8-9am	Registration with coffee and pastries
9am	Conference Welcome
9:20am	Opening Song with Heidi Wilson
9:35am	Spark Stories with Harmony Belle Devoe of Vermont State Youth Council, Max Barrows of Green Mountain Self-Advocates and Kathryn Baxter of Lunenburg
10am	Presentation of the Vermont Community Leadership Award and the Lifetime Leadership Award
10:45am	Breakouts: Workshops, Panels, & Networking Sessions
noon	Lunch
1:15pm	Breakouts: Workshops, Panels, & Networking Sessions
2:30pm	Breakouts: Workshops, Panels, & Networking Sessions
4pm	Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Social

BIPOC Affinity Space, hosted by the Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC), is open to Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color throughout the day, including lunch, until 4:00pm. VT PoC will also have a table during registration.
A Quiet Room for spending time away from the noise and stimuli of the Summit will also be available all day.

Key to session types:

W=Workshop
P=Panel
N=Networking
L=Livestream
H=Hybrid

 

10:45-12:00 Breakouts

W1. Storytelling: Bridge Divides and Build Trust

This interactive workshop explores how storytelling can transform difficult conversations or processes into pathways for trust and collaboration. Gain insight and skills to listen differently, design programs more justly, and build trust in your community. The solutions to our biggest challenges are already here in the stories of your community. Our work is to hear them, honor them, and act accordingly.

Presenter: Madison Murphy Barney, The Center for Story & Strategy

 

W2. Best Practices for Meeting and Event Facilitation

This session will cover the basics of framing a process of engagement, meeting planning, agenda design, facilitation 101, setting priorities, and effective follow up.

Presenter: Jessica Savage, Vermont Council on Rural Development

 

W3. Wild Belonging

Working on community resilience, strategic planning, economic development — or just want to sharpen your networking skills? Social connection can seem like a nice-to-have, but a closer look proves it’s essential to a thriving community. Investing in growing meaningful social connection doesn’t only reduce isolation and loneliness and improve health; it’s the foundation a resilient and regenerative community stands on. Dive deeper with Jeanette Langston of Social Roots Studio, a leader in the emerging field of social connection. She serves as U.S. Regional Ambassador to the global Social Connection Collective and brings eight years of work, grounded in research, practice, and lived experience. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of connection, why it matters to your community’s goals, and how to cultivate it intentionally — with practical grounding and fresh inspiration to start or continue your own social connection work.

Presenter: Jeanette Langston, Social Roots Studio

 

W4. Mental Health Literacy for Communities

Learn how to support community members in times of uncertainty. Gain tools to start conversations, identify needs, resources, and support the individual to develop coping and resiliency for future mental wellness.

Presenter: Cari Kelley, Hopeful Minds

 

P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance

Creating more attainable housing is a priority in many communities: come hear from people just like you on how to get started, what is possible and what resources exist to create housing that fits your community’s needs. Panelists will tell their stories and take time to answer your questions so that you can take home new ideas and peer connections to help your community take its next steps.

Moderator: Jessica Hyman, CVOEO
Panelists:
Joe Camaratta, Waterbury Housing Taskforce
Sue Coakley, Putney Planning Commission
Marcella Eversole, Putney Housing Solutions Taskforce
Jeff Pratt, New Haven Housing Taskforce

 

P2. School Building Transformations

The closure of a local school is a situation that many communities are facing or experiencing. Come learn from towns that have navigated this transition, and have completed or are in the process of repurposing former school buildings to serve new community purposes.

Moderator: Alyssa Johnson, Vermont Council on Rural Development
Panelists:
Shannon Barsotti, Town of Bennington
Brian Bontrager, Bridgewater Community Childcare & Community
Kathryn Schenkman, Valley Hub Inc – RHS Repurposing Project
Meg Streeter, Old School Enrichment Council

 

P3. Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility

Hear from experts and community members who are working to increase the accessibility of recreation in Vermont communities including playgrounds, interpretive trails and more.

