Our Team

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Dorian Winslow loves being part of a community and actively participates in local engagement. She has lived in Pawling for 34 years, initially as a part-time resident commuting from NYC on weekends. After she and her husband Tom moved to Pawling full-time, she seized the opportunity to bring people together over ideas by co-founding The Spark Presents with Maria Reade and enlisting team members like Lisa Kelsey to design the logo. 

As the Owner of Womanswork, a national brand of gardening products, Dorian collaborates with blue chip clients such as Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Vermont Country Store, White Flower Farm, Uncommon Goods, and more. An avid gardener, she remains curious about new techniques and ideas. Additionally, Dorian serves on the board of the Pawling Farmers Market and is an active member of the Pawling Garden Club, further fostering community events.

Sam Petersson is a lifelong learner who loves bringing people together around art, film, and bold ideas. Raised between New York City and Columbia County, Sam has spent the past twenty years working in film and commercial content production before discovering Pawling during the pandemic. He joined The Spark in January 2025, drawn to its mission of fostering conversation, creativity, and connection through community events that enhance local engagement. Sam recently earned a master’s degree in Sustainable Food Systems at the Culinary Institute of America and also serves on the board of the Pawling Community Garden, where he collaborates with team members to strengthen community bonds. He believes that gathering communities to discuss challenging ideas builds strong support, resilience, and mutual aid.

Maria Reade has always loved pushing beyond her comfort zone and challenging herself to develop new skills. Founding this series with Dorian Winslow in 2020 grew out of her passion for local engagement, bringing people together to explore ideas and forge community connections. She honed these talents during her long tenure as an English teacher, dean of faculty, and coach at Trinity-Pawling School. Maria now balances three careers in southern Vermont: freelance writer and editor; head chef of a nonprofit that provides from-scratch meals to food pantries; and working partner on a veggie and poultry farm. She splits her time between her home in Arlington, Vermont, and Pawling, where she actively participates in community events and serves on the board of the Pawling Farmers Market, collaborating with team members to enhance local initiatives.

Lisa is an editorial designer, a creative director, and occasionally a writer. She has a passion for learning and a curiosity about why things are the way they are, which has served her well during her career in magazines, spanning over three decades. Lisa has learned to collaborate effectively with team members including writers, editors, and artists, honing her ability to bring diverse perspectives together. Her love for collaboration has also led her to become involved in local engagement through community events, where she shares her design skills and enthusiasm for strengthening community bonds. When she's not designing stories for her primary client People magazine, she can be found enjoying the outdoors, reading a good book, or in her kitchen cooking up something from one of her over 500 cookbooks.