Staff

Rebecca Baruzzi (she/her)

Executive Director

Rebecca is a determined innovator focused on making community resources more accessible—because everyone deserves a fair shot. She thrives on collaboration, bringing diverse stakeholders together to co-create strategies that lead to meaningful, lasting change.

Her work spans community engagement, program development, advocacy, policy creation, and group facilitation. Simply put, if it helps people and communities thrive, she’s all in. Rebecca believes the strongest solutions are rooted in community voices, out-of-the-box thinking, and a healthy dose of humor along the way.

Connect with Rebecca if you’re passionate about building stronger communities—or if you simply enjoy exchanging clever ideas over coffee.

After ten years in rural central Vermont, Rebecca relocated to Brattleboro for this role and is delighted to be living in the “big city.” When she’s not working, you’ll likely find her on the trails—biking, hiking, or skiing with her husband and teenage son.

Kara M. Orfanidis (she/her)

Office Manager

Kara joined the United Way staff in 2011 and serves as Office Manager. Originally hired to track donations and maintain the donor database, she now supports all aspects of office management, providing administrative and campaign support to the Executive Director and the Director of Development and Community Impact, as well as support to the board of directors, which includes maintaining corporate records and all correspondence with members of the board. By default, Kara is known as our unofficial IT Specialist and the go-to person for help with technical issues. Other aspects of her position include coordination of the Mother’s Day Rose sale and providing support to the VITA program and other UWWC initiatives.  

Kara was born and raised in Windham County and cares deeply about the community she’s grown up to love. Kara currently resides in Brattleboro with her son and enjoys spending time and sharing a laugh with family and friends.

Colleen Savage (she/her)

Manager of Marketing & Community Engagement 

Colleen Savage is the Manager of Marketing and Community Engagement for the United Way of Windham County. In this role, Colleen spearheads our outreach initiatives, amplifies the impactful stories of our partner organizations, and fosters deeper connections throughout the region.

With her strong ties to the local community and a passion for advocacy, Colleen brings fresh energy and strategic vision to our team. She is instrumental in driving engagement and raising awareness of our mission to improve lives and build a stronger, more resilient Windham County. She is dedicated to creating a stronger, healthier community for everyone. By mobilizing people, organizations, and resources, she focuses on helping our neighbors learn, earn, and thrive! She is dedicated to ensuring every child succeeds in school, every individual and family achieves financial stability, and everyone has access to the health care they need.

Originally from the Sunshine State, Colleen moved to Brattleboro in 2020 after living in Philadelphia for years with her son and spouse. When she isn’t pouring her heart into her work she can be seen running around the woods of Windham county, petting your dog or baking tasty treats.