VCP Network Staff
Simone Rueschemeyer
Executive Director, Vermont Care Network/Vermont Care Partners
Simone has served as Executive Director of Vermont Care Network since 2012. She oversees the operations with a focus on innovation and the future health of the network agencies. Simone has worked in the health and mental health care fields for over 30 years to improve access to care and the quality of care for vulnerable populations.
Prior to joining VCN as a Project Manager in 2010, Simone worked as an independent consultant, State Affairs Manager for Bi-State Primary Care Association and as a member of the Clinton Administration’s Health Care Task Force in both the White House Office of Policy Development and the Office of Communication.
Simone received her MS in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.
Julie Tessler
Executive Director, Vermont Council of Developmental and Mental Health Services/Vermont Care Partners
Julie has served as the Executive Director of the Vermont Council since 1996 working with member agencies to advocate for people with developmental, substance abuse and mental health service needs.
She supports policy and program development by serving as a liaison to state government and representing the system of care in the legislature. She researches the challenges facing our system of care and works to strengthen it in collaboration with our community and state health and human services partners and advocates.
With a Master’s degree in social work, Julie has direct experience serving individuals with mental health and health conditions, people experiencing homelessness, youth and elders. She is an experienced human service program manager and public administrator.
Dillon Burns
Mental Health Services Director
Dillon has served as Mental Health Services Director at Vermont Care Partner since 2016, providing statewide support to the directors of Adult Outpatient, Children and Families, Emergency Services, Crisis Bed Services and CRT programs.
She provides data, program, and policy analysis and represents Vermont Care Partners in various forums with state and advocacy partners and acts as primary liaison with the Department of Mental Health. A licensed social worker with a 2010 master’s degree from UVM’s graduate program in Social Work, Dillon previously worked at Washington County Mental Health as an Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Clinician and as Coordinator of the Children’s Navigation Program. In addition to her work at Vermont Care Partners, Dillon currently carries a small caseload in private practice.
Jacinta Mack
Administration Director
Jacinta joined the VT Council in March of 2022. She has over a decade of experience in operations, administration and human resources. She is the organization’s primary liaison to the Human Resources Directors.
Among other administrative responsibilities, she handles all human resources-related issues, including insurance and retirement accounts, coordinating in-house technology, as well as scheduling and organizing meetings. She also handles accounting and financial reporting for VCP.
Before moving to Vermont, Jacinta lived in New York from 2002 to 2017, where received a BA in Political Science and English from Hunter College, and gained experience in corporate settings, nonprofits, foundations and start-ups.
Marie Lallier
Developmental Disability Services Director
Marie has served as Developmental Disabilities Services Director since July 2021, proving statewide support to the directors of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities programs in the Vermont Designated Agency and Specialized Services Agency network. She provides advocacy, program and policy analysis and represents Vermont Care Partners in various forums with state partners.
Marie previously worked at Champlain Community Services as a Service Coordinator and developed their Virtual Activities program during the COVID closure of in-person services. She also worked at Tetra Tech, a global development firm, managing travel, security, data systems, Duty of Care and emergency response protocols, as well as a member of the Equity Council and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation groups. She also has direct service and case management experience from I/DD and refugee resettlement agencies in Connecticut and Vermont. Marie has also grassroots volunteer experience with Women’s March and other social justice and animal care efforts.
Ken Gingras
Health Information Technology Director
Ken is a native Vermonter and graduate of St. Michael’s College in Winooski, VT. He has worked in information technology since the early 1990’s.
Most recently Ken spent nearly 12 years as the Technology Manager for Northwestern Counseling and Support Services in St. Albans, VT. While there, Ken was responsible for leading the technology team in growing and supporting all aspects of the agency’s technology. Ken also played a central role in the implementation of the electronic medical record at NCSS.
He has been with the VCN team since August of 2014.
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