Community and public service

I’m taking this leap to run for public office because I’m devoted to our caring community and the people and local institutions that nurture the leadership, engagement and creativity we need to thrive. I deeply value Vermont and the inspiring people, traditions and natural abundance we share here. While growing up, I lived in several different countries and states, experiencing a diversity of lifestyles, geographies and cultures. Before discovering Vermont, I worked all over the country in a range of positions, from administering AIDS research trials in Colorado to temporary work in the wineries of Napa Valley. In 1999, my husband, infant daughter and I moved back East and as we came over the Appalachian Gap for the first time, fell in love with the nestled beauty of the Mad River Valley.

Over the past two decades in Moretown, we raised two children and have become rooted in this vibrant community. I’ve experienced how committed volunteers and local organizations improve our quality of life and support our families and a healthy environment. As a former school PTO president, town auditor, and planning commissioner, and as a past board member for our local health center, youth soccer and Home Share Now, I’ve used grant writing and a collaborative approach to improve youth fitness, bring in school and municipal resources (eVermont digital tools grant, funding for sidewalks and speed monitors), promote homesharing as a safe, affordable housing strategy, and advance land use and energy planning.

Past work with the Mad River Valley Planning District and the Mad River Valley Senior Center has given me experience in leveraging state resources and working across town lines to improve infrastructure and services. From many seasons working at Sugarbush Resort, I’ve gained an appreciation for the difficulties faced by regional employers and workers, and the all-in, creative strategies we’ll need to address the lack of affordable housing. Since 2016, I’ve been the US program coordinator at the Regulatory Assistance Project, a nonpartisan, global clean energy policy group based in Montpelier. I also serve as Moretown’s commissioner to the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission and as town energy coordinator, and as an active member of the Ridge to River task force, a district-wide climate resilience initiative.

Navigating the pandemic in Vermont has highlighted for me how successfully we adapted to new processes in how we live and work. We can be more confident about seeking transformational change, and have seen that government can provide the simplified and more flexible support we need on the local level. As we transition our energy system for a stable climate and build back our economy, we have a huge opportunity to improve the quality and availability of housing, to create good-paying climate jobs that expand opportunities for nontraditional workers, and to make a more just, resilient Vermont.