Our Staff

Robert Bryant, Program Director

Robert Bryant, Second Growth’s founder, has provided one-on-one counseling to individuals, plus violence prevention, intervention, and crisis response services for schools, hospitals, and youth service organizations in the Northeast for 25 years. His trainings at over 250 sites in nine states feature practical early-intervention and prevention strategies, protocols, manuals and curriculum designs that have brought him statewide and national recognition as an educational leader, including the 2004 Hero Award from the NH Youth Suicide Prevention Assembly, and the 2007 Outstanding Educator Award from NAMI-NH.

Mike Harris, PhD, Executive Director

Mike Harris, PhD has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to community wellness during his 40-year career in public service. He has worked in public and private schools, with experience that ranges from helping start new schools to enhancing the effectiveness of existing institutions, including 11 years as superintendent of the Lebanon, NH schools and SAU 88. Joining Second Growth as executive director after retiring as Lebanon school superintendent, Mike brings new depth to the agency with his knowledge of schools, communities and organizations, expertise in administration and finance, and his experience in academic policy and research. Mike will split his professional time between his roles as the Superintendent of the Lyme School District and his new role of helping Second Growth strengthen and improve the systems of care that address the needs of adolescents, families and young adults.

Tom Gamble, PhD, Consulting Psychologist

Tom Gamble, PhD, clinical psychologist in the Upper Valley since 1989, trained at the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth Medical School and is a member of Deer Creek Psychological Associates. Dr. Gamble has been the school psychologist at Hanover High School since 1992, and his practice also includes providing services to many Vermont and New Hampshire schools and a private practice. His clinical interests include loss, trauma and mood disorders in children and adolescents.

Emily Musty Zanleoni, Counselor

Emily Musty Zanleoni has an MA in clinical mental health counseling, and has been a coach, teacher and counselor in school, agency and community settings for eight years, where she has demonstrated her ability to “walk-the-talk” and an uncommon dedication to helping clients take the first step on their recovery journey. Her open-advocacy has helped many young women find their voice and regain control over their lives. In addition to her counseling skills, Emily has performed on stage and screen, from Hollywood films to a one-woman show on a town hall stage, and of particular interest to Second Growth, she has used performance art to create productive discussions about substance abuse and violence, and engage communities in the hard talk about real change in the lives of adolescents.

Shelly Moses, Administrative Coordinator

Shelly Moses has worked for Second Growth since 2007, prior to which she served two years on Second Growth's board. Living in Lebanon since 1983, Shelly raised three children, helped staff the WISE hotline for five years, volunteered at her children’s schools, co-founded a gift-book program at the School Street School’s library and served for five years as PTO co-president there. Shelly served in 2007 on Alice Peck Day Hospital’s 75th anniversary committee, helps fund-raise for the Skip Matthews Road Race and is currently a commissioner at Lebanon Housing Authority and serves as a deacon of the First Congregational Church of Lebanon.

Ashley Hutton, Counselor

Ashley Hutton attended Lebanon High School and graduated from New England College in 2009. Scoring more than a thousand points on the NEC basketball team, she was a leader on and off the court, and was recognized at graduation for her achievements in both athletics and academics. A stellar role model, she served as an intern with NH Juvenile Justice and Parole while earning her undergraduate degree in criminal justice. Coaching athletes and others on the practical aspects of problem-solving, she has begun a career as an advocate in the process of change. Also an excellent writer, Ashley has found her own voice in creating a narrative about her journey from a challenging past to the hope and strength of the present.

Gene Kadish, Counselor

With over three decades of service in public education, Gene brings a wealth of practical experience to the task of coaching young people through difficult choices. His extensive knowledge of schools and systems of learning blended with his skills as school counselor have helped Gene become an accessible professional resource for many students of all abilities as well as for the parents and educators who teach them. He was the highly respected Director of the Guidance Department at Hanover (NH) High School for many years as well as a middle school counselor and special educator in Hartford (VT). His work with families has helped parents to navigate the stormy seas of adolescence as their children move through the middle and high school years into college and career. Gene was a long-time member of Second Growth's Board of Directors, but he has now left that role to assume counseling duties for the organization.

Troy Hall, Youth Advocate

Troy Hall was an original member of Making Change, and helped to shape the fledgling support group into a regional model for serving other youth while he was still attending Lebanon High School. By the time he graduated, Troy had already received praise for his role as a speaker at Dartmouth College. Since that time, he has presented on the journey of recovery in more than a dozen other locations across VT and NH. His extraordinary commitment to volunteer service in support of youth seeking a clean and sober life has made a real difference as a role model. As a successful young businessman, Troy has harnessed a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a clean life to build a career in the lumber industry, as well as beekeeping.

Brandon Harrington, Youth Advocate

Brandon Harrington is a 2011 graduate of Dartmouth College. He was a psychology major there, and he was a member of the Drug and Alcohol Peer Advisors group that counseled and educated students with substance abuse problems on campus. He also was a member of the men's varsity ice hockey team for four years, and his initial work at Second Growth has focused on the Coaching for Captains Program working with local high school athletic teams. He is from Minnesota, and he hopes to pursue graduate studies in counseling.