Our Board of Directors
Stone's Board of Directors play a major role in the guidance on the growth of ESOP value; succession planning; and advising the president on strategic direction of the company.
Dr. Dave Gustafson, Chair of the Board
Dave is an independent scientist who uses modeling to help food systems meet human nutrition needs in more sustainable ways. He has an academic background in chemical engineering with 30 years’ experience working in the private sector (Shell, Rhône-Poulenc, Monsanto). Following a career transition, Dave now leads research projects for the Agriculture & Food Systems Institute and the Conservation Technology Information Center. He also has an Adjunct Faculty research appointment in Biological Systems Engineering at Washington State University. Dave’s early career focused on predicting agricultural impacts on water quality. He subsequently developed new modeling approaches to pollen-mediated gene flow and the population genetics of insect and weed resistance. Beginning in 2007, Dave began leading efforts to understand climate adaptation and mitigation imperatives in the global agri-food system. He has served on various national and international teams looking at this issue, including the Executive Secretariat of the US Government’s National Climate Assessment Development & Advisory Committee (2011-2014). Dave received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington.
John P. Hanzas Jr., President
John joined Stone in 1994 as a staff geoscientist and quickly moved up the ranks, eagerly working on every type of project Stone conducted. He has been pivotal to the growth and success of Stone over the last three decades. John brings strong technical and business perspectives to his new role, with a degree in business management and over twenty-five years of experience performing field studies. In 2017, John was named President of Stone. From 2008 to 2023 he also led Stone’s Agrochemical Fate and Exposure group while serving on the senior management team. Within this role, John oversaw a wide variety of regulatory, scientific, and technical projects focused on providing reliable and defensible data and analyses to assist agrochemical companies in evaluating the fate of their crop protection products in the environment. He has a B.S. Degree in Business Management from Ithaca College, as well as extensive coursework in geology and hydrology from the University of Vermont and Norwich University.
David J. Healy, Board Member
David is GIS specialist, environmental planner, policy analyst, and manager with 35+ years of experience. He has worked as a GIS consultant for the last 26 years with Stone Environmental until his retirement in 2017. David is a leading innovator in the use of GIS in solving complex analytical and technical problems. In the late ‘80s, he was instrumental in setting up the Vermont Center for Geographic Information.. Throughout his career, David has worked on a many diverse spatial analysis and web-GIS application projects within the renewable energy, health care, and environmental stewardship sectors. His earlier career positions include Operations Administrator for the Vermont Center for Geographic Information; Policy Analyst for the Office of the Governor in the State of Vermont; and started his career at the Environmental Protection Agency Region IX in 1972 where he worked on programs for achieving air quality standards in the region. He earned his M.S. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Raghavan Srinivasin, Board Member
Srini is a professor at Texas A&M University, Director of the Spatial Sciences Laboratory, and Interim Director of the Blackland Research and Extension Center (BREC) at Texas A&M. He has become known and respected throughout the world for his developmental work with spatial sciences and computer-based modeling, especially the Soil and Water Assessment Tool or SWAT model. His research and its applications have contributed to long-lasting changes in natural resource assessments and development of management system options, currently being used in more than 90 countries. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from Purdue University.
Michele Kupersmith, JD, Board Member
Michele is the Program Outreach Coordinator for the Vermont Employee Ownership Center (VEOC), where she carries out program development, communication, and marketing. She is especially responsible for outreach to and coordination with business and professional organizations. She has been a Vermont State Representative for South Burlington, serving four terms between 2005 and 2014, as well as Workforce Education and Training Coordinator under two Commissioners of Labor. Prior to that she was engaged in workforce education and training programs and practiced law. A graduate of UVM and Vermont Law School, Kupersmith brings a lifetime of experience in workforce development, economic development, law, and public policy.
Marc Mihaly, JD, Board Member
Marc Mihaly is Professor Emeritus at Vermont Law School and served as its president and dean from 2012 to 2017. He is an expert in land use, urban planning, and energy law. Marc received his BA from Harvard College and, after service in the Peace Corps, received his JD from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley. He co-founded Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger in San Francisco. He provided advice and counsel to governments and environmental agencies on environmental law.
Susan Reisbord, Board Advisor
Susan is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Cardno Limited. With more than 30 years’ experience in the consulting engineering and construction industry, she has a strong and diverse skill set, thriving in challenging, changing, fast-paced, and results-oriented environments. Susan has a proven track record of strategic leadership, driving growth across diverse market sectors, expansive geographies, serving both public and private sectors clients. Her strategic leadership and business development skills were honed as a front-line Client Service Manager for clients like the City of New York and General Electric Company. Susan is a dynamic leader recognized for forging strong relationships in global organizations (internally and externally) and effectively engaging the workforce in a commitment to superior client care and project delivery. Susan received her Master of Science at the University of Chicago and her Bachelor of Science at the University of Cincinnati.