Our Staff

Kara DeLeonardis, Executive Director 
Kara has her Masters in Social Work from the University of Vermont, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and has been working as an advocate for over thirteen years. Kara's passion and focus for most of her professional career has been in the anti-violence field, specifically working to end domestic, sexual, and hate violence. Kara has also worked with people with mental illness, youth of all identities, and people living with HIV/AIDS. 

As a member of Vermont's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community, Kara helped to create SafeSpace, a LGBTQ anti-violence organization in 2001. Kara was the founding SafeSpace Executive Director for five years, until SafeSpace merged with the RU12? Community Center in 2006. On September 1, 2006 Kara was thrilled to become the second Executive Director of RU12? In addition to the fulfilling activism that fills her days, Kara is the proud mama of two amazing little girls: Zaley (6) and Addie (3).

Ann Atkins, SafeSpace Director
Ann Atkins is the Director of SafeSpace, the anti-violence program of the RU12? Community Center. She has been working in the field of domestic and sexual violence for thirteen years, most of those spent at Voices Against Violence, a domestic and sexual violence program serving Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. In August of 2006 Ann began working as the Director of SafeSpace, providing services to victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as hate crimes within the LGBTQQ community across the State of Vermont. In addition to providing direct services to victims of crime Ann has provide education and outreach to organizations, schools as well as the community.

Brenda Pitmon, SafeSpace Advocate
Brenda recently graduated from UVM with a master's degree in social work. She moved to Vermont in 2005 after a 20 year stint in New York City working various jobs in healthcare and advertising to help support her acting career. Brenda has performed in Europe and NYC and was a founding member of Synchronicity Theatre Group in SoHo. Brenda is very excited about the work at SafeSpace and the challenges that it presents. In addition to her work as an advocate, Brenda is always on the lookout for opportunities to combine social work with artistic expression as a way of creating new dialogues between communities.

Eliza Heppner, Americorps VISTA, Resource Coordinator
Eliza grew up in the town of Woodstock, New York. She received her BA in Women's Studies with an academic focus in government and politics from Wells College in May of 2006. Directly after graduation she signed on to become the Americorps VISTA, Resource Coordinator here at RU12? Her primary role at the Center is to build both the volunteer and fundraising programs.  Eliza has a strong interest in anti-oppression work and is committed to helping those around her develop a better understanding of femme identity politics. Eliza enjoys watching political commentary and is known to break into interpretive dance every now and then. She loves living in Burlington and being part of such a phenomenal community.

Chase Wilson, Co-Director of the Health and Wellness
Chase is the Co-Director of the Health and Wellness program at RU12?, where his focus is on HIV prevention, counseling and testing. His favorite part of the job is working with and for a diverse group of Vermonters, supporting them to live their lives as queerly and safely as they desire. He was born in central New Hampshire and brought up in Connecticut, where he stayed to get his BA at Wesleyan University in 2006. At Wesleyan he majored in Psychology, with a special interest in social and cultural psychology. Chase also studied language, literature and poetry, and was chosen as a Wesleyan Student Poet for the '05 - '06 academic year. Chase still has a passion for poetry, social psychology and the potential for liberation found in queerness. He loves listening to Bob Dylan, watching Curb Your Enthusiasm and playing backgammon and Connect Four with friends.

Hannah Mason Hauser, Co-Director of the Health and Wellness
Hannah Mason Hauser, much to her dismay, is from flat-lander stock. The green mountains, Lake Champlain, and the opportunity to be a professional queer led her to Vermont, where she initially worked at SafeSpace. She will complete her Masters in Social Work from the University of Vermont in May 2008, and will begin her work full-time as the RU12? Co-Director of Health and Wellness. Hannah loves to hike, run and climb in the mountains, and is game for any outdoors adventure, as long as it doesn't involve ice water. She loves working within her community, and is always excited to talk to others about anything from drag routines to golden retrievers to reiki.