Moderator: Sharon Plumb, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council
Panelists:
Nate Besio, Vermont Center for Independent Living
Caitlin Cusack, Vermont Land Trust
Felicia Fowler, Vermont Adaptive Sports
Randy Richardson, Upper Valley Trails

 

P4. Boosting Local Democracy Without Picking Sides

How can organizations and community leaders support democracy without becoming branded as politically divisive? In this facilitated discussion, participants will hear from a panel of organizations working on non-partisan projects that support democratic systems. Participants will then break out in small groups to reflect on a dilemma in their community and practice skills for inquiry and advocacy. At the end, we will regroup for some debriefing and panelist reflections.

Moderator: Sarah Henshaw, Nonprofit Helpdesk
Panelists:
Robyn Palmer, Secretary of State’s Office
Shanna Ratner, Braver Angels
Dottye Ricks, League of Women Voters of Vermont

 

P5. AI for Rural Leaders

AI is here and is having a real-world impact on Vermont’s rural communities and businesses. This panel, moderated by Neale Lunderville, Chair of Vermont’s AI Task Force will help participants understand what the State is doing to plan for this technology, and feature panelists with different expertise on the use and impacts of AI. This session is intentionally designed to bring multiple perspectives and to answer your questions about AI.

Moderator: Neale Lunderville, AI Taskforce
Panelists:
Brian Lowe, Assembly Theory
Cass Madison, Center for Civic Future
Tino Rutanhira, Vermont Professionals of Color
AnGayle “AJ” Vasiliou, Middlebury College

1:15-2:30pm Breakouts

W5. Facilitating in Demanding Moments

Explores techniques for a more complex or difficult meeting or convening facilitation.

Presenters: Andy Robinson, Andy Robinson Consulting, LLC and Jessica Savage, Vermont Council on Rural Development

 

W6. Funding Your Project – Institutional and Individual Giving

Every community project needs a plan for where the money comes from — and that plan usually involves more than one kind of funder. This session walks through the essentials of building a case for support and shows how that case shifts depending on your audience: what grantors and institutional funders need to see versus what motivates individual donors in your community to give. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of your funding landscape, the building blocks of a strong case for support, and a simple framework for setting realistic goals across different revenue streams.

Presenter: Jenn Hayslett, Jenn Hayslett Coaching & Consulting

 

W7. Planning Accessible Public Engagements

Learn fundamental skills to plan a public event, municipal process, or community project welcoming to all. Learn how to integrate accessibility and inclusion into the core of your project, from pathways for participation to inviting and responding to ADA accommodation requests. Leave with skills that will break down barriers and get more of your community engaged!

Presenter: Peter Johnke, Vermont Center for Independent Living

 

W8. Youth and Adults Leading Together

How can communities create and expand opportunities for young people to engage in civic leadership and local decision-making? In this interactive session, participants will explore the relationships, structures, and supports necessary to meaningfully engage young people in local decision-making. Participants will help create a training cohort model based on outcomes from Vermont’s “Leading Together” initiative.

Presenters: Lauren Brady, Vermont Council on Rural Development
Pat LaClair, UP for Learning
Member, Leading Together Steering Committee

 

W9. Leadership as a Creative Practice

Creativity is a Leadership Skill: Successful leadership requires creative thinking, creative skills, and a creative approach. This workshop will help you understand where the creative version of yourself lives, where and how to access it, and help you use your creativity as a necessary leadership skill.

Presenter: Kris Gruen, The Creative Campus at Goddard

 

W10. Capital Projects 101: Vision to Planning to Implementation

Join this workshop for an introduction to project management for a community revitalization project that requires extensive capital. Learn how to organize around an initial vision, define goals and priorities, navigate funding considerations, and move your project from idea to implementation.

Presenter: Nicole Gratton, Preservation Trust of Vermont

 

W11. EVERYDAY — Big and Small: A Conversation with the Filmmaker

Join filmmaker Bess O’Brien for a viewing of a segment of her new documentary EVERYDAY – Big and Small, which highlights Vermonters creating connection, resilience, possibility, and joy in their communities. After the screening, O’Brien will lead a discussion on how Vermonters pull together and create miracles to create positive change. The full film will tour Vermont from September 15 to October 11.

Presenter: Bess O’Brien, American Film Producer and Director

 

P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond

Creative models for strengthening community and business development go hand in hand. This panel will explore examples where small towns have built out Community Trusts, cooperatives, town-led redevelopment, or partnering with major employers. We will hear how efforts got started, adapted to (or overcame) challenges, and how successes have led to vibrant small towns across the state.

