Board of Directors

Mike Arms

Michael Arms is a pioneer in the animal welfare industry. Following his position with the ASPCA, and 20 years at North Shore Animal League, Mike worked as an adoptions consultant on a national and international scale and since 1999, serves as the President of Helen Woodward Animal Center in Santa Fe, California. He is recognized worldwide as the creator of both the International Pet Adopt-a-thon and Home 4 the Holidays adoption campaigns, as well as the Remember Me Thursday adoption awareness campaign.  Mike is credited in the last 40 years with saving the lives of millions of orphan animals.

Alison Beckwith

Alison Beckwith is a real estate broker and mother of four animal-loving kids, ages 9-28. She moved to Stowe from the Virgin Islands twenty years ago and has adopted three dogs from North Country Animal League over the years. Currently, Diego and Sophie (the “what is it?” wonder-dog) are the family companions and are enthusiastic hikers and explorers. Alison joined NCAL to help support the efforts of the dedicated staff and Board.

Charla Davis

Tom Hubbs

Maggie Macdonald

Maggie is currently a member of the Smith Macdonald Group at Coldwell Banker Carlson Real Estate in Stowe. She has been a top performer in the luxury real estate markets of New York City and Lake Tahoe. She is also an accomplished digital marketing and advertising executive who has generated innovative campaigns across multiple competitive global industries for agencies like R/GA, Droga5 and Hill Holliday in New York and Boston. Maggie’s love of animals led her to earn a degree in Animal Sciences at the University of Vermont. Over the years she’s adopted two dogs (Gizmo and Ellie) and two cats (Montgomery and Inkspot) from NCAL.

John D. Miller Jr.

John currently serves as a Vice President at the Vermont Law School in South Royalton. He oversees the enrollment, financial aid, communications, and marketing functions for the law school. John is from Albany, NY and moved to Vermont in 2006 to attend law school. In addition to his JD, he his AAS in Criminal Justice from Hudson Valley Community College, and his BS in Law and Society from The Sage Colleges. John lives in Waterbury with his partner and their lovable boxer Oliver and their cat Sammy, “the tortie with a lot of “tude!”

Max Neal

Born in Nebraska (a prairie girl), Max migrated to New England in 1959 and has called New England home ever since. Chamber of Commerce work is Max’s passion as it gives her the opportunity to make a positive difference in our communities. Max currently serves as interim executive director of Lamoille Region Chamber of Commerce, and prior to that served as executive director there. Max is a member of the Stowe Rotary Club, Morrisville Rotary Club, board member at Community Health Services of Lamoille County, Vestry Member and serves on the Stewardship Committee at St. John’s in the Mountains in Stowe. She joined the Board of Directors at NCAL in October, 2016.

Karen Nielsen

Karen is a graduate of the University of Vermont and Cambridge University with degrees in biology. Karen is currently employed by Suncommon, a solar energy company, where she is a Solar Project Consultant. She has been surrounded by animals all of her life and has given a home to many rescued animals including squirrels, guinea pigs, rabbits, birds, dogs, cats and horses. Karen has fostered many litters of kittens for NCAL and is now a board member. She lives in Waterbury Center with two dogs, Carlitos and Misha, rescued from Costa Rica.