Joanne Nelson

Board Member

Joanne Nelson and her 5 siblings are alumni of Mercy education at St. Monica’s School in Barre, VT, and grew up in a family restaurant business in Marshfield. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Saint Michael’s College as well as Master’s Degrees in Education and Theology and Certificates in Catholic Campus Ministry, Clinical Pastoral Education, and Grief Support. Immediately after college, she moved to Boston to work in the corporate hotel and restaurant industry for 10 years. Her career in higher education ensued and spanned three colleges in three states, including several positions from Institutional Advancement to Campus Ministry at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Emmanuel College in Boston, and the State University of New York at Plattsburgh.

In 2017, she became Director of Justice & Mentoring Programs at Mercy Connections, where she serves justice-involved women and men. She is a Mercy Associate, a volunteer for the Chittenden County Humane Society, and lives in Essex Junction with her sister, Kathy, and their rescue dog, Mae.