Moderator: Sarah Furman, Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region
Panelists:
Ryan Nakhleh, Local Maverick
Mike Solimani, Killington Resort and Pico Mountain
Thayer Tomlinson, Friends of Algiers
Andy Vermilyea, Friends of Castleton Parks and Recreations, Inc.

 

P7. Reinventing Social  Connection

Creative and new ways to increase social connections demonstrate the opportunities to bring joy and connection to our lives. Local groups are re-inventing how to gather: from shutting down streets for neighborhood block parties, social groups around a common theme, and connecting people through skillshare, song, or meals.

Moderator: Henry Botzum, Shires Young Professionals
Panelists:
Sarah Blizzard, Shires Young Professionals
Will and Jennifer Condry, Juniper Creative Arts
HB Lozito, Out in the Open
Gretchen Schimelpfenig, Huntington Block Party

 

P8. How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community

While many Vermonters value our working landscape, farmers and foresters have faced many challenges in recent decades. This panel will explore how the people behind our working lands build networks among businesses and strengthen themselves and their communities. This panel will ask what can community leaders learn from their collaboration and how can communities and working lands businesses work together?

Moderator: Jon Ramsey, Center for an Agricultural Economy
Panelists:
amber arnold, SUSA ComUNITY Farm
Megan Browning, Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN)
Kate Forrer, Vermont Woodlands Association

 

2:45-4pm Breakouts

W12. Fundraising Conversations: Building Relationships That Lead to Giving

Raising money in your community starts with relationships. This session focuses on the person-to-person side of fundraising: how to identify the people in your community who care about your project, how to open a conversation with them, and how to move that relationship toward an invitation to give. Relationships also matter in seeking grant support. Using a simple model for donor conversations, you’ll explore how to frame your project’s story and leave with next steps for who to talk to next and how.

Presenter: Jenn Hayslett, Jenn Hayslett Coaching & Consulting

 

W13. From Crisis to Opportunity: Rethinking the Big Issues

Housing, population, healthcare, affordability… Many Vermonters agree that these are existential issues. But at the statewide down to the local level our communities struggle to find common ground on solutions and then take concrete action. How can we call on community-level experience, think creatively, and move forward together? Join this hands-on creative workshop to think with your peers and leave with tools to have these discussions in your community.

Presenter: Dru Roessle, Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont

 

W14. Finding “Both/And” Solutions to Your Community’s Hard Questions

Attend this workshop if you have ever left a local meeting feeling discouraged about how the conversation went and wanting more inclusive, productive, and empowered community dialogue. Learn why things often go wrong and gain a tool to help groups work towards outcomes that honor diverging viewpoints.

Presenter: Susan Clark, Community Development Professional

 

W15. Engagement By Design: Crafting Processes that Work

Great projects have great engagement — from ideas to implementation and beyond. That means bringing people in early, keeping them involved, and creating opportunities that work for everyone. But great engagement doesn’t happen by accident. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore practical ways to design processes that get diverse people involved at all stages of a project or planning process. We’ll look at community case studies and ideas worth borrowing. Then we’ll roll up our sleeves and work in small groups to design a community engagement process for a mock project. Come ready to share your experiences, experiment, and have some fun.

Presenter: Rebecca Sanborn-Stone, Community Workshop

 

P9. Building Community Climate Resilience

As climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe, how do communities prioritize climate resilience? Years after the storm, volunteers have moved on, roads are rebuilt, and displaced residents have found housing. But planning for and implementing resilience requires a continuous, focused effort, especially during calmer “blue-sky” periods. This panel explores various tools available for analyzing community vulnerabilities, integrating those with lived experiences into decision-making processes, and ensuring municipal procedures prioritize reducing or eliminating risks to critical infrastructure, facilities, and people. Despite the ongoing challenges of limited local capacity, leave with a clearer understanding of how to advance resilience forward.

Moderator: Maggie O’Brien, Rutland Regional Planning Commission
Panelists:
Lena Greenberg, Community Resilience Organization
Kate O’Neill, Center for an Agricultural Economy
Marian Wolz, Climate Action Office

 

P10. Community Gathering Spaces

Small towns have opportunities for developing community gathering spaces for community connection, trust building, belonging, and neighborliness. This panel will showcase local leaders creating flexible spaces that often must take on many different forms within the span of a week. From community meals to music and recreation, examples will highlight the partnerships for success and the power of social infrastructure in small towns that utilizes the buildings and spaces already there.

