Johnson VT

Don grew up in Vermont, loving the outdoors. After college, he had an illustrious career as a professional ski instructor at Smugglers Notch Resort where he enjoyed sharing his love of the mountains and the sport with kids and adults. The off-season led to Don shifting roles to a year-round position in permitting and planning for the resort. This provided him a foundation of knowledge and experience in these areas that has extended into Don’s current career in Real Estate.

Don lives in Jericho with his wife, Lindsay and two teenage daughters. Life revolves around the kids many activities (ski racing, soccer and dance), family outdoor pursuits (snowsports and anything on, in and under the water) and ever an embrace of the mountain lifestyle. Don’s personal interests include: building and paddling wooden kayaks, live music, backcountry touring, maple sugaring and collecting interesting/shiny rocks.

Don has served on a number of municipal boards in area communities and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Smugglers Notch Ski and Board Club and the Jericho Community Development Corporation.

Real Estate appeals to Don’s interest in helping people move forward in their lives, be it a real estate transaction involving investment/commercial, residential, or land. “Getting you from where you are to where you want to be” is his mantra and describes what gives him fulfillment from his service to you.

Tami has lived in Vermont her entire life and loves it. For a major part of her life, Tami’s focus has been raising five beautiful daughters. As her children grew, she enjoyed the opportunity of working in education, tutoring literature and directing a Shakespearean Theater Company for teens that raised money for charity.

After seeking a home in the country, her transition from Essex to the small town of Bakersfield included raising Nubian goats, chickens and horses, making cheese and kefir, and selling dozens of eggs.

Gary grew up on the West Farm in Jeffersonville.

Gary bought his first piece of land at 18. With a friend, he bought 80 acres that included a gravel pit for $300. The taxes on that 80 acres was $10 a year. Soon, they sold the town gravel for $12 a year, each making $1. They also planted Christmas trees for sale.

He joined the Army out of high school. While he was away, he had a friend take care of his sole Holstein cow. In exchange for keeping it, the friend could keep it until its second lactation, at which time Gary would get it back to keep or sell.

When Gary got out of the Army, he worked for Lake Buick; first in the body shop, then soon on the sales floor.

One day reading the Burlington Free Press, Gary responded to an ad for 190 acres in Westford for sale, with owner financing. He walked it with a hand-drawn map from the Seller's agent. Gary asked if the owner would take a cow as a down payment. The owner went to see the cow, and agreed to the cow, and $200. It was a deal. Gary soon planted many Christmas trees on it. Later, he added 50 more acres to it, for $200.

When visiting friends from Lake Buick in Fairfax one day, he saw a pretty, new teacher in town and decided she needed to upgrade her aging VW Bug, for a recent trade-in on the dealer lot.  That happened. Later, Gary Jr., Amber and Donald happened, and we are ever grateful. He then had a partner for planting Christmas trees, too. They later built a house on it.

Gary started his official real estate career in 1976, selling both properties and insurance. He has been selling properties in the area he grew up for forty two years. His favorite color remains blue.

Mary Ann Recica has been with Blue Spruce Realty, Inc. for over 5 years. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA and her Juris Doctorate degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law in North Haven, CT.

Mary Ann and her husband Matt live in Bakersfield in a classic Vermont brick home built in 1810 with their three lacrosse, soccer, and hockey-loving kids- Silas, Asa, and Marianna.

Mary Ann loves the music of the Grateful Dead, going to the beach, boating and her chihuahua-mix rescue dog, Thor.  She is also the proud mother of two fish, a guinea pig, a gerbil, three chickens and a squirrel.  Her real estate strengths include tenacity, patience and a strong desire to listen to people and help them reach their goals.

Amber Foote joined Blue Spruce Realty this June, after a 10 year career as a civil rights advocate helping families in Pennsylvania obtain special education services for their children. Prior to that she worked in design and marketing for area non profits and small business clients.

She grew up in a real estate household in Richmond, where her father gave she and her siblings college cash if they took a full accurate message that lead to a closing. After graduating from Mount Mansfield Union High School, Amber earned a fine arts degree at Syracuse University, while doing event marketing for fun.

After graduation, she worked in NYC for a few years in public relations and marketing for Doubleday Publishing. She and her husband Bryan have two dogs- a Bichon/Shitzu; Buddy and a Golden; Keisha, and live in Bakersfield. Two children attend college; at Penn State and Kutztown University. Her daughter lives in NYC and an older son Rob moved to seek his fortune in Indiana.

For fun Amber makes jam, hikes, kayaks and takes photos of birds to paint, so her real estate funded fine arts degree does not get too dusty. Her favorite color is blue, and she readily admits to being a tech and gadget nerd, but has refrained from buying an InstaPot, so far.