Meet the Bethlehem Farm, Inc. Governing Board!

Fr. Arthur Bufogle, Local Catholic Pastor

I was first introduced to Nazareth Farm in 1980 while I was a Brother stationed in Clay County WV. Years later, I met original Bethlehem Farm caretakers Julie Tracy and Russ Plywaczynski when I first came to Alderson as Parish Administrator in 2005. I was pleasantly surprised about the existence of the farm and the people who were part of it. Since I live nearby, I am frequently at the farm, visit the community at times, play music at community nights, and am quite familiar with the day-to-day life of the farm community. BF is pleasantly reminiscent to me of the days when I was a volunteer in eastern Kentucky with CAP (Christian Appalachian Project), then as a Brother in Clay County WV. I would probably like to live at the farm and be part of the community if I could shower at will (at least once or twice a day). Also, I am pastor of the parishes in Hinton, Rainelle, and Alderson, I have a number of degrees, I specialize in tomatoes, rice, and soil nitrogen, I used to be a HS teacher, I worked in the USA and the Philippines, I was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Tokyo, I was a teaching brother then a monk for 25 years, I like to play music, garden, make furniture, go canoeing and hiking and be in the outdoors, I like prisoners, and other mundane and other-worldly things like that.

Liz Drapa (Treasurer), Corporation for Supportive Housing in Chicago

I work at the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) which works on creating more permanent affordable housing with services for persons who are homeless and disabled.  My work at CSH includes working on housing and homeless policy, training nonprofit providers, and working closely with government to create real change so we can end homelessness in our country. I love the farm not only because it provides me with a quiet place to be with God and people who I love, but also it brings the wonderful world of Appalachia and service to so many who can participate and be at the farm.

Katherine Feise, Internal Auditor at Wachovia/Wells Fargo St. Louis

My relationship to the farm is forever imprinted into my mind as fate, as I came to an adult week in 2007 by suggestion of a friend who found it on www.cnvs.org but did not actually know any of the caretakers or anyone who had ever gone there. God was calling me to a new home that changed my life that week and continues to change my life to this day. I was so impacted my experience at the farm that in 2008, I took an unpaid leave of absence from my corporate job so that I may spend three months as an autumn servant at Bethlehem Farm. Currently, much of my time is still spent in the corporate world and in the midst of consumerist society which is demanding things to happen at the speed of light and people to appear to be successful at all costs. It is not always easy to explain to friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances the experiences at the farm which have deeply internalized and changed me. However, somehow I seem to share my farm experience at least once per week by telling a new story or sharing with a new person.  I am very proud to be the newest Bethlehem Farm board member as of July 2009.

Katie Noonan (Vice-Chair), Law Firm Associate at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews, & Ingersoll in Baltimore

I live in Potomac, Maryland with my husband, Brian, my son, Will, and our dog, Widener. I enjoy running, reading (board books are a favorite these days), and visiting with friends. I am a real estate attorney specializing in common interest communities, and learning each day that there are many ways to be connected to the land. I look forward to spending time at Bethlehem Farm because of the fresh air, strong friends, and good food. My connection to Bethlehem Farm stems from my college friendships at Loyola University Chicago.

Tom Ruggaber, Retired Lucent Software Engineer

Hi, my name is Tom Ruggaber, AKA Rugs. I was first involved with Nazareth Farm and eventually was asked to be on their board. While attending a college week at Nazareth Farm in January of 2004, I was privileged to be there when the Spirit directed several of us to establish a new mission in West Virginia which became Bethlehem Farm. I was elected the first chair of the Bethlehem Farm board and was the liaison between the boards for several years. In my other world, I have a beautiful wife, Pat, four children, all married, and 8 grandchildren with one more due February 2010. I am retired from Lucent technologies and now keep busy as a volunteer youth minister in our parish in Wheaton , IL., my involvement with Bethlehem Farm, and of course loving and supporting my family. In November of 2009, Pat and I were on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was an amazing trip that everyone should be able to experience. The Scriptures become so much more alive after witnessing where it all happened.This picture was taken on the Sea of Galilee. Obviously we were  loving it.

Jana Strom (Secretary), DPT Student Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions

I first heard of BF during my service at Nazareth Farm from 2001-2003 when the organization was nameless and only an idea.  After Nazareth Farm, I moved onto teaching outdoor education and working with differently abled individuals in Indiana, then stroke patients and older adults at a hospital in Michigan, and finally coordinating the Semester of Service program and teaching at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.  In spring 2006, I attended a BF group week as a site leader -- lending an extra pair of hands during a time when there was a limited number of full-time caretakers.  I felt right at home and a short time later I was invited to join the organization as a Board Member.  I am currently the Secretary of the Board and I have since moved on from Dayton, Ohio to Boston, MA where I am attending graduate school at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.  I love being outdoors, working hard (physically and mentally), listening, watching movies, silence, photography, and friends and family who care for me despite my quirks.

Julie Tracy (Chair), Campus Minister at UNH

After attending Boston College, I joined the Nazareth Farm staff for one and a half years as Volunteer Coordinator, then as Interim-Director. With the gift of land that became BF, I moved from Nazareth to Bethlehem for half a year of service and establishing what is now Bethlehem Farm. Since leaving five years ago, I have been a Chaplain at the University of New Hampshire and a proud member of the board. These days, I am a Chaplain and a part-time graduate student getting my Master of Social Work and Master of Science in Outdoor Education degrees. In NH, you can find me most days walking in the woods or kayaking with students, studying outside, or drinking too much coffee at the local shop. At the Farm, my favorite time of day is just as the sun rises in the mountains, the time when the fog rises and the air is chilled. I find wonder and joy in that small moment.

Michael Vincent, Southern Regional Director, Catholic Charities WV

Are you interested in joining this great team? We are always looking for passionate & qualified members to join the Bethlehem Farm Board. Call or email Eric Fitts, Director, for more information. 304-445-7143. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Potential Board Member Bio Form