Moderator: Richard Amore, Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation
Panelists:
Shannon Barsotti, Town of Bennington
Bebe Bullock, Arlington Common
Jasmine Yuris, Johnson EATS

P11. Outdoor Recreation Economies

Strong outdoor economies rely on intentional partnerships across agencies, nonprofits, towns, volunteers, and businesses. This workshop introduces the Vermont CORE Toolkit, shares lessons from pilot communities using data to strengthen projects and partnerships, and guides participants through identifying data, partners, and goals for their outdoor recreation economy work.

Moderator: Jackie Dagger, VOREC
Panelists:
Martha DeGraf, City of  Vergennes
Gary Fox, Town of Rockingham
Nic Stark, Rutland Regional Planning Commission

P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World

“Change Leadership” matters now more than ever. Vermont communities are navigating a shifting landscape — from college closures to changes in federal funding to decisions about protecting the built environment from harm. This panel brings together skilled change leaders to help participants understand how to prepare and what it takes to support people through challenging times.

Moderator: Amy Cunningham, Vermont Arts Council
Panelists:
Kristen Getler, Town of Roxbury
Jon Ramsey, Center for an Agricultural Economy
Rick Ufford Case, City of Newport
Barbara Vacarr, The Creative Campus at Goddard

N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers

A networking opportunity to share your community project/initiative/idea with peers and resource providers and ask for advice, resources, and strategies to move forward. Talk directly to a resource or technical assistance provider about legal compliance, accessibility, outreach strategies, funding stacks, etc. for municipalities, nonprofits, and volunteer community groups.

Resource Providers:
Nicole Gratton, Preservation Trust of Vermont
Sarah Kearns, Vermont Small Business Development Center
Elisabeth Nance, Agency of Commerce & Community Development
Devon Neary, Rutland Regional Planning Commission
Karen Scott, Vermont Community Foundation
Laura Sibilia, Brattleboro Development Credit Corp

Richard Amore | Executive Director Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation
P10(H). Community Gathering Spaces
Richard Amore, AICP/PLA, is a community and economic development leader, professional landscape architect, certified planner, and educator with more than 20 years of experience advancing place-based strategies that strengthen local economies and communities. He serves as Executive Director of the Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC), working with businesses, municipalities, community organizations, and regional partners to advance economic opportunity and regional prosperity across Central Vermont. His experience spans economic and community development, downtown and village revitalization, housing and infrastructure, land use planning, real estate development, placemaking, and active transportation. He has held leadership roles with the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development, USDA Rural Development, and Local Motion, where he developed partnerships, secured public and private funding, and helped communities move projects from vision to implementation. Richard brings a distinctly place-based perspective to economic development, grounded in the belief that strong economies depend on strong communities, vibrant places, local leadership, and the ability of communities to shape their own future. He holds master’s degrees in Community Planning and Landscape Architecture and teaches urban and rural planning at the University of Vermont.

amber arnold | Executive Director SUSU CommUNITY farm
P8(H). How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community
amber arnold is the executive director of SUSU CommUNITY Farm, a 37-acre afroindigenous farm and Black archival sanctuary dedicated to land-based healing and ancestral remembrance. as a Black multiracial liberatory worker, her practice weaves together radical trauma healing, somatic work, and a Black womanist lens that honors the body as a vessel of both memory and liberation. amber tends SUSU CommUNITY Farm as a living archive, a place where soil, story, and spirit converge to restore what displacement and extraction have tried to erase. Her work is an offering back to community: healing that is communal, embodied, and rooted in the land itself.

Shannon Barsotti | VCRD Board Chair; Community & Economic Development Director, and Assistant Town Manager Town of Bennington |
Summit Opening –and– P2(L) School Building Transformations –and– P10(H). Community Gathering Spaces
Shannon Barsotti works for the Town of Bennington as the Assistant Town Manager and Housing, Community, & Economic Development Director. She is chair of the VCRD Board of Directors and enjoys learning about community initiatives across the state. Shannon lives on a small farm in Pownal with her family and a medley of farm animals.

