Board of Directors

Zandy Wheeler helped his fraternity brothers establish The Ski Rack while still a junior at UVM. After 13 years running a private psychotherapy practice with his wife, Karen George, his family returned to South Burlington in 1989 to take over operations at The Ski Rack. Since then, the business has grown into both a successful physical and on-line store, employing more than 50 people. Zandy has served as both Chair and as a Board Member of the King Street Center since 1999 and recently served as a member of the Bike Path Task Force.

VICE CHAIR. Tom is the owner and president of Paw Print & Mail and its marketing division Catamount Marketing. He was elected to a two-year term as BBA’s vice chair position in April, 2011. Tom is a native of Burlington, and has a B.S. in Business Administration from UVM. He founded Paw Print & Mail in 1990 and Catamount Marketing in 2010 to diversify into website development, email marketing, and targeted direct mail marketing. Prior to starting the printing business he worked for six years in the restaurant industry and three years in outside sales. Tom also serves on BBA’s Marketing Committee and was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging.

Jim is the president and publisher of the Burlington Free Press/FreePressMedia. He has a B.S. in media communications from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. Prior to joining the Free Press in 2010, he was vice president of marketing at the Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY. Jim lives in South Burlington.

CHAIR. Al Gobeille and his wife Kim own Burlington Bay Market and Shanty on the Shore, They operate the seasonal Breakwaters Cafe, and Northern Lights Lake Champlain Cruises. He came to Vermont as an undergraduate at Norwich University and has been involved in downtown business for over a decade. Gobeille is a member of the Shelburne Select Board. He serves on the board of directors of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce and the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden County.. In 2011, Gobeille ran his first full Vermont City Marathon. Al lives in Shelburne with his wife and three children.

As President and Owner of Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty, Leslee MacKenzie has brought her vision and analytic skills to one of Vermont’s leading real estate firms. A Burlington native and graduate of UVM, Leslee joined the company in 1993 and directed an expansion that placed the Agency within Coldwell Banker Company’s top 60 offices nationwide. Committed to the industry and the community, Leslee served as the 2010 president of the Vermont Association of Realtors and currently serves as a Vermont director to the National Association of Realtors.

Bob is a firm director at Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, with 30 years of experience in litigation in state and federal courts of Vermont, at both the trial and appellate level. He is the leader of the Employment Practice Group at his firm, and editor of the Vermont Employment Law Letter. Bob is also a member of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and the Employment Section of the International Association of Defense Counsel. Mr. McKearin frequently lectures on employment law issues for human resource and attorney groups. He received his law degree in 1974 from the Southern Methodist University School of Law. Bob serves as a board member of the Vermont Bicycle and Pedestrian Coalition. He lives in Burlington with his wife, Mary. They have two grown children.

Kevin Owens is co-founder and CEO of Select Design, Ltd., a brand marketing agency with offices in Burlington, Boston and Taiwan.  He is also a partner in a commercial real estate venture focused on buying and renovating historic buildings in downtown Burlington, and serves on the board of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation.  Originally from Boston, Kevin has lived in Vermont since attending the University of Vermont, graduating in 1987 with degrees in Economics and Political Science.  He resides in Shelburne with his wife Kris and three daughters.  While not working, he can be found enjoying the lake and mountains with his family, riding his bike, traveling, and playing golf or hockey.

Brigitte Ritchie is a vice president of Public Affairs and Community Relations at Citizens Bank. She has been with Citizens Bank since 2000, when she was vice president of Commercial Real Estate in the Burlington, Vermont, office. In her current position she is responsible for all media relations activities. She also handles the management of the Community Reinvestment Act and charitable contributions for the bank. An active member of the community, Brigitte is on the board of the Committee on Temporary Shelter, The Greater Burlington YMCA, and the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce. Ritchie received her B.S. from St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill, N.Y. She and her husband, Jeff, live in Williston with their two children and four dogs.

Perry grew up in New York City, graduated from Herricks High School, and attended Albany University. He owns Perrywinkles, a chain of four jewelry stores in upstate New York and Burlington, Vermont.