All Good Things

Closing a chapter & huge thank-you to Corrie!

All good things must come to an end, and so we are letting you know that Corrie Miller is stepping down as executive director with Friends to take on a new role with the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) as Aquatic Organism Passage Restoration Specialist. She has led Friends of the Mad River for eight and a half years and helped our Mad River Valley community tackle issues of climate change, flood resilience, and watershed health.

Corrie on Burnt Rock, the watershed divide, with Camel's Hump in the background.

In nearly a decade as executive director, Corrie has transformed this organization. Her work connected Friends to a wider network of partners across the state and within the Mad River Valley. Through careful stewardship of these networks, she brought resources and expertise to the community, made important conservation planning and projects a reality in the Mad River Valley, and shared on-the-ground ideas and learning with statewide colleagues in support of clean water and resilience.

Corrie has done extraordinary work over the last eight years, expanding Friends' programming and deepening our engagement in community initiatives throughout the Mad River watershed. A thriving Valley community requires a healthy Mad River ecosystem, and Corrie has been a dedicated advocate for nature in a changing climate. We will miss her energy, vision, and leadership."
- Matt Williams, Board President

We are excited that Corrie will take her experiences in the Mad River to her new role at the Lake Champlain Basin Program. She will continue to be a leader in advancing restoration projects and fostering collaboration across New York and Vermont. We look forward to working with her in this new capacity on aquatic organism passage projects here in the Valley.

Corrie and Jaime Masterson from US Fish & Wildlife Service at a Fayston culvert installed in 2015 that allows aquatic organism passage and a more resilient road network. Photo Credit: Chris Smith, USFWS.

Corrie at an Austin Parcel tree planting volunteer day in Waitsfield, 2018

Ira at the Austin Parcel in Waitsfield, 2021. Photo Credit: Curt Lindberg

 A note from Friends board leadership

​Corrie is leaving us in a strong position, with a number of successful programs and partnerships and a strong team in place to take the next steps. Over the last few years, we’ve had several new members join the board, bringing new energy and a breadth of expertise. And, Ira Shadis, Friends stewardship manager, has been working closely with Corrie on key initiatives and has played a growing and vital role across the organization.

We are developing a robust recruitment plan to find our next executive director. We are confident in what the future holds, and we are so excited to continue learning and working with this community in the coming years to steward clean water, safeguard the ecosystem’s health, and build the community’s resilience to climate change.

We have been so lucky to have Corrie on our team these last few years and now we want to celebrate all she has accomplished.”
- Kinny Perot, long time Friends Board Member

Corrie & Ira sharing Friends of the Mad River's work with the community at Lareau Farm - Photo Credit: Clark Amadon