Max Barrows | Outreach Director Green Mountain Self-Advocates
Spark Stories: Communities in Action
Max Barrows is Outreach Director for Green Mountain Self-Advocates, a position he has held since 2007. He mentors youth and adults with disabilities to speak up for themselves and become leaders. Max connects with people on all levels advocating for true inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. He is also the Assistant Director for Self-Advocacy Recourse and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC), a national group supporting self-advocacy. Max spreads the important message that when you meet someone with a disability, you should always believe in their abilities. Max has received several awards for his advocacy work. In 2015, he was honored with a White House Champions of Change award. In 2019, he received a Champion of Equal Opportunity award from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD). In 2020, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network honored him for his service to the self-advocacy movement. In 2022, he was invited to the White House by President Joe Biden and to Vice President Kamala Harris’s residence to have his work recognized. Max is currently working with the National Disability Leadership (NDLN) as a facilitator.

Kathryn Baxter | Lunenburg
Spark Stories: Communities in Action
Kathryn Baxter resides in Lunenburg, Vermont and is a fellow community leader. As a dedicated volunteer, Kathryn leads the Lunenburg Outdoors: Recreation, Trails, & Tourism (RTT) Task Force and serves on the Northern Vermont Development Association board. Together with their community Kathryn has secured grants, built the first accessible trail in town, and ensured small-town voices are heard by major regional forces. At this year’s summit Kathryn will share their personal leadership journey and invite you to share yours. Come ready to trade ideas, lessons, and inspiration so we can all build stronger Vermont communities together.

Nate Besio | Peer Advocate Coordinator Vermont Center for Independent Living
P3(H). Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility
Nathan “Nate” Besio is a Peer Advocate Coordinator who has worked for the Vermont Center for Independent Living since November 2013. Prior to that he has over ten years of business and accounting experience, primarily in the non-profit industry working for the State of Vermont and UVM. He is currently serving his 5th term as a Vermont Human Rights Commissioner and is a committed community leader who serves on many Boards devoted to the protection and advocacy for people with disabilities. Nate received a B.A. in Psychology from St. Michael’s College in 2000 and an M.B.A. from State University of New York at Albany in 2002. He loves playing adaptive sports such as power soccer, skiing, sailing and kayaking. Nathan currently resides in Colchester, VT with his wife Gretchen, son Reece and their dog Luna.

Sarah Blizzard | Board Member Shires Young Professionals
P7. Reinventing Social Connection
Sarah (SB) Blizzard, EdD (they/them) As a transplant to Vermont from North Carolina via Colorado just before the pandemic, SB was eager to find ways to connect with others in Bennington County. In 2024, they joined the board of Shires Young Professionals helping to foster a vibrant, welcoming network where emerging leaders can connect, grow, and contribute to the community. After asking themselves “What can I do to help foster community?”, SB returned to their musical roots and started Bennington Voices of Pride, a queer-centered community choir that fosters connection, belonging, and solidarity through the shared joy of making music. SB also serves on the board of the Bennington Free Library and works as the Associate Director of Greater Bennington Community Services.

Brian Bontrager (invited) | Board President Bridgewater Community Childcare & Community
P2(L) School Building Transformations

Henry Botzum | Board Member Shires Young Professionals
P7. Reinventing Social Connection
Henry Botzum, Au.D., is the founder of Shires Hearing & Wellness, a Vermont-based mobile audiology practice focused on expanding access to care in rural communities. His work sits at the intersection of healthcare, entrepreneurship, and community development, with an emphasis on reducing barriers to communication and participation. He is passionate about building innovative, people-centered solutions that help rural communities thrive. Outside of his professional work, Henry is a co-founder of Bennington Voices of Pride, a community choir serving Southwestern Vermont and beyond.

Lauren Brady | Community Engagement Coordinator Vermont Council on Rural Development
W8. Youth and Adults Leading Together
Lauren’s interest in community engagement started with her first experiences as a farmer connecting with people and with the land. An alum of College of the Atlantic, they worked with Knoll Farm in Vermont and First Light in Maine, and on farms in both states for 10 years. In 2023 they joined VCRD to support Community Visits and the Vermont Community Leadership Network.

