Staff list is alphabetical by first name.
You can contact us by sending an e-mail to [email protected] or calling (802) 223-6304. With media requests, please write to [email protected].
Alex Karambelas, Policy Advocate (she/her)
Alex joined the ACLU in January 2025 after working as a policy specialist at the Winooski Partnership for Prevention. In that role, Alex analyzed national policy trends and solutions, tracked state legislation, and facilitated training and communications with a wide range of stakeholders focused on Substance Use Disorder prevention. Prior to that, Alex was a senior policy advisor at the Department of Mental Health, where she provided analysis of statewide legislation, built collaborative relationships with impacted communities, and monitored implementation of public policies and programs. Beginning in 2020, Alex was the project director at COVID Support Vermont to provide acute crisis intervention, emotional support, and information to Vermonters impacted by the pandemic, and she was previously a regional field director for Bernie Sanders. Alex is a UVM graduate and candidate for a Masters of Public Policy at Northeastern University.
Emily Hagan-Howe, Communications Director (she, her / they, them)
Emily Hagan-Howe comes to the ACLU after most recently working as the Marketing Manager for the University of Vermont Career Center. She completed a Master's of Education in 2022 and brings a depth of experience in strategic communications, social justice and inclusion work, and operational thinking. Originally from Rhode Island, Emily graduated from the University of Vermont in 2015 with degrees in History and Secondary Education. Upon graduation, she spent several years working in the Office of Student & Community Relations to support community development and educational initiatives for off-campus UVM students and their neighbors.
Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director (he, him)
Falko Schilling joined the ACLU of Vermont as its first advocacy director in July 2019. He has been working to promote positive social change in Vermont since 2009. A native of Vermont, Falko received his law degree from Vermont Law School after attending Skidmore College. Prior to joining the ACLU, Falko spent five years leading winning legislative and grassroots campaigns at VPIRG. Major victories included helping pass the nation’s first mandatory genetically engineered food labeling law and allowing dental therapists to practice in Vermont. Falko then joined Amy Shollenberger and the team at Action Circles as an Associate, where he worked with clients to develop campaign plans, create effective messaging, provide advocacy trainings, and lobby on their behalf.
Harrison Stark, Senior Staff Attorney (he, him)
Harry came to the ACLU of Vermont in November 2021 from the D.C. Office of Solicitor General (OSG), where he was an Appellate Litigation Fellow/Assistant Attorney General. In that role, he spearheaded the District’s amicus and multi-state litigation practice in the federal courts of appeal and Supreme Court, which included authoring Supreme Court amicus briefs on behalf of multi-state coalitions in numerous voting rights cases related to the 2020 election. That work followed Harry's post-graduate clerkships at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and then at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Harry graduated from Yale Law School in 2018, and received a dual B.A. in Classics and Archaeology from Brown University in 2011.
Hillary Rich, Staff Attorney (she, her)
Hillary Rich joined the ACLU of Vermont as its first legal fellow in October 2021. After graduating from the State University of New York at Geneseo, Hillary worked as a research coordinator in Rochester, New York, managing projects studying reproductive healthcare and abortion access. She received her law degree from Cornell Law School, where she focused on the intersection of immigrants’ rights and gender justice. Prior to joining the ACLU of Vermont, Hillary represented asylum seekers and detained families at the U.S. southern border as an immigration staff attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid.
James Duff Lyall, Executive Director (he, him)
James Lyall joined the ACLU of Vermont as executive director in 2016. Previously, from 2011 to 2016, James was a staff attorney at the ACLU of Arizona, with a focus on immigrants' rights, criminal justice, and police accountability. While in Arizona, he opened the ACLU's first satellite office in Tucson to investigate, document, and litigate in response to civil rights abuses committed by the U.S. Border Patrol and local police. Prior to joining the ACLU, James was a law fellow at the Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project in Los Angeles, where he provided legal representation to people seeking asylum and children in deportation proceedings. He has a law degree from Georgetown University and is a graduate of Middlebury College.
Jenna Burkhardt, Director of Operations & Culture (she, her)
Jenna Burkhardt joined the ACLU of Vermont in June 2022 as the first senior manager for people and culture. Most recently Jenna spent five years coordinating the human resources and operations functions at the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), an international NGO working towards community-driven, equity-centered solutions addressing climate change and its disparate impacts. Prior to ISC, she served in a variety of operational and programmatic support roles at the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Burlington. Jenna received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology from Saint Michael’s College.
Jess Venable-Novak, Operations Coordinator (they, them)
Jess joined the ACLU in September 2022 with extensive campaign, organizing, and community-building experience. Most recently, Jess was director of family formation at Family Equality, where they developed education and advocacy resources and digital programs with an emphasis on supporting LGBTQ+ families nationwide. Jess was previously statewide director of education at the Pride Center of Vermont, where they were responsible for public education, trainings, and advocacy in support of LGBTQ+ people. Jess graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota with degrees in Justice and Peace Studies & English Literature.
Jordan Souder, Policy Advocate (he, him)
Jordan Souder joined the ACLU of Vermont as a policy advocate in September 2024. Raised in Virginia, he graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with dual degrees in Criminal Justice and Philosophy in Law. Following his passion for criminal legal reform, he moved to Vermont and received his law degree from Vermont Law School where he focused his studies in Restorative Justice. Prior to joining the ACLU, Jordan worked as the Youth and Community program coordinator for the Orange County Restorative Justice Center in Chelsea, where he served as point of contact for community members, developed trainings on restorative justice and conflict resolution practices, supported youth-centered programming, and provided education related to substance use and harm reduction. Before that, he was a Restorative Practices facilitator in Nashua High School North, and coordinated with staff to ensure the implementation of equitable practices, promote cultural awareness, diversity, and inclusion within their community.
Lia Ernst, Legal Director (she, her)
Lia Ernst joined the ACLU of Vermont in 2015. She previously served as a judicial law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, a legal intern at the ACLU of Michigan, a legal fellow at the ACLU of Massachusetts, and an associate attorney for a small Michigan firm focused on criminal defense and attorney ethics. Lia graduated from the University of Michigan Law School. She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Swarthmore College and a Master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Stephanie Hunt, Development Manager (she, her)
Stephanie joined the ACLU in May 2018. As Development Manager, she helps to cultivate and maintain relationships with supporters who make our work possible. Prior to joining the ACLU, Stephanie served as development associate at Rocky Mountain Institute, providing operational support and connecting donors to RMI’s mission of advancing a more secure, low-carbon energy future. Stephanie has a background in marketing and over 10 years of experience in non-profit fundraising and administration both in Colorado and Vermont. She received her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Vermont.
Victoria Jones, Development Director (she, her)
Victoria Jones joined the ACLU of Vermont as Development Director in September 2020. Growing up outside Washington, DC as the child of two public school teachers, advocacy and education have always been a focus of Victoria's life. She previously worked as a staff assistant and caseworker in Congressman Peter Welch’s district office, before becoming the Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Middlebury College. Most recently, Victoria was the Inside Sales Manager at SunCommon. Victoria received a BS in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont.
