Staff
Tamara Beland, Executive Director
Tamara is native to Central Massachusetts and after being gone for many years moved back in 2014. Recently she had a stint back in Austin, Texas where she was a Manager for the Long Center, focused on programming live music and arts, but she missed home and came back to Mass in 2023 to work for Overlook.
Her diverse background has primarily centered on non-profit operations in the arts and human services including NEADS World Class Service Dogs in Princeton and the Austin Children’s Shelter, serving children removed because of abuse and neglect. In Austin, she also spent many years as the Director of the Austin School of Music and leading their Summer Rock Camps.
Specializing in marketing, fundraising and events, her passion for making a difference in the lives of others has led her to a career that spans decades and several states. Tamara is also an accomplished performer, acting teacher and director, currently working with Oxford Community Center and children ages 5-13.
She is thrilled to be back home and digging her hands in the dirt (literally and figuratively) to get things done!
Below: Elizabeth and Aiden-Summer/Fall Gardeners
The Board
Renata Krug-Board President
Renata brings a wealth of expertise in finance and nonprofit leadership to her role as President of the Board at Overlook FARM. With a strong background in operations and a passion for community-driven initiatives, she is committed to preserving the organization's legacy while driving its growth and sustainability. Dedicated to fostering collaboration and creating opportunities that benefit both the farm and the surrounding community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, exploring history, and spending time with her beloved dog, Spock.
Melanny Dominguez – Board Secretary
Melanny Dominguez is an experienced educator, consultant, and passionate advocate for sustainable agriculture and food justice. Her journey with Overlook Farm began as a participant in the Seedling Program with her young children, where she witnessed the profound educational and emotional benefits of hands-on farming experiences. This inspired her deeper involvement, including serving as a summer camp counselor, where she fostered environmental stewardship and a love for the earth in children.
A bilingual educator and Montessori consultant, Melanny brings extensive expertise in experiential learning, curriculum development, and inclusive education. She has a proven track record of guiding families and schools in implementing hands-on, child-led learning environments. With her background in program management and strategic planning, she has successfully designed innovative educational initiatives that align with core organizational values.
As a board member, Melanny draws on her dedication to sustainable practices, her multicultural perspective as a Colombian parent raising bilingual children, and her commitment to fostering connections between communities and the natural world. She is excited to support Overlook Farm’s mission to grow, teach, and give, ensuring its programs reach and inspire diverse audiences.
When she’s not working, Melanny enjoys exploring the outdoors with her children, visiting farms, and promoting respectful parenting approaches through her social media platform, where she shares her homeschooling journey and Montessori-inspired insights.
Jen Williams
Jen is the third generation of Williams family living and farming on this property.
She is a passionate veterinarian at Hubbardston Veterinary Clinic in nearby Hubbardston.
Mother, to her amazing son, Cedar, Jen is is actively involved in the programming and gardening at Overlook. She was a volunteer at the Heifer Farm for many years and credits it as the inspiration behind becoming a veterinarian.
In addition, Jen also teach yoga and sound bath classes.
Eliza Lawrence
Eliza has worked at the Regional Environmental Council in Worcester, MA since 2015 with both the School Gardens program and the youth employment program called YouthGROW. Currently serving as the School Gardens Coordinator Eliza works with students of all ages implementing garden based curriculum for 35 schools with kids from Pre-K to High School. This program supports local schools with the infrastructure, tools and education to grow and maintain raised bed gardens on school property. Under her tenure the School Gardens network has grown from 19 gardens to include more than 35 school partners and directly engages over 2,000 Worcester Public School Students every year. She brings lots of experience engaging kids in garden based curriculum, and hands on programming. Eliza dreams of a world in which every school is able to have a flourishing garden complete with pollinator plants, perennial herb gardens and fruit trees and believes every kid has a right to learn growing and get their hands in the dirt as part of their school day. When not at work, Eliza enjoys making food with friends, dancing, traveling, and gardening with her neighbors at her own community garden.
More info coming soon on new Board Members:
Nancy Nichols-Director of Rutland Council on Aging
John Lorway-(Treasurer) Controller for Arthur Cole Painting
Interested in joining the Board? Email tamara@overlookfarmrutland.org
Advisory Committee
Elizabeth Joseph
Liz served as the Garden Manager at the Heifer Farm from 2010 until its closure in 2017 and lives in Rutland.
Before coming to Rutland, Liz lived and worked on a farm in rural Maine, beginning her lifelong love of sustainable agriculture. She has also served on the board of the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association.
Jon Williams
Jon (with his wife, Lauren, and their two sons) lives in the original Overlook farmhouse and is the third generation of Williams family farming here.
Jon is a carpenter, sculptor, and sugarer. He is the owner/farmer behind Sap Castle maple syrup, tapping the same Overlook Farm trees - but boiling in a new timber frame sugar house he built.
Richard “Dick” Williams
Dick has lived and worked on Overlook Farm his entire life, first working with his father, Bill Williams, taking care of the family dairy herd, having a small herd of his own, and now owning and operating Overlook Services .
He has been a tireless volunteer for and steward of Overlook Farm, mowing, moving wood, fixing tractors, and more. Dick also serves on numerous Rutland town boards and committees.