on behalf of an elderly neighbor, fighting the expansion of the VT gas pipeline and exposing Vermont Gas’ deceptive marketing practices, advocating for healthcare reform, and fighting to keep rural schools opened.