Our digital journal - delivered to your inbox once a month.
stovepipe brings a spark of inspiration to help you feel more connected, creative and centered.
Our digital journal - delivered to your inbox once a month.
stovepipe brings a spark of inspiration to help you feel more connected, creative and centered.
from away.
from away.
.png)
our board.
Warren Cook
President and Treasurer
"I am motivated to be working with Valo–an organization on the front lines of supporting the emotional resilience of Maine teens. I look forward to helping Valo build in their capacity to help teens understand themselves and each other, as they build their life’s path in our complex world."
Warren Cook recently moved back to Maine where he lived and worked for 30 years as a business and non-profit leader. He brings with him a wide range of experience from running several organizations in various industries. He has chaired school and hospital boards, and the Maine Community Foundation. Warren also co-founded two non-profits, Common Good Ventures and Maine Network Partners. He continues to be interested in leadership and coaching young leaders. Warren is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and served in the Marines in Vietnam. He has been married for 53 years to his wife Brammie, has a daughter and a son, and 6 grandchildren.
Sally Thomas
Secretary
“I am energized and grateful to be part of a proactive organization that envisions, enables, and equips today’s teens with practical and emotional skills that validate and kindle their unique selves with an ever widening lens to how they might enrich the world all their lives.”
Since her own children declared their innate theology as tiny sage ones, Sally has been attuned to the spiritual wisdom children offer in this wondrous world. She completed her Doctor of Ministry at Eden Seminary in St. Louis in 2022 and recently relocated to Freeport with her husband, Bill. Her doctoral and current research focuses on how sharing stories–even the most simple–enhance our connectedness to one another in our digitally complex world. Sally has been sitting with circles of children and their families using Godly Play for 20-some years and has enjoyed working as an RN & Nurse Practitioner. Sally and Bill are the parents of 2 adult daughters and welcomed their first grandchild this summer.
Nancy Kennedy
"I believe safe, intentional, reflective spaces can be powerful mediums for young people to discover, engage with, and give expression to their authentic voices. Valo honors this sacred work and the role that caring adults can play in bearing witness to youth on their path to living their own light."
Nancy is the Vice President for Camp Chewonki in Wiscasset, Maine, which teaches and encourages life-long learning in nature. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies from the University of Maine, a Master of Divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies from the University of New Hampshire. Nancy served several Congregational Churches and was a professor before returning to Maine where she has been providing leadership to summer camp programs for 10+ years.
Sam Boss
“At a time when teens and young adults are dealing with tremendous pressure and anxiety about the future, the nurturing foundation that valo provides through retreats, activities, and deep listening exercises is truly special, and much needed. I am thrilled to be a part of this board and cannot wait to see what the future holds.”
Sam works at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College, where he coordinates projects with partners around the Lewiston-Auburn community as part of coursework and student research. Sam grew up in rural central Maine. He graduated from Colby College and went on to earn is Ph.D. from Brown. Sam is particularly committed to helping students from low-income backgrounds find their interests and realize their potential.