OUR TEAM
MEET OUR STAFF
Keegan Albaugh - Executive Director (he/him)
keegan@dadguild.org
Keegan’s passion for being a father can undoubtedly be traced back to the hundreds of hours he spent as a child watching Full House reruns. When the dream of having a child became real in 2016, he embarked on a mission to increase the number of opportunities and services for dads in the Burlington, VT area. He facilitated a support group for new fathers at Evolution Yoga in 2017, and created Dad Guild the following year.
Prior to becoming a father, Keegan earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development from Colby College in 2006. He has worked in nonprofit organizations ever since, with a focus on community building and social emotional skill development in adolescents.
He moved to Vermont to serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2009 and worked as an educator at Howard Center for nearly 10 years. After starting Dad Guild in late 2018, he worked as the Fatherhood Program Coordinator at the Janet S. Munt Family Room where he oversaw the development of the program there while providing direct service to a wide range of fathers with varying needs. Additionally, he has served on the New England Fathering Conference planning committee, and had a column, "Pop Culture", in Kids VT Newspaper.
Keegan lives in Burlington’s New North End with his partner, Stephanie, their two daughters, Coraline and Penelope, and their four furry felines, Otis, Luna, Pigeon and Walter. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking, watching Stephanie perform improv at the Vermont Comedy Club, and playing the ukulele...at a very mediocre skill level. Like, really mediocre.
Grace Ahmed - Data and Program Evaluation Specialist (she/her)
grace@dadguild.org
Grace is an artist, information scientist, and super-mommy of five living in Burlington. She has an undergraduate education in Computer Science, Psychology, and Studio Art and earned an M.S. in Complex Systems & Data Science from UVM in 2022.
She has worked with non-profits including the Janet S. Munt Family Room, the Vermont State Data Center, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, and United Way of Greater Atlanta designing and managing database systems and web apps. She is excited to support Dad Guild in its fatherhood programming by providing expertise in data management & program evaluation.
She has worked with non-profits including the Janet S. Munt Family Room, the Vermont State Data Center, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, and United Way of Greater Atlanta designing and managing database systems and web apps. She is excited to support Dad Guild in its fatherhood programming by providing expertise in data management & program evaluation.
Grace is part of the Vermont Comic Creators and has a Bacon-Erdös number of less than infinity– five degrees from Kevin Bacon through her role in “Busted: A Citizen’s Guide to Surviving Police Encounters” and six degrees from Paul Erdös through the publication “Welcome New Americans! Investigating the role of hyper-local online communities in integration of immigrants.”
Marlon Fisher - Development Director (he/him)
marlon@dadguild.org
Marlon Fisher is a devoted father and a passionate advocate for parental support systems. As the primary caregiver for his first son, Marlon learned firsthand the joys and challenges of parenthood and discovered the importance of community for fathers. He became actively involved in various parenting groups, inspiring him to join forces with Keegan in founding Dad Guild, which is dedicated to fostering connections among fathers, families, and children.
Professionally, Marlon has focused his career on assisting at-risk youth, working in residential, wilderness, and community settings. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Integrated Studies from Champlain College and served eight years as an All-Source Intelligence Analyst in the US Army. Currently, Marlon serves on the Spectrum Youth & Family Services board, where he contributes his expertise in supporting vulnerable young individuals.
Marlon enjoys making people laugh as a stand-up comic in his free time and is a regular host of The Moth StorySlam competition in Burlington, VT. His commitment to community engagement, personal growth, and storytelling reflects his passion for making a positive impact on the lives of others.
Patrick Lucey - Program Staff (he/him)
patrick@dadguild.org
Patrick is a local Burlingtonian who - after 17 years away - moved back to the area in August 2022. His time away consisted of 11 years in Washington, DC, working on Capitol Hill as well as at various think tanks and advocacy groups, followed by 6 years in Berlin, Germany, working as a cybersecurity consultant.
Both of Patrick’s children were born while living in Berlin. He and his kids are German-American dual citizens and speak German at home (Mom speaks English). As a result Patrick has a personal passion for the specific challenges and joys of raising kids in a bilingual household.
Moving back to Vermont the extreme cost of childcare became an immediate issue. It was decided that Patrick would be the primary caregiver at least until the youngest also qualified for Act 166 funding support. Patrick was immediately drawn to Dad Guild and the community it offered. Not only as a low-key open way to make friends and share about parenting but also as an opportunity to talk about and normalize the “father-as-a-primary-caregiver” approach.
Patrick lives in Colchester, in a house filled with various mammals, including: Emily (wife), Ingela, aka “Oma” (mother), Cora (daughter), Merritt (son), Sydnie (dog), Sophie (dog), Felix (cat), Albert (cat). When he is not chasing after one of these mammals, Patrick enjoys swimming, skiing, and rooting for the German soccer team Hertha BSC Berlin.
