Who We Are

It takes more than boats and paddles to run a 200+ member dragon boat club. Behind every practice, every race and every festival is a team of people who keep the organization moving.

Behind the Scenes

When they’re not in the boat, they’re making sure everyone else can be.

Kyle Lewis: Executive Director

Kyle came to Dragonheart Vermont at the intersection of everything she's loved in her career: mission-driven work, leadership and recreation. Before joining the club, she spent over a decade in the ski industry in sales, marketing and software implementation, then moved to mission-driven organizations including Mamava and the State of Vermont, where she worked in customer service, data analytics, management and leadership.

As Executive Director, Kyle is essentially a business owner whose profits go to charitable causes. She oversees finance, marketing, HR, fundraising for the festival and smaller events, membership meetings and process improvements. She also reports to and serves on the board of directors.

The role is personal for her. Kyle's sister-in-law had Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer as a parent of two young kids, her sister is currently being treated for Stage 4 lymphoma, and her brother-in-law underwent treatment for leukemia at Dana-Farber. Cancer touches everyone, and for Kyle, Dragonheart Vermont is a way to do something about it. The people she's met here fuel her drive to make things better. There's always a new problem to solve or a reason to celebrate, and Dragonheart changes lives for the better — hers included.

Stacie Griffiths: Executive Assistant

Stacie supports the Executive Director, Head Coach, and Board of Directors while helping keep daily operations running smoothly. She also manages member communications, financial support, and key logistics for board and membership meetings. 

Stacie joined DHVT to give back to breast cancer survivors and has found the experience deeply rewarding—offering the profound feeling of being part of something bigger than herself.

Vicky Drew: Events Coordinator

Vicky joined Dragonheart Vermont in 2019 as a breast cancer survivor and has managed the annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival since 2023. She works with staff, member volunteers and sponsors to put together what is arguably the best event at Waterfront Park in Burlington each summer. 

Organizing hundreds of people, vendors, exhibitors, paddlers and others to raise funds for cancer charities in the community is the kind of work that keeps her coming back.

Jennifer Williams: Festival Director

After the '25 race and years of admiring from the shoreline, Jen dove into Dragonheart in Spring 2026 and is happily co-piloting the magic alongside longtime Festival Director Vick Drew this season, before taking the reins solo in 2027. She keeps the behind-the-scenes gears turning smoothly, from programming flow to partner communications, with equal parts strategy and sparkle. 

With a background in brand storytelling, community-building, sports and mindfulness, Jen loves weaving together experiences that feel as good as they run. She does this work because bringing people together—in service of community are care, is what life's all about.

Michelle Miller: Web Content Manager (Volunteer)

Michelle joined Dragonheart Vermont in 2012 and has become the person who keeps the digital side of the organization running. She manages the membership systems, ecommerce and calendar, and oversees the website content for Dragonheart Vermont, the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival, and the Save Your Shamrocks hockey tournament. 

She'll tell you she loves crunching data and learning new systems, but what she's really about is making sure every member gets the support they need.

Ruth Thomas-Squire: Chair of the Board of Directors (Volunteer)

Ruth joined Dragonheart in 2008 as a breast cancer survivor. She facilitates monthly board meetings, moderating to ensure orderly business. Works with the Executive Director to fulfill the mission of Dragonheart.

Staff Photos