Megan Browning | Board Member Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN)
P8(H). How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community
Megan Browning has ten years of vegetable farming and management experience on farms across New England. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Studies from Colby College, and a Masters of Science in Leadership for Sustainability from the University of Vermont. In her role at NOFA-VT she uses her facilitation and organizing skills to convene farmer-to-farmer learning groups with a focus on beginning farmers, soil stewardship, and shared land access. Megan also serves on the board of the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN).

Bebe Bullock | Arlington Common
P10(H). Community Gathering Spaces
Bebe Bullock is a board member and Co-Founder of the nonprofit organization Arlington Common, an initiative born from community input to create a central gathering space in Arlington VT. By acquiring and repurposing a decommissioned historic church property in the heart of Arlington’s historic village, the organization created a multi-use hub comprising three main buildings. Today, it hosts a fitness center, pickleball courts, a performance hall, and art galleries and workshop space in the Watkins House.

Joe Camaratta | Chair Waterbury Housing Task Force
P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance

Susan Clark | Founder, Consultant Slow Democracy
W14. Finding “Both/And” Solutions to Your Community’s Hard Question
Susan Clark is coauthor of Slow Democracy: Rediscovering Community, Bringing Decision Making Back Home; and All Those In Favor, a book about Vermont town meetings. Susan consults with communities across the northeast on how to build inclusive, deliberative, and empowered public engagement. She serves as Middlesex town moderator.

Sue Coakley | Chair Putney Planning Commission
P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance
As Chair of the Putney Planning Commission since March 2023, Sue Coakley directed the development of Putney’s 2023 Town Plan and follow-up projects including a 2026 Comprehensive Village Plan now underway, 2025 Housing Needs Assessment and Action Plan, 2025 Putney Zoning Bylaws Modernization (underway), and 2024 feasibility study and follow-up grant funding to design and construct a signaled crosswalk in Putney Village (now in development). She is assisting the renovation of Putney’s Historic Town Hall, and co-leading implementation of 2025 Housing Study recommendations to increase affordable housing for Putney’s low-, moderate and middle-income households. A champion of community engagement, she facilitates active public participation in Planning Commission projects, and contributes to related community initiatives including Discover Putney, and the Putney Housing Solutions Task Force. She founded and served as Executive Director of Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) from 1995 – 2020 and served Vermont Energy Investment Corp. Board of Directors for 27 years. Formerly an Electric Power Division Economist at the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, she holds a 1978 Windham College bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a 1984 Antioch New England Graduate School master’s degree in resource management and administration.

Jennifer Condry | Juniper Creative Arts
P7. Reinventing Social Connection

Will Condry | Juniper Creative Arts
P7. Reinventing Social Connection

Amy Cunningham | Deputy Director Vermont Arts Council
P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World
Amy has served as the deputy director of the Vermont Arts Council since 2018, where she manages operations and leads the grants team. Since 2001, Amy has had the privilege to work in leadership roles in several statewide organizations, including the Vermont Historical Society, Everybody Wins! Vermont, and the Vermont Humanities Council. She has served on many Vermont nonprofit boards, including chairing the Montpelier Community Fund, the Kellogg Hubbard Library, and Mentor Vermont boards.

Caitlin Cusack | Vermont Land Trust
P3(H). Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility
Caitlin spent most of her youth building forts and exploring the woods behind her home in eastern Massachusetts. She joined Vermont Land Trust in 2015 after seven years as a consulting forester and educator with the VT Urban and Community Forestry Program. In her current role as a VLT forester she manages land owned by VLT, provides technical assistance to conserved landowners, and contributes to education and outreach on Vermont’s forests and their care. She also serves on the steering committee of Women and Our Woods Vermont. Caitlin lives in Bristol with her husband and daughter where they have a bird-friendly sugaring business, Little Hogback Farm.

Jackie Dagger | Program Manager Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC)
P11. Outdoor Recreation Economies
Jackie serves as the Program Manager for the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC), a multi-sector network of public/private partners working to strengthen the connections between Vermont’s outdoor recreation resources and the benefits that come from participation in outdoor recreation. In this role, she develops critical relationships between state agency staff and stakeholders working within Vermont’s outdoor recreation landscape. Her passion is fueled by a love for the outdoors, and she enjoys exploring her favorite places on skis, by foot or paddle and climbing up rocks. In addition to holding a Master’s of Environment and Community Planning from Antioch University Seattle, Jackie holds a BA in Anthropology from George Washington University and a Certificate in Planning for Effective Public Participation from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2).