Sarah Caliendo - Operations Manager (she/her)
sarah@dadguild.org
Sarah lives in Burlington’s New North End with her wife, young child, and cat. Previous to the Dad Guild Sarah primarily has experience working with nonprofits in roles focusing on youth. She worked for The DREAM Program for 7 years as a Program Empowerment Director and Program Director, and for 5 years at The Flynn as the Class & Camp Manager. Since becoming a parent herself Sarah has grown a deep appreciation for the need of community support for families, and is excited to join the Dad Guild in supporting fathers and masc caregivers (and by extension the greater community) in the adventure of parenting!
Sarah enjoys dancing, particularly partner dancing, and outdoor adventures such as hiking and biking. She also loves spending time with her family, and finds great joy in seeing and hearing about the world through the eyes of her child.
MEET OUR BOARD
Nicholas Kramer - Board President (he/him)
nich@dadguild.org
As a new dad in 2017, Nicholas first discovered Dad Guild through connections he made at a support group for new fathers at Evolution Yoga facilitated by Keegan, Dad Guild's soon-to-be-founder. As an early Dad Guild supporter Nicholas attended preliminary organizational meetings and brainstorming sessions as well as some of the first Dad’s Nights Out. Soon after, he was given the amazing opportunity to become a founding member of the Dad Guild Board of Directors and, a few years later, Board President as Keegan transitioned to his role as Executive Director.
Nicholas spends his days working as a Release Train Engineer for Cox Automotive/Dealer.com. He has a BA in English Literature from Dickinson College and a Master's in Library Science from St. John's University.
Outside of work Nicholas is an ardent music-lover. For several years he was a radio DJ on WBTV-LP and now spends his non-parenting free time both attending shows at local venues and playing the drums.
Ben Glassman - Board Member (he/him)
ben@dadguild.org
It was about a year after the birth of his first child that Ben saw a friendly-looking bearded Dad at the library wearing a maroon shirt with a cartoon hand holding a milk bottle, emblazoned with the words "Dad Guild". After attending some Dad Guild events and connecting with other dads who were having similar experiences, he realized how isolated and overwhelmed he had been feeling as a first time parent, in the Vermont winter, far from family, in a household with both parents working full time. He also began to realize just how many people in his community were having the same experience, and he felt a bit less isolated and overwhelmed. He is honored and excited to be a board member of Dad Guild as they continue to find ways to build a community of dads who support each other in their journey to be better fathers, partners and community members.
Ben earned his Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from Champlain College in 2005 and has worked as a software engineer building web apps (often with maps) ever since.
He loves teaching and mentoring, having worked as a professor of web design and development at Champlain College until his first son was born, when he cut back on professional commitments. He has worked and volunteered with a number of nonprofits, including Vermont Works for Women and Girl Develop It, as a curriculum designer and an instructor, making technology education more accessible. He has also served as the lead developer of the Gleaner's Interface for many years, a web app that helps coordinate volunteers harvesting surplus food from farms for donation to food banks.
Ben lives in Winooski with his partner Emily and their two sons, Zev and Milo. In the event of the ever elusive "free time", he can be found mountain biking or playing bass.
Jay Diaz - Board Member (he/him)
jay@dadguild.org
Jay Diaz found Dad Guild through its good work and hosting video calls during the pandemic. As a father of two young kids (and a somewhat domesticated dog named Lucky), he knows from experience that it takes a village to raise a family. He cares deeply about the need for communities of fathers to care for their children and each other, through good times and hard times. He hopes his presence on the board can support the expansion of Dad Guild's already outstanding work.
For his day job, he's been a lawyer with the ACLU of Vermont since 2015, currently in the role of General Counsel. Previously, Jay was a staff attorney with the Disability Law Project of Vermont Legal Aid, representing low-income Vermonters with disabilities through direct representation and legislative advocacy.
He was also the 2012-2014 Poverty Law Fellow, defending the rights of Vermont’s students and youth. In addition to his work at ACLU of Vermont, Jay is Health Law and Policy Faculty with the Vermont-LEND program and the University of Vermont College of Medicine, and serves on the board of the Conservation Law Foundation. Jay is a 2012 graduate of Boston College Law School and received his undergraduate degree from New York University in 2006. He lives in Williston with his wife, two kids, and dog.
Zelda Keller - Board Member (she/her)
zelda@dadguild.org
Zelda is the Executive Director of the Institute for Climate and Peace, a Hawaii-based climate justice organization. In addition to her work with the Institute for Climate and Peace, Zelda works with organizations to develop peacebuilding initiatives throughout the Pacific Asia region and serves as a consultant for the Obama Foundation's Global Programs team.
Her other area of interest is in politics, where she has been a part of local, state, and presidential campaign teams. She received a B.A. in Peace Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi, a graduate certificate in Asia Pacific Leadership from the East-West Center, and is an alumna of the AmeriCorps VISTA national service program. She is also an Edmund Hillary fellow. Zelda lives in Hawaiʻi with her family.