Volunteer Spotlights
Jim Prevo
Since 2021, Jim Prevo has been a steady, enthusiastic presence at The Fells, contributing to both the Crack Maintenance Team and IT. He began volunteering after meeting CMT Leader Dave MacDonald through a Lake Sunapee Protective Association project, where Dave quickly recognized his skills and can-do attitude.
Jim loves working with his hands, solving problems, and turning ideas into reality, making The Fells an ideal fit for his wide-ranging interests. He also values the camaraderie among volunteers. In retirement, he especially appreciates the friendships, shared purpose, and the satisfaction of working with others who enjoy building and fixing things as much as he does.
A favorite memory of Jim’s was installing the utilities to the new kiosk, which required precise conduit work and close coordination with Carrol Concrete. When an experienced equipment operator praised the team’s workmanship, it was a meaningful acknowledgment of their skill and teamwork.
Before retiring, Jim worked in IT and grew up helping in his father’s business, where he gained a broad set of practical trade skills, talents that now benefit The Fells daily. True to his Boy Scout roots, he lives by “Be Prepared,” and fellow volunteers know his truck is the go-to spot for any tool or fastener. Staff affectionately call him Inspector Gadget.
When asked what he’d say to anyone considering volunteering, Jim doesn’t hesitate: “If you have passion, skills, and enjoy working with great people, The Fells might be exactly where you belong.” His experience is a reminder that every volunteer adds something unique, and the time you give here makes a real difference.
Alicia Zanderigo
For the past three years, Alicia Zanderigo has been a vibrant and dedicated presence at The Fells. As Committee Chair for Christmas at The Fells Ladies Night and Co-Chair for Artists Weekend, she has played a key role in shaping two of the organization’s most beloved events.
Working alongside committee members Alesha Forget and Alysa Boan, fondly known as the “A Team,” Alicia has helped transform Ladies Night into a signature, sold out fundraiser. The evening has become known for its lively and welcoming atmosphere, complete with entertainment, great food, and exciting raffle prizes, all set against the backdrop of the beautifully decorated estate. Alicia’s energy, creativity, and sense of fun shine through in every detail she helps bring to life.
Alicia’s connection to The Fells is personal. She was married on the grounds, and after moving to Newbury, one of the first pieces of art her family purchased came from The Fells gallery. That experience sparked her interest in joining the Artists Weekend committee, and she continues to discover meaningful pieces there each year.
With a background in event production and a career in real estate with Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty, Alicia understands how essential volunteers are to the success of any nonprofit. She encourages anyone considering getting involved to take the leap, believing that every contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference. Her story is a reminder that volunteering at The Fells is not only meaningful and rewarding but also a wonderful way to become part of something special.
Nick Scheu
If you’ve spent any time in the Rock Garden at The Fells, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with Nick Scheu, a dedicated volunteer whose curiosity, generosity, and deep horticultural knowledge help keep this historic space thriving.
Nick has been volunteering for three years, following his tenure as Landscape Director, and today he serves both as a Rock Garden weeder and as Chair of the North American Rock Garden Society Fells Chapter. After a traditional business career, he shifted course and built a career of more than thirty years as a Garden Designer and Horticultural Advisor, running his own business. Though technically retired, he admits he has a hard time stepping away because he simply loves getting his hands in the soil.
His affinity for rock gardens and the remarkable plants that inhabit them is what drew him back to The Fells as a volunteer. What he enjoys most is the constant learning that unfolds with every visit, along with the joy of sharing that knowledge with fellow volunteers, summer interns, and curious visitors.
Nick encourages anyone considering volunteering to “come learn with us,” emphasizing that the commitment is completely flexible and that beginners and experts work side by side on a wide range of tasks.
And if you’re wondering about his favorite plant at The Fells, he’ll happily tell you: Paeonia obovata, the Woodland Peony.
Gay Sabin
For the past four years, Gay Sabin has brought warmth, energy, and genuine joy to The Fells. She has worn many hats during her time with us including room monitor for Christmas at The Fells, Main House greeter, Santa’s Breakfast server, and a reliable helping hand whenever clerical support is needed.
Gay first became involved after attending Christmas at The Fells with friends and chatting with volunteers in her neighborhood. What began as simple curiosity quickly grew into a true passion. As she puts it, “Every experience I’ve had at the estate has been memorable, really.”
Throughout the season, Gay serves as a Sunday Greeter, welcoming visitors from across the country and around the world. Connecting with guests and sharing her knowledge of the John Hay Estate and making their visit enjoyable is what she loves most about her role.
Her advice for anyone considering volunteering is simple and heartfelt: “Take a tour around the estate and see what inspires you. Attend events. Talk with other volunteers.”
