2026 Election results

VTSCA is pleased to announce Allison Witherspoon, Erin Dufault, Jena Hogan, and Lisa LaPlante were elected by our membership to serve a three-year term on our Board of Directors. Adrien Preston was elected to a two-year term, and Chris Pepin was elected to a one-year term. These new Directors will take office immediately.

Meet your new Board members below!

ALLISON WITHERSPOON

Director of School Counseling

Richford High School
Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union

Why are you running for the VTSCA Board of Directors?

I am running for the VTSCA Board of Directors because, after 24 years in the profession, I am at a point where I am ready to give back. I am excited about the of prospect of networking with counselors from across the state to continue the impressive work of the VTSCA board. Whether that is checking and responding to VTSCA emails, providing timely feedback to the executive director or board chair, attending professional development initiatives, or serving on a subcommittee, I am prepared to contribute in any way that I can. Above all, I want to support our profession and my colleagues so together we can continue to advocate and cheerlead for the children and young adults of Vermont.

Brief Bio
I grew up right here in Vermont, attending Craftsbury Academy and Stowe High School. I went on to major in English Literature and minor in Secondary Education at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, fully intending to become a high school English teacher. However, a college internship with the Upward Bound Program changed my pathway—it showed me that my real passion lies in guiding high school students through their post-secondary planning processes. After spending six years working at the elementary and middle school levels, I jumped at the chance to become the Director of School Counseling at Richford High School. Today, I’m thrilled to be in my 24th year supporting the Richford community! I live in Montgomery, VT with my husband and two teenage children who keep me busy driving them to ski competitions and a multitude of other sporting events.

ERIN DUFAULT

School Counseling Coordinator

Mt. Abraham Union High School

Mt. Abraham Unified School District

Why are you running for the VTSCA Board of Directors?

I am interested in running for a seat on the Board of Directors to work with other school counselors to promote our profession. VTSCA is a vital organization that supports school counselors through advocacy, professional development, mentoring, and collaboration. As a member, I have greatly benefited from these opportunities and resources. I am in a place in my career where I am interested in giving back to our school counseling community and focusing more directly on advocating for the role of the school counselor. I am also eager to collaborate with other board members to expand the resources available to all school counselors throughout the state.

Brief Bio

Erin Dufault currently serves as the School Counseling Coordinator at Mt. Abraham Union High School. She has spent the last 22 years as a school counselor in a variety of settings that range from small, rural to larger, urban schools. In her current position, she works closely with school counseling colleagues and administrators to create systems of support for students. In addition to this systemic work within the school, she is a strong advocate for the school counseling profession and seizes the opportunity to explain to others the incredible impact school counselors have in supporting all students in their well-being and overall success.

Erin’s school counseling career evolved through early work in the college admissions field. She deeply values the future oriented aspect of supporting adolescents and their families around post-secondary planning. She is committed to expanding the awareness of opportunities for students and enjoys working with counseling colleagues on exposing students to all of the future planning options available to them!

JENA HOGAN

School Counselor

Mary Hogan School
Addison Central School District

Why are you running for the VTSCA Board of Directors?

I am running for the VTSCA Board of Directors because I would love the opportunity to be more involved in supporting and advocating for school counselors across Vermont. I really value the role VTSCA plays in bringing school counselors together, advocating for our profession, and providing opportunities for us to learn from and support one another.

I would love to bring my perspective as an elementary school counselor to the Board and be part of the conversations and decisions that impact our profession across the state. I think it is so important that school counselors have a voice, feel connected to one another, and have opportunities to share what is working and what we are experiencing in our schools. I would be excited to contribute to that work, continue building connections with school counselors across Vermont and help support and strengthen our profession.

Brief Bio

Hi! I'm Jena Hogan, a school counselor at Mary Hogan School in Middlebury, where I work with elementary-aged students. I have been a school counselor with Addison Central School District since 2020. I really value building relationships with students and creating a school counseling program that gives all students opportunities to feel supported and connected at school. I also value making sure the work we do is intentional and aligned with the ASCA National Model and Vermont's Comprehensive School Counselor Framework.

I strongly believe in advocating for our role as school counselors and the importance of connecting and collaborating with other school counselors. I have found that some of my greatest professional growth has come from learning from, sharing ideas with, and supporting one another within our school counseling community.

I was very fortunate to be part of the VTSCA cohort that helped develop Vermont's Comprehensive School Counselor Framework, which was later adopted by the Agency of Education. Being part of that work really showed me the importance of school counselors coming together, sharing our experiences, and having a voice in our profession.

LISA LaPLANTE (INCUMBENT)

Director of Student Services

U-32
WCUUSD

Why are you running for the VTSCA Board of Directors?

As an incumbent board member and Director of Student Services, I am running for a three-year term to continue advocating for Vermont’s school counselors and the students we serve. My leadership experience in WCUUSD gives me direct insight into the mental health, academic, and social-emotional challenges our schools face daily. Having served on the board, I want to build on our momentum by expanding professional development, strengthening statewide networking, and ensuring school counselors have the structural support and voice needed to succeed.

Brief Bio
Lisa LaPlante currently serves as the Director of Student Services at U-32 (WCUUSD) and as Board Chair of the VTSCA Board of Directors. Throughout her career, Lisa has focused on supporting the holistic needs of students and creating sustainable structures for educators. On the board, she looks forward to continuing her work amplifying counselor voices, building statewide professional connections, and ensuring Vermont counselors have the tools needed to thrive.

ADRIEN PRESTON

Director of School Counseling

Middlebury Union High School

Addison Central School District

Why are you running for the VTSCA Board of Directors?

I would like to serve on the VTSCA Board of Directors because I am passionate about advocating for school counselors, and supporting our profession statewide. I know how important the role is to the wellbeing of our students and communities, and I hope to help amplify the incredible work that is already being done by school counselors in Vermont. Everyday, I work with amazing professionals who hold the balance of compassion, expertise, courage and experience in order to empower and support students. I am eager to learn about, and enhance individual school and district systems that support this important work. I hope that by joining the board, I can work together with other school counselors to strengthen the counseling community, promote equitable access to appropriate professional development and resources, and ensure that every counselor has the tools and voice needed to make a meaningful impact. It would be an honor to serve on the VTSCA Board of Directors, allowing me to give back to a profession that has profoundly shaped my life, and to help advance VTSCA’s mission to foster the success and well-being of all Vermont students.

Brief Bio

Adrien Preston is the Director of School Counseling at Middlebury Union High School. Born and raised in Vermont, she graduated from Hamilton College before beginning her career in higher education at Gannon University, where she discovered her passion for supporting students through life transitions and fostering personal growth. After returning to Vermont, she worked at UVM’s Substance Abuse Treatment Center while earning her M.S. in Counseling. Throughout her career, Adrien has remained committed to a student-centered approach, advocating for students’ needs and working to strengthening systems of support within schools and communities.