Vermont Independent Media
Steve Mundahl, President
Steve is the former CEO of Goodwill Industries of Western Massachusetts having served for 13 years and retiring in 2017 and moved to Brattleboro. He is the former publisher/owner of Mature Lifestyles, a monthly news magazine with eight editions throughout Florida which he published for eight years. He is a journalist (Orlando Sentinel) and author of several books. Upon moving to Brattleboro, he planted an orchard and lives with his wife Sharon and cat, Kito.
Jonathan Lhowe, Treasurer
Jonathan Lhowe has spent his entire career in publishing. After working in advertising sales in New England and New York City, Lhowe served as owner and publisher of weekly newspapers in North Carolina and Connecticut. He was also publisher and CEO of a daily newspaper in Rhode Island. In 1995 Lhowe founded VisitNewEngland.com that became the largest independent digital travel guide for the region. Lhowe served as publisher of VNE until July 2024.
Barry Aleshnick, Secretary
Barry has been a stay-at-home dad to his three home schooled daughters and a committed cyclist. He is co-founder of several local community initiatives, including Friends of Algiers Village, Guilford Preservation Inc., Brattleboro Biofuels Cooperative, and Vermont Independent Media. As founding member of VIM, he recognizes the essential role of the free press as a bulwark of democracy and lifeblood of community. He lives with his wife, Martina, in Guilford. He is often seen lugging bundles of papers on his bicycle.
Karen Hein, At Large
Karen has had a home in Vermont for 55 years. She is a physician with expertise in Adolescent Medicine, humanitarian assistance and health policy. Dr. Hein currently serves as a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteer, and is involved with Refugee Resettlement in Southern Vermont, and was a founding member of the Green Mountain Care Board. She is an Adjunct Professor of Community & Family Medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, is a member of The Advisory Board of the International Rescue Committee, and The Dartmouth Global Health Equity Center. Prior board memberships include Consumers Union, ChildFund International and RAND Health. She was the founding Director of the nation’s first comprehensive Adolescent HIV/AIDS program and author of the book, AIDS :Trading Fears for Facts (A Guide for Young People). Dr. Hein has served as Executive Officer of the Institute of Medicine, now renamed the National Academy of Medicine, President of the William T. Grant Foundation, and Professional Staff of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.
Christy Betit, At Large
Christy is a seventh generation Vermonter from Whitingham. She leads a workforce development program at Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation to connect Windham County high school students with careers that lead to postsecondary success and enhance our regional economy. She chairs the Windham Regional Career Center Advisory Board and serves on the Advance Vermont Board. She has an extensive background working as an educator in public schools and nonprofits throughout New England, most notably as the Director of Education for Boston’s Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union and Lead Teaching Artist at Boston University’s Wheelock Family Theatre. She designed and implemented 21st Century soft skills training for a number of organizations including Legal Sea Foods Restaurant Corporation and The Massachusetts Disability Law Center. Christy was a reporter at the Deerfield Valley News in her 20s and is a frequent contributor to The Cracker Barrel. She spends most summers swimming at Harriman Reservoir and lives with her cat and 55-year-old turtle in Brattleboro.