If Gay’s story sparks something in you, we’d be delighted to welcome you into our volunteer community. There’s a place for everyone at The Fells.
Ashley Kelton (right)
When Ashley Kelton volunteered at Ladies Night during Christmas at The Fells for the first time this year, she felt the magic of the place almost instantly. Encouraged by a friend who described the event as something truly special, Ashley decided to get involved. As the owner of Pic Perfect Photo Booth, she quickly saw a natural opportunity to lend her talents. Bringing her photo booth to Ladies Night allowed her not only to capture joyful moments but also to add a playful, energetic element to the celebration.
Although this was her first time volunteering, the experience made such a lasting impression that Ashley wanted to take on a larger role. Inspired by the warm, positive atmosphere and the connections she formed with guests and fellow volunteers, she eagerly joined the Ladies Night Committee for the coming year. She’s excited to help shape next year’s event and to bring even more creativity and enthusiasm to the celebration.
What stood out most to Ashley were the interactions she had with guests. Each shared laugh, playful photo booth pose, and friendly conversation reminded her of how powerful and fulfilling community engagement can be. She describes Ladies Night as “infectious and magical,” and she is excited to now be part of the team that plans the event.
Ashley encourages anyone considering volunteering at The Fells to dive in wholeheartedly. She found the environment welcoming and supportive, an experience where volunteers immediately feel appreciated. For her, knowing she helped create special memories for others made the night especially rewarding, and she hopes others will discover that same sense of purpose.
Along with running her photo booth business, Ashley is a local dental hygienist and a devoted mother to her two young children, Avery (4½) and Sawyer (2). One of her favorite memories of The Fells comes from visiting during the holidays with her daughter and nieces, when the children were delighted by a whimsical “fake bubble bath” display in one of the historic bathrooms, a moment filled with laughter and wonder.
Volunteers like Ashley make The Fells a warm, welcoming, and joyful place for everyone who visits. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity truly embody the spirit of community, and we are thrilled to have her as part of the team.
Susan Rogers (right)
For the past six years, Susan has been a driving force behind the beauty and upkeep of The Fells. As a dedicated member of our Crack Maintenance Team who meets every Tuesday morning from April to October, she brings her talent, energy, and love of painting to every project she touches.
From refreshing the veranda furniture to transforming rooms in the Main House, Susan’s brushstrokes can be found across the property. One of her most meaningful contributions was partnering with other volunteers to renovate the intern wing. Over several months, she and Dianne Prevo painted four bedrooms, a hallway, sitting room, and bathroom including walls, windows, ceilings, and even floors. Thanks to their hard work, the space now welcomes four summer interns each year.
When asked what she enjoys most about volunteering, Susan shared that nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment after completing a project. And what would she tell someone thinking about joining our volunteer community?
“It’s a fabulous group of people to work with. We work hard and play hard!”
We’re so grateful for Susan’s dedication, craftsmanship, and spirit. Volunteers like her make The Fells shine, quite literally.
If you’ve been thinking about getting involved, consider this is your moment to jump in. There’s a place for you here, and we’d love to welcome you into our community.
Sue & Don Elliott
Sue and Don Elliott have spent the past thirteen years as dedicated volunteers at The Fells, a place they cherished long before making the area their full-time home. First drawn in by the estate’s trails, gardens, and year-round beauty, they soon discovered the rich legacy of John Milton Hay and the three generations of his family who summered there until 1987. Understanding how deeply the estate matters to the community, they felt compelled to help protect and support it. Volunteering quickly became their way of giving back to a place that had already become meaningful in their lives.
Sue, with her love of history, embraced the role of docent. She finds great fulfillment in guiding visitors through the estate and sharing the remarkable story of John Milton Hay including his diplomatic achievements, political influence, and close relationship with Abraham Lincoln. She especially enjoys watching guests react with surprise and admiration as they learn just how significant the Hay family was. Her passion for education also led her to the Teen Docent Program, where she helps young people connect with the estate and its history. Local schools now visit annually, and teens take on active roles as docents themselves. One student was even inspired to pursue a degree in museum studies, a moment Sue counts among her most meaningful experiences at The Fells.
As lifelong educators, Sue and Don also devote their time to events that bring families together at the estate. They have chaired the annual Hay Day celebration for several years, creating a joyful tradition where children play games, meet animals, sing songs, and explore the grounds with their families. They also assist with Photos with Santa during Christmas at The Fells. Seeing families return year after year has made these events especially rewarding.
For Sue and Don, volunteering at The Fells feels less like a responsibility and more like a gift, an opportunity to support a treasured community resource, connect with others, and help inspire the next generation of stewards.
