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Baird Health & Counseling Center Staff

Julie Nicknair-Keon, LCMHC, NCC
director of health and counseling

Julie received her MA in Community Counseling from Fairfield University and a BA in Secondary Education from New England College. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and a Nationally Certified Counselor. She has 30+ years of counseling experience in a variety of settings and 10+ years in higher education. She believes in a holistic, strength based, person-centered approach and values supporting an individual’s understanding of their personal development and overall health and wellbeing. Julie also believes in embracing one’s humanness with kindness and humor. She volunteers for the Granite State Critical Incident Response Team providing support to law enforcement, first responders, and health care providers.

In addition to spending time with friends, family, and her pets. Julie enjoys an array of outdoor activities, reading, listening to music, watching TV, and eating good food.

Leigh Bears, ARNP-CNP
family nurse practitioner

Leigh is a family nurse practitioner who has experience providing primary care across all age groups but she particularly enjoys working with adolescents and young adults. While she is skilled in all areas of health care her particular interests are in health maintenance including nutrition, fitness, and stress reduction. Leigh lives in New London with her family.

Heather Astle, RN, B.S.N.
nurse/wellness coordinator

Heather is a graduate of UNH. She has over 40 years of nursing experience in Acute Care as well as Primary Care settings. Heather has worked in a busy Pediatric Primary Care practice, caring for the needs of children, adolescents and young adults. When she is not at Colby-Sawyer College, she also works at a boys’ summer camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough, NH. Heather lives in Warner with her family.

Brian Frenkiewich, MS, D.O.
consulting physician

Dr. Frenkiewich works at nearby New London Hospital where he practices family medicine. He is Colby-Sawyer’s consulting physician for Baird Health and Stock Sports Medicine Clinic. Dr.Frenkiewich attained his Doctor of Osteopathy from the University of New England, a Master of Science, Athletic Training at Indiana State University, and we are proud to say, his BS Exercise Sciences, Athletic Training from Colby-Sawyer College. He is a true Charger!

Masha Coy, LCMHC
clinical mental health counselor

Masha earned her master’s degree from Fitchburg State University and brings over twenty years of experience in assisting people in their journey towards connecting more deeply to their inner wisdom and accessing their own healing energy.

Her work with students focuses on utilizing intention to access, create and explore meaningful pathways towards personal mastery. She believes students can accomplish anything with the right support, a dash of perseverance, and a presence of hope. Masha is passionate about the mind and body connection and loves to utilize a variety of therapeutic resources, from traditional talk therapy to an array of expressive arts therapy techniques. She is also interested in nutritional psychology, exploring how what we put into our bodies can affect our feelings and behaviors and how our feelings and behaviors can affect our bodies. She also believes humor and laughter have amazing healing potential and makes room for both in her life and work. Masha is bi-cultural and fluent in both English and Russian. During her free time, she enjoys being outdoors: kayaking, gardening, hiking in the summer; skiing and snow shoeing in the winter, as well as practicing yoga year around. Though proudly American, she stays connected to her cultural roots while enjoying the exploration of other cultures through travel and cuisine with her family.

Colleen Porter, MA, LCMHC
clinical mental health counselor

Colleen has a rich background in therapy, art, and education. She earned her MA in Expressive Arts Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University and a BA in Art History from Stonehill College. Colleen has been a primary therapist and expressive arts therapist at Mountain Valley Treatment Center and at Boston Children’s Hospital. She also operates a private practice where she specializes in treating anxiety and OCD. In addition, she has worked as an adjunct professor of expressive arts therapy at Stonehill College. Colleen strives to have a welcoming, calm, and compassionate presence with all students. Colleen has been with Colby-Sawyer since 2020.

Tia Savage, LICSW
clinical mental health counselor

Tia is a 2004 graduate of Colby-Sawyer, where she earned her degree in psychology. She went on to earn a Master of Social Work from Simmons College in 2006 and spent 15 years working at a therapeutic high school. Tia is also a life coach for teens and young adults in her private practice. Tia’s clinical focus includes health and fitness, social skill building, job skills, self-care and coping tools for anxiety. She is passionate about helping young adults see their potential and learn the skills they need to live a happier, healthier and more positive lifestyle. Tia is joined by her therapy dog Oakley, a four-year-old black lab. He loves to snuggle right up to students or fall asleep by their feet. He’s really good at reading the room and knowing just what you need to feel better!

Tia enjoys spending her free time doing yoga on the docks of Lake Sunapee, paddleboarding, hiking, and painting inspirational rocks, which you may find around campus. Feel free to take one if it speaks to you or pass it along to a friend in need.

CELESTE DORNFELD, BA
Associate Counselor (Graduate Intern)

Celeste is a current graduate student in clinical mental health counseling at Plymouth State University and an intern at Baird. She graduated from Portland State University in 2017 with her bachelor’s degree in psychology and gender, sexuality and queer studies. Her passion for healing eating disorders has been fueled by working and studying in the field; she recently completed the eating disorder concentration in her graduate program. Celeste also has experience working with LGBTQIA+ individuals and marginalized communities. She ardently believes that every person deserves to live their most authentic life and that it is very possible with ample support. When she is not working or studying, you can find Celeste canoeing or singing karaoke in her living room.

ABIGAIL BOWER, BA
Associate Counselor (Graduate Intern)

Abigail is a current graduate student in clinical mental health counseling at Antioch University, New England. She grew up on an organic vegetable farm in New Hampshire and earned her BA in theatre studies and political science in Nova Scotia, Canada. 

Abigail spent much of her young adult life working in settings that involved childcare and teaching, performance (music, film, theatre), farming and social justice. Abigail’s eventual discovery of and subsequent delight for interpersonal drama therapy compelled her interest in therapeutic work, and spurred her graduate pursuit in psychology. She has a variety of clinical care interests including expressive arts therapy, eco-therapy, self-discovery and spiritual care. She enjoys spending time with her two young daughters and other family and friends, writing, creating, and being physically active. Abigail is excited for her work in the counseling field and aspires to conduct community-based research via arts-based and performative social science means in the future.

Bernadette O'Leary Austin
office manager

Bernadette is likely the first person that you will talk with or meet when you come to Baird. Bernadette manages the scheduling, filing, and many other things that assure smooth operations in the health & counseling center. She joined the Baird staff in fall 2018 and quickly adapted to the change from prior retail and financial customer service work. Bernadette has spent most of her life living in NH and has a BA in English from Simmons College. She lives in Warner with her family.

Stock Sports Medicine Staff
athletic trainers

We have an excellent staff of licensed Athletic Trainers that work directly with student athletes. The ATs manage the daily operation of the clinic and work collaboratively with the staff of Baird Health and Counseling Center and medically consult with Dr. Brian Frenkiewich, and Concord Orthopedics.

New London Hospital Practices

New London Hospital is one mile from Colby-Sawyer. Baird Health and Counseling Center consults with the medical and psychiatric services of New London Hospital as needed.