EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Meg has been a leader in community arts and education in Vermont for the last 20 years.
Meg was founder of the Langdon Street Café, the collectively run art and music venue in Montpelier that that Seven Days named “the crown jewel of the Montpelier arts community.”
Hammond came to Generator in January 2020 from Goddard College where she was Director of Development. At Goddard she led a successful campaign for a multi-phase renovation of the historic Haybarn Theatre in 2014 and produced the Haybarn Theatre Concert Series featuring world-class performers. Hammond was costume designer and stage manager for the original Vermont productions of Hadestown which went on to Broadway to win 8 Tony awards in 2019. Hammond holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Arts. She is here to empower entrepreneurs, artists, and makers of all kinds and increasing educational opportunities in STEAM pathways.
Contact Meg here.
Veronica Newton (she/her)
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS & PARTNERSHIPS
Veronica is a lifelong learner with a knack for inquiry. She brings to Generator seventeen years of experience in the education sector with a focus on advancing equity of access to authentic opportunities that are relevant to the learner and serve the broader community. For the past seven years, she worked for the Vermont Agency of Education to provide systems level support for the implementation of Act 77, Flexible Pathways initiative through student-centered policy and program development for statewide dual enrollment, early college, and work-based learning programs. Prior to the Agency, Veronica taught secondary English in Boston and Lawrence, MA where she co-designed multidisciplinary performance tasks with academic and CTE instructors in order to help students make the connection between academic principles and real-world applications.
Veronica grew up in a small town in southern NH, spending summers in coastal Maine. Her inquisitive nature led her to studying abroad, traveling the USA, then eventually, settling in Vermont with her family. Veronica holds an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a BA from the University of New Hampshire.
Contact Veronica here.
Mason Merriam (he/him)
DIRECTOR OF FACILITY & OPERATIONS
A Vermont Native with a career spanning multiple art and maintenance industries over the last decade and a half, Mason is a person who has worn many hats in his life. After getting his B.A in Theater, he moved to NYC to work as a freelance carpenter off-Broadway. He was the technician in charge of humidity control on a traveling exhibit of The Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Foreman of a scene shop in Brooklyn where he supervised the creation of stages for product launches, helped Nike put a traveling skatepark on a barge, and oversaw the build out of multiple sets for off-broadway productions.
Returning to Vermont in 2014, where lucrative theater work is hard to come by, Mason began his journey as a maintenance technician. Working first for the Burlington Housing Authority, and then the UVM Medical Center, he put his natural curiosity and enjoyment of taking things apart to work in a new way. At the medical center, Mason took every opportunity to learn new skills and increase his knowledge, working on large HVAC Systems, chillers and 600hp boilers in order to keep the hospital running and helping to keep people comfortable while they healed.
Mason loves to take things apart, see how they work and then put them back together. He’s always discovering new ways to fix things and working on his family’s homes or his truck. When he’s not working or fixing things, he’s fishing, camping, seeking out delicious food, or playing Dungeons and Dragons with his brother and their friends.
Contact Mason here.
Katya Luchanskaya
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
An arts non-profit professional with over 16 years of experience, Katya has worked in institutional and individual fundraising at top arts institutions, including BRIC Arts Media, the PROTOTYPE Festival, Cal Performances at UC Berkeley, the MacDowell Colony, and the New York Philharmonic. She has also worked as a grantmaker in higher education at the Mellon Foundation.
An erstwhile pianist, Katya received her B.A. in Music and Russian Studies from Bucknell University and M.A. in Music History from Hunter College, CUNY. Katya is thrilled to join the Generator team and hopes this will finally be her opportunity to make all her jewelry-making dreams come true!
Contact Katya here.
Syd Telek (he/him)
LEAD INSTRUCTOR & CURRICULUM SPECIALIST
Syd’s hails from Rochester New York where he discovered a passion for technology, hands-on learning, and helping others. After graduating from SUNY Oswego in 2017 with a B.S. in Technology Education, he began teaching in public schools in the Hudson Valley region of New York. There he developed and taught a myriad of courses such as Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Civil Engineering, Computer Aided Design and more. In 2021, he furthered his understanding of the relationship between problem solving and the environment, earning his M.S. in Biomimicry from Arizona State University.
After 6 years of professional teaching experience in New York and his family moving into the New England area, Syd has settled down into Burlington. Generator is a community, resource, and space he is excited to be a part of to further exercise his creativity, work more with the people in Vermont, and share his passion for hands-on-learning with others.
When he is not at Generator, Syd enjoys rock climbing across New England, fly fishing and fly tying, baking, Dungeons and Dragons, and spending time with his family in Vermont, New York, and Maine.
Contact Syd here.
Greg Maino (he/him)
MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR
Greg comes to Generator after a decade of work as the Communications Director at the Catamount Trail Association, and has over 20 years experience building communities and connecting individuals in the outdoor industry.
Greg has always been a tinkerer, a modifier, and an aspiring maker. His most recent endeavor has been learning to sew in support of his bikepacking addiction. So far he has outfitted four of his own bikes, both of his son’s bikes, and a number of friends with a variety of bags. He also started turning his fabric scraps into wallets and selling those via Etsy to help pay for this newfound habit!
When not at Generator, Greg calls Burlington home and spends his time with his wife, his two sons, and his cat Fred. They like to be outside as much as possible, and can most often be found on their skis or bikes somewhere in the woods of Vermont.
Have an idea for a story, event, or promotion that involves Generator… or want to go bikepacking? Get in touch with Greg!
Contact Greg here.