Martha DeGraf | Manager City of Vergennes
P11. Outdoor Recreation Economies
Martha DeGraaf serves as the Recreation Director for the City of Vergennes, where she leads year round recreation programming and oversees the city’s parks, pool, and outdoor recreation facilities. She builds partnerships with neighboring communities, schools, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, and volunteers to expand accessible recreation and youth opportunities throughout the region. Martha is currently helping guide several major initiatives, including the Veterans’ Memorial Park Master Plan, a new community pavilion, and the Commodore Club’s out-of-school programming for youth in grades 6–12. Drawing on her 20 years as a childcare provider, she brings a deep commitment to young people, community connection, and creating welcoming spaces where everyone can participate.

Harmony Belle Devoe | Chair Vermont State Youth Council
Spark Stories: Communities in Action
Harmony Belle Devoe (17) is the Inaugural Vermont Youth Poet Laureate, a Northeast Regional Youth Poet Laureate runner-up, and is Chair of the Vermont State Youth Council. Her multiracial heritage of Filipino, Indigenous Nipmuc, and European, inspires her to address the injustices in our world, especially those brought upon marginalized communities and the Earth. She places a high value on the transformative power of words to educate, inspire, and create social impact. She finds it her responsibility to write and work in the pursuit of a more just and equitable world. Harmony aspires to publish her first book in the near future.

Marcella Eversole | Chair Putney Housing Solutions Task Force
P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance
Marcella Eversole has spent 3-years serving as the Co-Chair of the Putney Housing Solutions Task Force, launched through the VCRD Our Future Putney Community Visit. For 20 years, she has been recognized for her ability to empower entrepreneurs, business leaders, political advocacy groups, and individuals to align their work with heart and purpose. In San Francisco, Marcella co-founded a women-led, collectively held, space that incubated new culture through courses, classes, movements, and organizations. This work helped seed initiatives such as the Arete Center for Excellence — now, the Circling Institute — and CoWorking, redefining the way we work across the globe. She’s worked with The Center for a New Mainstream, National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), UN World Environment Day, The Natural History Museum, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) & The Intelligent Optimist. https://www.marcellaeversole.com/about.html.

Kate Forrer | Executive Director Vermont Woodlands Association
P8(H). How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community

Felicia Fowler | Program Director Vermont Adaptive Sports
P3(H). Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility

Gary Fox | Economic Development Director Town of Rockingham
P11. Outdoor Recreation Economies

Sarah Furman | Executive Director Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region
P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond
Sarah is the Executive Director of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR). Prior to this role, she spent 11 years with Heritage Family Credit Union, where she held senior leadership positions in lending and helped support the growth, success, and resilience of local businesses throughout the region. A lifelong Vermonter, Sarah was born and raised in Castleton and continues to call it home, where she lives with her husband and daughter. Sarah holds a master’s degree in Accounting from Siena College.

Kristen Getler | Roxbury Village School Committee Town of Roxbury
P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World

Nicole Gratton | Field Services- Community Support Specialist Preservation Trust of Vermont
W10. Capital Projects 101: Vision to Planning to Implementation –and– N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Provider
Nicole Gratton leads the Village Trust Initiative program at the Preservation Trust of Vermont; working to build capacity in Vermont’s small villages through the creation of local non-profits who then lead projects of impact in historic buildings. Her background in education, municipal and regional planning, and living in the NEK have shaped her approach to community and economic development- grounded in local leadership, leveraged by outside technical assistance and funding, and built on a shared value that place matters. Nicole holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont, a Master of Education degree from Lyndon State College, and a Master in Urban Planning degree from McGill University. When not supporting the future of Vermont communities, she is out in the wilds, exploring with her two girls.

Lena Greenberg | Co-Director Community Resilience Organizations | [email protected]
P9. Building Community Climate Resilience
Lena Greenberg (they/them) is a climate futurist, strategic communicator, and systems thinker based in Burlington, VT and in relationship with the broader Winooski watershed. In the past, Lena has taught about urban environmental systems; campaigned against the fossil fuel industry; and grown and distributed vegetables. Lena has co-directed CROs since 2024.

