Staff

Jackson Saul, who goes by Jack, is a graduate of Williams College and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of Alabama. He grew up working on his family’s tree farms in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and has worked in publishing for about a decade, most recently as managing editor of The Kenyon Review. He is a birder and lives in West Fairlee, Vermont, with an indoor tortoiseshell cat named Valli.

J Cantrell is the Director of Finance and Operations for Northern Woodlands.  He has six years of nonprofit experience. You will most likely find him running and biking in the forest.  He lives in Lebanon, New Hampshire with his wife and three kids.

Nancy’s background in design, library science, and education lends well to her role as advertising ace, information curator, and community outreach champion. She has lived in the Upper Valley region for over 20 years – mostly in New Hampshire, but recently a house prompted her to move to Vermont. Nancy is an avid knitter and side gig crafter who enjoys downtime outdoors to walk, hike, or XC ski. She belongs to the office mascot, Percy, who is frequently featured in our merchandise ads and social posts.

Meghan McCarthy McPhaul, associate editor for Northern Woodlands, is a lifelong woods wanderer. She was a contributing writer for Northern Woodlands for several years before joining the staff in 2020 and has written for regional and national publications on a variety of topics ranging from skiing and paddling to gardening and local treasures. When she’s not tapping away at the keyboard, Meghan is likely to be wandering the woods or mountains by foot, ski, bike, or snowshoe – often with kids and dog in tow – beseeching vegetables to grow in the rocky soil of the backyard garden, or lost in the pages of a good book. Meghan lives in Franconia, New Hampshire, with her family.

Emily Rowe joined the staff at Northern Woodlands in the spring of 2010, and has served as the circulation and communications manager since 2019. She distributes Northern Woodlands magazine, manages our website and social media, and coordinates special events. Emily lives in Corinth, Vermont, where her free time is spent mostly basketweaving, thinking about basketweaving, or reading about basketweaving.

Elise Tillinghast served as executive director for 12 years, leading the nonprofit through a period of growth. She continues to help edit the magazine, and also serves as Editor-at-large for Nature and the Environment at Brandeis University Press. In her free time, she enjoys chasing her kids around the woods and sneaking sandwiches (specifically, her husband’s sandwiches) to a spoiled rotten dog. She has degrees from Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School.

Catherine Wessel is an admirer of things in surprising places and an appreciator of early morning hours. She comes to Northern Woodlands with an MS in Plant Biology from University of Vermont's Field Naturalist Program, and an abiding interest in how we communicate and connect with others and the more-than-human world. She loves being in and on the water and making soup, and is always planning her next visit to a bog. She lives in the Champlain Valley, where she is thankful to never be too far from a maple creemee stand.