Andrew MacArthur

Chapter President

Andrew grew up on Long Island where he developed a passion for targeting fluke, bluefish, and stripers with his surf rods. Blues and stripers are hard to find near SUNY Cortland, where he studied Physical Education, so he started chasing trout instead! Now a resident of Arlington, VT, Andrew teaches Health and Outdoor Education at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester. He loves getting students involved with service projects on local streams and rivers. Since moving to the area in 2012, Andrew has fallen in love with fly fishing for anything with fins and an appetite. He is an avid fly tier and especially loves the Battenkill!

Seth Berger

Chapter Vice President

Seth grew up in Burlington, fishing Lake Champlain and its tributaries for anything he could catch. After discovering fly fishing, chasing native brook trout throughout the Green Mountains became his favorite hobby. After college, Seth moved to Manhattan, not exactly an angler’s paradise, but he quickly found a group of fellow anglers through the New York City chapter of TU. After a few years of exploring the Catskills and saltwater surrounding New York City, Seth moved back to Vermont to work for Orvis, helping anglers plan fishing trips to “bucket list” destinations around the world.

Mike Wisniewski

Chapter Treasurer

Michael received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master’s degree from Columbia University. He went on to have a 30-year career in higher education administration. In 2017, he retired and then, along with his wife of 40, Kay, moved to Vermont. Michael enjoys tightlining on the streams of Vermont and swinging flies with his two-handed rod for Atlantic salmon. 

Gordon Batcheller

Gordon Batcheller is a career wildlife professional, retired as Chief Wildlife Biologist with the State of New York in 2015. A Certified Wildlife Biologist and graduate of the University of Maine and Oklahoma State University, Gordon began his career as a wildlife biologist in Western New York. He worked in the Albany headquarters for over 25 years and was involved in all aspects of New York’s wildlife management program, including deer, black bears, furbearers, and endangered species. He has worked both nationally and internationally to promote sound wildlife conservation practices and the wildlife management profession. He currently serves as the Executive Secretary for the Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. A resident of Petersburgh, NY, he is an avid deer and turkey hunter, and angler in both fresh and saltwater.

Joe Kraus

Joe joined the Board in 2012 and enjoys exploring small streams, particularly those that are wild and remote. Even more, he likes catching the fish that live in those beautiful places. When he’s not fishing, Joe enjoys working in the family sugarbush, hiking the Long Trail and traveling with his wife, Peg. He also enjoys teaching others the joys of fly-fishing.

Joe Mark

Trout In The Classroom (TIC) State Coordinator

Since retiring in 2012 after a 40-year career in higher education, Joe has has a lot more time for fishing- a sport he took up as a kid in Northern New Jersey. He especially enjoys fishing high gradient brook trout streams with his 2-weight. Over the last six years, he has devoted a great deal of time to supporting and expanding Vermont’s Trout in the Classroom Program, which now includes more than 95 schools state-wide.

Bonnie Daley

Bonnie Daley spent most of her fishing life in Northern California hiking in the Sierra and fishing fabled rivers such as the McCloud, Sacramento and Fall. She received a fly rod from her grandfather, joined the Golden West Fly Fishing club and was hooked. The club sponsored her San Francisco biology classroom to participate in Trout in the Classroom. In 2021 after retiring Bonnie moved back to Vermont, near family and friends. She is studying to become a Vermont Master Naturalist and enjoys fishing small streams for tiny brook trout that can only be accessed by hike or bike.

Bill Hespe

Bill used to work in the NYC financial services industry but moved mostly full time to Andover, VT where he spends as much time as possible chasing wild brookies on small water when he’s not skiing or cycling. The times he can fish with his children Marshall and Meredith are always the best and his wife Sally, thank God, is the greatest sport.

Growing local roots, Bill has coached a high school cross country team, has been a ski instructor at Magic and Okemo and is a trustee of the American Fly Fishing Museum, headquartered in Manchester. Bill is also a partner in a small backcountry fishing lodge on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye, Belize which provides a handy escape from the Green Mountains a few times a year.

John Livingston

John Livingston was introduced to fly fishing during his time as a student at the University of Texas. His passion for the sport lead to a job at the Austin Angler, a fly shop in central Texas. He now lives in southern Vermont and works as an accounting/finance and management consultant. His fishing adventures have ranged from Patagonian Argentina to the Olympic National Forest. Homewaters: The San Gabriel River, Guadalupe River and the Lighthouse Lakes in Texas, the Gros Ventre River in Wyoming and now the rivers of Southern Vermont.