Sara Rademaker
Educator
srademaker@herringgut.org

Sara, a native of Indiana, has a bit of an obsession with fish. This has benefited Herring Gut tremendously as she's completed a full system redesign for our aquaponics program, transforming the hatchery and greenhouse into a small-scale commercial facility where students harvest and sell tilapia along with a variety of herbs, lettuce and other produce to local schools and restaurants. Sara currently instructs middle and high school students in both our oyster aquaculture and aquaponics classes, for which she has developed an extensive curriculum of hands-on lessons that incorporate science, math, business, and language arts into hatchery and greenhouse management. Her background includes a bachelor's degree in Fisheries and Aquaculture from Auburn University with three years working in Auburn's fish disease lab, and an internship in Uganda teaching new skills and methods to local fish farmers. During her time in Africa she taught a four-day, hands-on aquaculture workshop and worked daily teaching farmers how to integrate new technology into their hatcheries. For more information on Sara's Uganda internship, Watch the Video. When not busy working with fish, Sara has a passion for everything related to science and exploring the outdoors.

Wes Todd
Executive Director
wtodd@herringgut.org

Wes began work as the Center's Executive Director in October 2008. He brings experience in nonprofit development, management, and marketing to the Herring Gut, having worked with the Institute for Global Ethics and Episcopal Church Publishing Company. Wes previously held management and sales positions with National Fisherman, WorkBoat, and Sport Fishing magazines; all publications focused on fishing, boats and the ocean.

Wes served on the boards of Hospitality House, a regional homeless shelter, and Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers and as an advisory board member of the Community Sailing Program at Atlantic Challenge. He is a co-founder of the Georges River Tidewater Association. Wes lives in Thomaston, Maine, with his wife, Jana Goddard, their daughter, Chris and son, Wiley.

Maryanne Vanasse
Administrative Assistant
mvanasse@herringgut.org

Administration covers a wide range of duties, and since joining the Herring Gut staff in 2005 Maryanne has assumed responsibility for many of them. She is often the first contact people have with the center, whether it's greeting visitors, directing student traffic or answering the phones from her desk in the lobby. Her primary responsibilities include grant-writing, fund-raising, scheduling and bookkeeping; but it is not unusual to find her scrubbing a fish tank, swirling algae or helping a student or intern with a project. With a degree in Psychology, Maryanne has learned A LOT about marine science and aquaculture over the last few years and is quick to point out to new students that if she, a less than stellar science student, can do it - so can they!

Maryanne lives right up the road from Herring Gut in St. George. She and her husband have two teenage children and an overactive yellow lab named Lucky. When not at work she likes to kayak, take walks, cook, and spend time relaxing with family and friends.

Ann Boover
Aquaculture and Marine Science Teacher

Born in Newburyport, MA, Ann learned a great deal about the world around her by exploring the mudflats and harbors of Plum Island, she went on to graduate from the University of Massachusetts and then did graduate studies at Clark University in Worcester, MA. Her professional career began in communications before segueing into science education.
Having taught children, adolescents, and adults in science and environmental education in formal academic settings, as well as through Mass. Audubon Society, Ann has developed a love for hands-on experiential learning - making her a great fit here at Herring Gut.

Ann held the positions of science and master teacher at the Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School, in Worcester, before moving to St. George in 2007, where she has worked in the Camden-Rockport Middle and Elementary schools.
Ann volunteers as a steward of the Fort Point Trail in St. George and loves exploring the coastline of our peninsula by kayak.

Alexandria (Alex) Brasili
Island Institute Fellow

Alexandria Brasili joins the Herring Gut staff in September for a one-to-two year appointment as an Island Fellow, an Americorps position in cooperation with the Island Institute. Alex will be responsible for developing a business and marketing plan for the aquaponics greenhouse and hatchery, increasing the breadth of Herring Gut's community outreach and conducting a feasibility study on the potential of incorporating a student-run aquaponics and community garden summer program at the center beginning in 2011

Alexandria grew up on in Leominster, MA and received her B.A. in Biology with a focus in Marine Biology and a minor in Italian from Bowdoin College in May 2010. At Bowdoin, she conducted a yearlong independent senior research project which investigated how temperature affects the growth and metabolism of the green sea urchin. The preliminary results of this project were presented at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA in January 2010. Alexandria also spent the winter of her junior year as an aquarist intern at the New England Aquarium in the Cold Water Gallery.
In her spare time she enjoys being outdoors, reading, and cooking.