Mission & 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 Gallery at WREN and The Local Works Marketplace at WREN support the livelihoods of local artists while contributing to the vitality of the North Country.

In 2021, NH Business Review presented WREN with the Advocate for Women’s Empowerment Award (AWE Award). The AWE Award honors an individual or organization that has made a lasting impact on empowering women and girls in the Granite State.

 

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 – WREN 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. Contact Pam at pams@wrenworks.org.

Scarlett Moberly – 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 featuring local and regional artists. Scarlett brings her passion for the arts and community engagement to her role as Marketing & Programs Manager at WREN. Contact Scarlett at scarlettm@wrenworks.org.


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 (secretary)

Mary is the innkeeper of the Mulburn Inn, located in Bethlehem. 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. In 2018, Mary was elected to the Bethlehem select board where she is serving her fourth year. Mary brings her business expertise and knowledge of the North Country of New Hampshire to this new role.

Judy Ratzel (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.

Heather Spinney

Heather is the Talent Acquisition/Physician Recruiter at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. In her role, she is an advocate for the North Country as she recruits some of the best talents to our area, helping to make our community stronger and healthier. Prior to her current position, Heather has held a variety of HR roles throughout New Hampshire and Boston. Her passion for the North Country and all its wonderful offerings brought her back to the region. In her spare time, Heather enjoys hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and hanging out with her two dogs!

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.

 

 

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.