Staff Members

Allyson Petry – Executive Director since April 2018

Allyson has a long history with Nazareth Farm, and she’s happy to now share it with her husband David and baby Linden. She doesn’t spend all of her time in the office; you’ll also catch her making group week lunches, putting up siding, or on the volleyball court. Linden has lots of responsibilities including being the “cutest baby ever,” sweeping the floor with his belly, shrieking when something is exciting, and directing the kitchen from his high chair. He’ll be running a crew in no time! David works off the Farm, but he’ll be around in the evenings, maybe even with their black lab, Argos.

 

Madeline Ward – Staff Member since July 2022

Madeline joins the staff community at the Farm after her graduation from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!) in 2022 with a degree in Political Science and Applied Math, with minors in Catholic Social Tradition and Peace Studies. Hailing from the sunshine state, Madeline never misses an opportunity to talk about her hometown of Jacksonville or college football (her siblings go to UGA and Auburn). Her love for Appalachia was born of her love of the South, which led to senior capstone projects on representation and Catholicism in the region. In her free time, you can find Madeline reading, crocheting, quilting, attempting to make her own clothes, hiking, running, doing yoga, or watching reality TV.

 

Dan Conover – Staff Member since March 2023

Dan joins the Farm’s staff with so much joy and love for this place. Growing up and living in Syracuse, New York, Dan had his first encounter with the Farm when he was a high school student and has returned multiple times in a variety of roles, including (but not limited to) Sojo Supreme™, oft-disputed volleyball champion, and tomato-growing enthusiast. When Dan graduated from Excelsior University in December of 2022, he decided to commit to joining the incredible Nazareth Farm staff community.

Dan loves Our Lady of Guadalupe, good music, making the world’s best pepperoni rolls, trying to work on cars, playing Spikeball, and spending time with people. His severe FOMO means he is always willing to sacrifice hours of sleep in the name of community building. Dan’s fellow community members regularly feel the need to remind him to “stay nervous,” but all he really wants to say is “stay safe, stay blessed” and, most importantly, “if you can’t be great, be unforgettable.”

 

Ben Breschi – Staff Member since June 2023

Ben joins the Nazareth Farm staff as yet another fantastic Notre Dame alum, having graduated in May of 2023. There, he studied science, theology, and Catholic Social Teaching. Ben enjoys endurance sports, hiking around the property, and listening to all kinds of music. He firmly believes that everything is better with a little competition and often finds himself winning against fellow community members.

Ben grew up in Maryland but likes to travel and meet new people, and he’s always in search of the next adventure. He looks forward to sharing the adventure of the Farm with others. 

 

Bobby Schimmel – Staff Member since August 2023

Bobby joins the staff here at Nazareth Farm fresh off of graduating from THE University of Wyoming (sko pokes!) where he studied every -ology under the sun — mainly kinesiology, physiology, and psychology. While excited to use the things he has learned, Bobby instead thrives and more than occasionally is burned by living life on a whim and has been inspired by the lives of saints such as Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Teresa of Calcutta to be a part of a mission like the Farm’s. He can often be found chasing the next cool sunrise spot, eating everything in sight, or wondering where he misplaced something. When he isn’t busy conquering large rocks in God’s creation (pictured here), Bobby also enjoys reading, conquering smaller rocks in God’s creation, learning new things, getting too competitive playing any sport regardless of how new he is to it, talking about those sports like he’s a professional, “playing” the ukulele and the harmonica, and sharing life with others.

 

Ashley Bound – Staff Member since October 2023

Ashley finally joins the staff community after four warm summers as a sojourner and one snowy January as a college volunteer. Hailing from Old Forge, Pennsylvania (the self-proclaimed Pizza Capital of the World), her adventures have led her across the Northeast, where she settled for college and work before returning home to Nazareth Farm to follow in the footsteps of her prayer partners and the most inspirational, influential individuals she has ever met – Erin, Max, and Allyson.

Ashley majored in environmental studies and minored in creative writing and psychology at Colgate University (go GATE!) in central New York. There, she was able to nurture her love for the great outdoors through her work on a small vegetable farm and her hikes in the Adirondacks.

Ashley has an innate zest for life and easily finds hidden joys in the world around her. When she isn’t playing with the dogs, petting the cats, baking bread, or wandering through the garden looking for cool bugs, you can find her crocheting, reading poetry, thinking about baking more bread, flipping over rocks in the creek, and trying to live every day as if it were her last.