Board of Directors
Board Members

Veigh Mehan
Veigh Mehan is a licensed mental health counselor with a small private practice. She retired from SUNY Canton, where she served as Director of Accessibility Services and was a staff member in the campus Counseling Center. Veigh appreciates time with family, friends, and especially grandchildren. She also enjoys biking, hiking, snowshoeing, kayaking, and creating calligraphy artwork. Veigh joined the board in 2015.

Jan Rutella
Jan Rutella is an educator and a reading specialist in Potsdam, New York. Jan has taught high school GED preparation at Ogdensburg Correctional Facility, The St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center, and through BOCES Adult Education. Presently, Jan tutors dyslexic individuals in her private practice. Jan also administers informal diagnostic testing and provides support for parents as an advocate and school liaison. Jan has been on the board since 2012.

Rainbow Crabtree
Rainbow Crabtree joined the Little River board in 2025 after 21 years of small business ownership. She is passionate about building a community where people are excited to live, work, play, and learn. Both of her adult children attended LRCS. Rainbow expresses her own creativity through pressed flower art, cooking, music, and carpentry. Her favorite place to be is outdoors in any season.

Dulli Tengeler
Dulli Tengeler has been on the board since 1999. She is an organic vegetable farmer and member of the Birdsfoot Community. Little River students come to the gardens to experience vegetable growing. She has two cows and likes independent movies, singing, and meeting people. Her children went to Little River. Dulli is interested in keeping the school going for a long time and promoting its philosophy.

Steve Molnar
Steve Molnar is the founder and director of the school and serves as the board president. Steve has forty-five years of experience working with children in small, independent, democratic schools. He enjoys camping, canoeing, swimming, watching movies, reading books, and actively works for social justice.