Alex Hahl (he/him)
OPERATIONS & SAFETY TECHNICIAN
Alex is a freelance maker and teacher who specializes in metal fabrication. He grew up in the idyllic suburbs of northern Virginia and went on to get a degree in geography from the University of Kansas. After a subsequent career as a pizza artist, he hit the road and found himself working as a commercial fisherman on the coast of Maine. Now in Burlington, Generator is where Alex spends most of his time. His goal in life is to learn how to do everything, or at least everything that interests him.
Need help with something tool or workshop related?
Contact Alex here.
Paige Hurley (she/her)
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Paige Hurley is an educator, artist, and our interim program coordinator with a deep passion for fostering creativity and community connection. With a Master’s in Education and a decade of arting around in and out of Burlington, Paige brings a unique blend of teaching expertise and artistic vision to their work.
As a program coordinator, Paige specializes in developing inclusive and engaging opportunities for participants of all skill levels, ensuring everyone has access to meaningful creative experiences. Their dedication to collaboration and innovation shines through in projects like her painting workshops and our community art events, reflecting a commitment to celebrating diverse, inclusive forms of expression.
In Jake’s absence, Paige is excited to support and guide the community, continuing to build an environment where creativity and learning thrive.
Have an idea for a new workshop, event, or partnership? Reach out to Paige to explore the possibilities.
Contact Paige here.
Lucy Powell (she/her)
MEMBERSHIP & COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR
Growing up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Lucy enjoys long beach days coupled with iced coffee and a sci-fi novel. She moved to Vermont to attend the University of Vermont where she studied Communications and Entrepreneurship. During this time, she ran a small business from her dorm room selling up-cycled clothing designs.
Lucy is passionate about offsetting the global clothing waste crisis by repurposing damaged garments into wearable pieces of art. She specializes in outerwear pieces- designing jackets made from old jeans and blankets.
As a fellow artist, Lucy is always excited to learn about the projects others are working on and seeing if she can help in any way.
Have any torn jeans to donate or questions about the Generator community? Get in touch with Lucy!
Contact Lucy here.
SHOP LEADS
Volunteer Shop Leads are rockstars in our specialty workshops. Shop Leads work closely with Generator’s Operations & Facility Director to maintain tools and equipment, order materials and consumables, and improve workflow and access to their specific workshop. Shop Leads also help members with thier projects and promote safe use of our spaces and tools, particularly through regular Open Studio times. Know them, love them, thank them for their service!
Have a question for a Shop Lead?
CLICK HERE and select “Shop Lead Question” to send them a message!
Juju Lobo
Wood Shop & CNC Router
Juju/Julianny here! Being a part of Generator has been an experience of much growth and learning. From an ‘artisanal’ background and nature lover, I joined the space with many ideas and very little experience. Fast forward a few years and now I’m now woodshop lead and tool training instructor, and yours truly member rep! Here I was able to network, get trained, exchange ideas, work, collaborate, make friends and much more – I really enjoy this community! If you see me around, and want to say ‘hi’ or bounce ideas around, don’t be shy!
Sara Skloss
3D Printers
Sara likes to experiment with small electronics and 3D printing projects. She recently designed and built an amplified crystal radio – with all the resistors and capacitors 3D-printed using a graphene-filled filament. She is currently working on an equatorial platform for a Serrurier truss Dobsonian telescope that she designed and machined over the summer. Sara received a B.S. in Engineering Physics with an emphasis in Materials Science and Nanotechnology Systems from University of Wisconsin Platteville. She is currently employed by GlobalFoundries as a Process Engineer.
Greg Kuchyt
Metal Shop & CNC Router
Greg spent 14 years working as a Linux jack of all trades for a SUNY campus and the University of Vermont before stumbling into the world of machining and manufacturing. Greg entered the realm of machining on manual machines as a means to produce custom tools for volunteer work in the Vermont rock climbing community. On the way he discovered a whole world of manufacturing technology that has captured his interest ever since. Greg is excited by the idea of applying his experience programming and working on complex IT systems to the modern computer aided manufacturing environment. He works as a developer for a manufacturing applications engineering group that specializes in developing post-processors and digital twins for complex CNC machine tools.
Sam Damphousse
Laser Cutter &
Adobe CC
Sam is a graphic designer in the outdoor industry, currently working at Anon Optics here in Burlington. Sam is also a maker who enjoys bringing a deep understanding of illustrator to making the leap into digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping. Sam’s favorite part about the laser cutter is how quick you can identify a problem and work through multiple iterations to find a solution as well as the ability to make 3d artwork. Current projects include making a catan board, holiday ornaments, and making a set of small custom tool holders for his home shop.
When not around Generator you can find Sam outside Mountain biking or skiing.
Tommy Waters
Electronics
Tommy is a life tourist, constantly exploring new ways of creating and interacting with the world. Professionally he is a software and electronics engineer, but has a variety of interests ranging from drawing and woodworking to fiber crafts and origami. Tommy’s curiosity takes him in many different directions and Generator has enabled this passion by giving him access to a wide array of tools allowing him to constantly be pushing his skills. When not in Generator, you may find him rock climbing in the area or rollerblading down by the waterfront.
Lizzie Maklad
Sewing Studio
Lizzie has a love for all things fashion and sustainable consumption. She first started sewing at 8 years old and hasn’t stopped since. After spending a year at fashion tech school at SCAD she joined Generator. When not sewing Lizzie is working at a local thrift store in the clothing department, gaining experience as she hopes to open her own nonprofit thrift store in the future. Lizzie has experience in tailoring, garment construction, patterning, and machine repair. Lizzie is excited to share her experience and passion for clothing with others!