Dianne Prevo
If you’ve visited the Main House on a Tuesday and been greeted by a cheerful volunteer in paint‑spattered clothes, you’ve probably met Dianne Prevo. Over the past two years, she has restored windows, helped renovate the intern wing, and refreshed paint as part of the Crack Maintenance Team.
After watching her husband Jim dive into volunteering, Dianne soon found her own calling. A tour of the Servant Quarters during a Teddy Roosevelt reenactment sparked her curiosity, and she later joined a team of volunteers to renovate, paint, and ultimately transform the space into a dedicated wing for summer interns.
Some of her favorite moments have been the unexpected ones. On Crack Maintenance Tuesdays, visitors occasionally arrive hoping to see the Main House, unaware that it’s closed. Dianne has given many impromptu tours while still in her painting clothes, dusty, with her hair “on end like a cartoon character.” These spontaneous interactions have become highlights of her volunteer experience. She treasures the kindness of the visitors she meets and loves sharing the history of the house and the Hay family. As she puts it, it feels like being an ambassador, just “without having to dress up.”
“You can give whatever time you’re comfortable with,” she says. “The Fells truly values its volunteers, and we value each other.”
A former cardiac nurse and Nurse Practitioner, Dianne grew up in Vermont and now lives in Sunapee with her husband. They raised two sons and are excited to welcome their first grandchild this summer. Her favorite place at The Fells is the peaceful Service Entry, where birdsong and sunlight brighten even the earliest spring days.
Wally Borgen
Since 2006, Wally Borgen has been one of the brightest forces at The Fells. Whether she’s welcoming guests as a docent, stirring up fun with Wally’s Wenches, jumping into fundraising projects, or roaming the Fairy Festival dressed as a cupcake, she brings unmistakable energy and wit to everything she does.
Wally first wandered into The Fells in the early 2000s, just before retiring from her teaching career at Concordia College in New York. The beauty of the grounds and the sense that something exciting was beginning pulled her in. “It was just starting to move forward, and I thought I could help,” she says. That simple thought led to her first It’s Vaudeville performance, which blossomed into 28 more shows supporting local nonprofits throughout the state of New Hampshire.
As a docent, Wally delights in the unexpected connections that happen while leading tours. One favorite memory was meeting a couple from China who happened to live in the same city where she had taught in 1993. She also treasures the behind-the-scenes camaraderie, cooking in the kitchens, performing in Murder Mystery Dinners, and slipping into whimsical costumes for children’s programs.
Sharing the story of John Hay, meeting curious visitors, and working alongside “so many wonderful people” keep her coming back. For Wally, the best moments are the ones where she feels her lifelong gifts, teaching, performing, connecting, are making someone’s visit a little more magical. “Using the skills God gave me to make a difference… that’s what stays with me.”
Wally’s Advice to New Volunteers: find the thing that makes you light up.
· If you love gardening, help keep Clarence’s flowers thriving.
· If you love baking, make cookies for children’s events, they’ll remember.
· If you love talking, become a docent and share the Hay family story.
“You can’t go wrong volunteering at The Fells,” she says. “It has brought me friendships and moments I’ll carry for years.”
Wally has been teaching since age 22 and still teaches at Colby Sawyer College at 80. “My students don’t age, so I don’t age. Or I’m in denial,” she jokes. She’s also been performing since age 8 and shows no signs of stopping. If you’ve ever spotted a cupcake wandering around the Fairy Festival, chances are you’ve already met her.
Patsy Martin
For more than thirty years, The Fells has been a place of comfort, curiosity, and connection for Patsy Martin. Long before she became a docent, she wandered the grounds with her four children, drawn to the history and beauty of the estate. When her children were grown, she returned ready to give back to a place that had given her so much.
Encouraged by fellow volunteer Tanya Paul, Patsy stepped into the docent role and has remained deeply involved ever since. Each year, she honors Tanya’s influence with a donation in her name, a gesture that reflects the gratitude and community spirit that shape The Fells.
As a docent, speaker, and event volunteer at programs like Christmas at The Fells and Hay Day, Patsy brings warmth, knowledge, and a genuine sense of curiosity. She loves sharing stories of the Hay family with visitors, but she is just as inspired by the stories visitors share in return. Over the years, she has met a man who once dated Kitty Hay, a great‑nephew of Hay House architect Prentiss Sanger, a guest who received a Helen Hay Foundation scholarship, and even an antique key collector whose key unexpectedly opened a library closet filled with Clarence Hay’s memorabilia. Encounters like these remind her that history is not fixed in the past. It is alive, personal, and continually unfolding.
When she isn’t leading tours, Patsy often walks the trails, “forest bathing” after long days as a clinical psychologist. These quiet moments watching for deer, foxes, owls, and birds make her feel as though she steps outside of time.
