Liz and Bill’s love story began in law school with a shared passion for marathons and a borrowed dog, but they also share a romance with the forest itself. What started as weekend camping trips from their home in the Boston suburbs to the White Mountains has evolved into a deep commitment to the people and places of the Northern Forest. 

A turning point came about 10 years ago during a bike ride with a friend around Caspian Lake in Greensboro, VT. While Bill was already loading his bike onto the car, Liz suggested they take one more loop. Halfway around, they spotted a “For Sale” sign on a building lot. By Tuesday, they had a contract. “It just felt right,” Liz recalled. 

This wasn’t just impulse — it was realizing a long-time goal to buy land in a place they loved in the Northern Forest. Together, they set out to build their vision: a home in the forested landscape that appreciated the land for what it was and existed within that context. 

Leaning into rural life 

Moving to Greensboro full-time in 2019 opened their eyes to a different worldview. “People here have a deep wealth of knowledge — just from being here for generations, from living close to the land and the community,” Liz explained. They spent a lot of time asking questions and listening rather than assuming their way of thinking was more valuable. 

By doing so, they discovered neighbors who were painters, peak-baggers, problem-solvers, and keepers of environmental wisdom. Living on what they jokingly call the “Information Highway” — a dirt road where conversations flow naturally — they found something that had been missing from their suburban life: genuine community connection. 

This immersion revealed both the strengths and vulnerabilities of rural communities. When they encountered the Northern Forest Center’s work through the 560 Railroad Street housing project in St. Johnsbury VT, they found an organization that understood what they had learned: real change happens when you root solutions in local knowledge and relationships. 

“It’s not just about buildings” 

“What really impressed us about the St. Johnsbury housing project was how non-political it was,” Liz noted. “The Center wasn’t caught in the usual housing debates — it just asked, ‘How can we help?’ and then actually got it done.” The Center’s funding model — combining impact investments with donations and grants, renting apartments to year-round residents, then eventually selling the properties to pay back investors — struck them as both novel and practical. “We were already looking for ways to help with housing issues and being able to invest in a model like that was a no-brainer,” Bill added. 

They also appreciate how the Center combines regional strategy and core principles with flexibility to do what makes the most sense for each place. “It’s not just about buildings — it’s about supporting the local economy, keeping jobs, using local materials, and preserving traditional ways of life. It’s like a whole ecosystem.” 

Their investment philosophy crystallized around a simple principle: don’t recreate the wheel when you can strengthen what’s already working. “The Center is an organization that has the capacity and the skills and the people in place,” said Bill. “We feel very comfortable that the funds we’re putting in will be well used.” 

“You can actually go see what you contributed to”  

In an era of federal budget cuts and growing housing shortages, they see private investment in proven nonprofits as essential. “Right now, it’s on the private citizen to invest in organizations that are doing the work,” Liz emphasized. “But this isn’t charity — it’s strategic partnership where capital works, gets returned, and works again for the next project.” 

For Liz and Bill, a key part of what sets the Center’s approach apart is the tangible connection to results. “You can actually go see what you contributed to,” Bill pointed out. Liz and Bill see their investment in the Center’s work as part of a movement to revitalize forest communities in ways that honor their unique histories and economies — a movement in which they hope more people with a shared love of the Northern Forest will join. 

Learn how you can join Liz and Bill by investing in the Northern Forest today.