History & Values
WREN was founded in 1994, powered by rural women committed to the mission of supporting better lives and livelihoods through education, economic development and community engagement in the North Country. Through the years, WREN’s work has impacted thousands of people across New Hampshire’s North Country. We provide technical assistance training and market access for local entrepreneurs, artists and makers, and organize educational, cultural and social events for the entire community. The Store and Gallery at WREN support the livelihoods of local artists while contributing to the vitality of the North Country.
Mission
The mission of WREN is to support better lives and livelihoods through education, economic development and community engagement in the North Country.
Staff
Pam Sullivan – Executive Director & Arts Administrator
In January of 2020, WREN welcomed its new Executive Director, Pam Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan brings more than 30 years of business management, fundraising, and strategic marketing experience serving as the founder, president, and creative director of Sullivan Creative (headquartered in Concord, NH). Sullivan Creative has been in business for 33 years and has received numerous awards for creative, communication and design excellence, including the prestigious Direct Marketing Association’s ECHO Award. Sullivan has managed and marketed numerous art/craft exhibits, tourist events, and conferences. She has also worked with nonprofits in securing grants and sponsorships, and in 2017 acted as the contract Executive Director for Las Artistas, a nonprofit arts organization in El Paso, TX. She has also served as the lead consultant for the NH Grand program. Sullivan is responsible for the overall management of WREN including budgeting, marketing, programming, strategic partnerships and grant compliance.
Scarlett Moberly – Assistant Director, Marketing & Programs Manager
A North Country native, Scarlett returned to the area in 2019 after a decade away working and learning in the arts. She earned a BA in Art History from the University of New Hampshire, an MA in Art & Museum Studies from Georgetown University, and a certificate in Art & Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. She worked at IA&A at Hillyer, a non-profit art gallery in Washington, DC, the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA, and as assistant editor of Art New England Magazine in Boston, MA. In February 2021 Scarlett opened Nightshade Contemporary, an art gallery in Littleton, NH which featured local and regional artists. Scarlett brings her passion for the arts and community engagement to her role.
Julia Butterfield – Operations Manager & Wings 2.0 Coordinator
Julia Butterfield is a North Country native and second-generation WREN contributor. Julia earned a BA in Education from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT, where she focused on improving outcomes for rural youth. She is excited to use her education background to lead the Wings 2.0 program, and to use her administrative skills to contribute as WREN’s Financial Coordinator and Operations Manager.
Genevieve Moberly – Retail & Marketing Coordinator
Genevieve Moberly is a Littleton, NH native who moved back to the area after receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting from the Maine College of Art & Design in 2020. As an artist herself, Genevieve finds the community of creatives WREN fosters to be a vital resource to the area. She began working at WREN in 2022 and takes great pride in furthering WREN’s ethos and initiatives.
Board
Julie A. Weisman – Board Chair
Julie is committed to supporting women, education, and the arts. She believes in WREN’s mission and seeks to actively support the arts community and rural entrepreneurship in the North Country. She lives in Franconia and spends as much time as possible on the trails. Julie attended Dartmouth College and has the “granite of New Hampshire in her muscles and her brains.” She looks forward to using her past experiences with public school governance and her deep connection to the North Country as a member of the WREN Board
Mary Moritz – Board Secretary
Mary is Bethlehem Town Administrator. In 2013, Mary became a board member of WREN, believing in the mission, and wanting to be a part of a community focusing on woman entrepreneurialism. The former owner of the Mulburn Inn, Mary brings her business expertise and knowledge of the North Country of New Hampshire to WREN’s board.
Judy Ratzel – Board Treasurer
Judy relocated to the North Country in 2003 to take the position as the Director of Retail at the nearby Omni Mount Washington Resort. She hails from the Seacoast Region of New Hampshire, where she worked as a product manager for SWIX sports. She earned her bachelor of fine arts in illustration at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She enjoys combining her retail business acumen and her love of the arts and community while sitting on the WREN board. In her leisure time you can find her on her bike on the road or in the woods, skiing or taking a walk in the woods.
Rebecca Fullerton
Rebecca is a landscape painter and has served as Archivist for the Appalachian Mountain Club since 2005. In 2018, she returned to New Hampshire after many years in Boston, choosing Bethlehem in part because of the vibrant arts community in the area. Living in the North Country, she has dedicated her art practice to depicting the White Mountains in oils and watercolor. She has a deep love of mountain history and conservation, hiking, trail running and kayaking.
Marie Knight
Marie recently relocated to the White Mountains, originally as a temporary move due to the pandemic, but it soon became her home! As a new member of the community, she clearly sees the value that WREN brings to female entrepreneurs and joined the board to help amplify its marketing efforts. Marie’s day job is working for a Silicon Valley technology company and in the evenings you can find her teaching yoga at Studium Fitness or walking her dog, Boss!
Christa Hollingsworth
Christa Hollingsworth is a development professional with more than ten years of experience in higher education and the arts. She works in the Advancement office at Plymouth State University, where she supports the administration to achieve multi-million dollar campaign fundraising goals and manages donor stewardship processes for the school’s 2,000+ donors each year. Before joining PSU in 2017, she was Managing Director for the North Country Center for the Arts, a non-profit performing arts center in Lincoln, NH. Christa lives in Franconia and is passionate about raising funds for valued community non-profit organizations like WREN.
Sharon Washwick-Francis
Sharon Washwick-Francis is a Bethlehem, NH resident who has a passion to see women succeed wherever their passions lie. Sharon has worked in the insurance business for over 17 years, which has in the past been dominated by men. Women were found in supporting roles but aren’t found usually at the helm. Sharon feels that you will succeed no matter who you are, your background, or even the obstacles if you stick it out and don’t quit. In 2023 Sharon opened her own agency on Main Street in Bethlehem, NH. Sharon believes that to succeed as a small business owner, one must also take the time to listen to the needs and challenges of clients. She looks forward to helping others achieve and be appropriately covered so as never to have a loss that negatively impacts the goals of her small business clients. Sharon has held roles and volunteered in multiple non-profit organizations and committees. She and her husband, the pastor of a local church, believe in helping the community in impactful ways. Sharon enjoys being a part of WREN’s community of women who succeed, grow, and achieve their dreams. Sharon is married with three children and enjoys spending time with family and in the beautiful nature the North Country provides.
The Women’s Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN) is an equal opportunity organization and will not allow discrimination based upon age, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, national origin, disability, race, size, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or any other status prohibited by applicable law.