A practicing psychologist with a passion for history, Patsy has written four books, taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and enjoys drawing, painting, and the arts.
Her advice to new volunteers is simple: enjoy yourself. Be friendly. Stay open to what every visitor can teach you. And savor the chance to connect with fellow volunteers and the staff who make The Fells such a special place.
Gordon John Dickey
Talk with Gordon Dickey and it’s clear his connection with the Fells is personal. Living directly across Lake Sunapee from the estate, he felt drawn to it long before becoming a docent. As a youth, he would sometimes secretly paddle to Minute Island on the Fells shoreline to explore, while constantly on alert for the old lady (Alice Appleton Hay) rumored to patrol the grounds with a shotgun.
When visiting relatives living on Cape Cod in Brewster in the late 1950s, Gordon encountered Mrs. Hay’s son, neighbor John Hay (the naturalist), at the old grist mill. While founding the Cape Cod Natural History Museum, Hay frequently charmed local youth on quiet afternoons with his stories about the alewife/herring migrations. Hay had developed his love of nature during long, happy summers at the Fells. Gordon still treasures the oil-on-canvas period piece his grandmother painted of the family at the herring run—a painting now donated to the Fells.
Gordon’s family and professional life have interesting parallels with the original John Hay (the diplomat). Both started work in the Executive Branch in Washington, D.C., on the day they passed their respective bars. John began as a private secretary to Abraham Lincoln and eventually became Secretary of State. After service in the U.S. Navy, Gordon started out as a legal intern for the United States Information Agency, advancing to Assistant General Counsel and ultimately Attorney Adviser for the Secretary of State. Every day, Gordon would pass through the exhibit hall in the State Department near the great seal and smile at the tribute to Hay still on display. “The more I learned, the more I was stunned by the overlap in our lives.”
Not only did their work with the Foreign Service in negotiating, drafting, and interpreting international agreements and treaties connect them, but they both sought refuge from the heat and labors of Washington during the summer by doing the exact same thing: they packed up their families and headed to Lake Sunapee.
For Gordon, the Fells remains an “open door” to one of the most remarkable chapters in American history and to the legacy of the remarkable family that summered here among us. Giving tours as a docent, Gordon loves watching guests: “Wide-eyed amazement is a wonderful gift to be shared, and I see it all the time here.” “Volunteering means learning something new every single day and inviting others to join in this journey of discovery.”
On a recent tour, Gordon was bemused by a guest who seemed to only want to listen to the history of John Hay, but she nodded with approval to her partner when he related a tale that had been passed along from a former maid of the house. This guest turned out to have been that very maid. She had been the source of many of the stories shared by docents leading tours. Gordon was gratified that she confirmed he had gotten just about everything right, but better still, she was able to add several anecdotes, including a couple of ghost stories. She promised to return.
Gordon’s advice to prospective volunteers is: “Do it! It will enrich your experience here in Newbury. Don’t be afraid there’s too much to learn. It’s all great stuff, and everyone adapts their tours to what they’ve learned and what visitors seem most interested in. I wish I had appreciated at the start how meaningful the work would be. Your participation is cherished and respected.”
Peter Keenan
For more than a decade, Peter Keenan has been a steady, joyful presence at The Fells, someone who leads with generosity, serves with humility, and never misses a chance to share the magic of this place with others. Peter and his wife Nancy first fell in love with the trails, gardens, and quiet beauty of the Hay Estate. After attending Christmas at the Fells eleven years ago, they decided to deepen their involvement. Since then, volunteering at Christmas at The Fells has become an annual tradition, Nancy greeting guests in her favorite rooms, and Peter stationed in the Roosevelt Room, where he delights visitors with stories of President Theodore Roosevelt and his friendship with John Milton Hay.
As Board Chair, Peter works alongside what he describes as “an extremely talented, hard-working, and generous group of people.” Whether he’s in a board meeting, out with the Crack Maintenance Team, or as a docent at Christmas at the Fells, he’s continually moved by the sense of purpose and camaraderie that defines this community.
One of his favorite memories is meeting a mother and her young daughter who had gotten turned around on the property. Peter pointed them toward the Fairy Village adding, in his words, “an overly elaborate description” of the fairies who come and go. The wonder on the little girl’s face is something he still carries with him.
When asked what he’d tell someone considering volunteering, Peter doesn’t hesitate:
“Giving to The Fells is fantastic, no matter what form that giving takes. You will get more out of volunteering than you expect. The rewards are numerous.”
On a sunny day, you might find Peter on the Veranda, imagining the Hay family enjoying the same view more than a century ago. It’s a reminder of why he volunteers: to help preserve a place where history, beauty, and community meet.