Kris Gruen | Director The Creative Campus at Goddard
W9. Creativity as a Leadership Practice
Kris Gruen is a Central Vermont based artist, educator, and thought leader. He developed award winning language arts programs for secondary school age learners and taught throughout Washington County for nearly two decades. As a touring musician and recording artist, he’s released six LPs with international distribution on the Mother West label in Los Angeles. He was the Director of WGDR, Central Vermont Community Radio from 2010-2021, and is currently leading the repurposing project at the old Goddard College Campus in Plainfield as the Executive Director of The Creative Campus at Goddard.

Jenn Hayslett | Owner Jenn Hayslett Coaching & Consulting
W6. Funding Your Project: Institutional and Individual Giving –and– W12(L). Fundraising Conversations: Building Relationships That Lead to Giving
Jenn Hayslett is an executive coach and consultant with over 30 years of experience helping people and organizations lead with clarity, integrity, and heart. Her work focuses on leadership development, strategic planning, fundraising, and team building. She’s trained hundreds of professionals through hands-on workshops, courses, and coaching programs that focus on real-world impact—especially in values-driven and mission-based settings. Jenn is the creator and lead trainer for the Fundraising Certificate Program through Common Good Vermont and Philanthropy Massachusetts.

Sarah Henshaw | Founder Leaves of Change VT
P4. Boosting Local Democracy Without Picking Side –and– N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Sarah Henshaw is a nonprofit professional with over 20 years of partnering with communities, nonprofits, and individuals. Sarah’s work focuses on rethinking how relationships, skills and lived experience come together to build prosperous and inclusive communities. She is a connector and collaborator in collective learning and change processes, who has worked with nonprofits around the world in different roles – from program manager and director to grant writer and board member. Sarah is the Founder of Leaves of Change VT, a woman-owned nonprofit advisory and consulting collaborative working in partnership with US and international nonprofits. Through Leaves of Change VT Sarah leads initiatives to bring humans together to solve big problems, including supporting the Lamoille Area COVID regional command, co-founding the long-term recovery group for Lamoille County (affectionately known as LeARN) after the 2023 floods, co-designing and start-up management of the Nonprofit HelpDesk, and collectively designing the Nonprofit Collaborative Laboratory (affectionately known as CoLab). Sarah is never bored, participating on multiple nonprofit boards, volunteering with her local Home Health & Hospice, teaching at Michigan State University’s Global Nonprofit Leadership program, and staying active outdoors.

Jessica Hyman | Education & Special Projects Manager Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance
Jess Hyman is the Education and Special Projects Manager for Statewide Housing Advocacy Programs at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO), where she oversees educational programming and supports tenant organizers and housing advocates. Jess has a background in fair housing, food justice, journalism, and community development and is passionate about fostering healthy, inclusive, engaged, and informed communities. Originally from the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, she lives in the Old North End of Burlington and delights in organizing monthly neighborhood dinners and helping coordinate a community garden.

Peter Johnke | Deputy Director Vermont Center for Independent Living
W7(L). Planning Accessible Public Engagements
Peter is the Deputy Director of the Vermont Center for Independent Living. He’s been part of the Independent Living Movement for over 30 years. Peter has low vision and is hard of hearing and refers to himself as a ‘carless’ traveler, so he advocates for public transportation and to make biking and walking safer for everyone. He’s involved with many national, state and local organizations advocating for accessible transportation for people with disabilities.

Alyssa Johnson | Community Visit Program Director Vermont Council on Rural Development
P2(L) School Building Transformations
Alyssa Johnson is the Community Visit Program Director at the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Prior to joining VCRD in 2021, she served as the Economic Development Director for Revitalizing Waterbury and served as Chair of the Waterbury Selectboard until recently. Alyssa graduated from UVM and lives in Waterbury.

Sarah Kearns | Business Advisor Vermont Small Business Development Center
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Sarah is a business advisor with the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) and brings more than two decades of experience in both large companies and start‑ups. Before moving to Vermont in 2006, she worked in the Boston area for Converse, Inc., leading business development in Latin America, followed by strategy and business development roles with several consumer‑product start‑ups. She holds an M.B.A. from Babson College and a B.A. from the University of Colorado. At VtSBDC, Sarah focuses on general advising and youth entrepreneurship and has owned an import company featuring sustainable jewelry from Ecuador and a business consulting firm. Outside of work, she enjoys watercolor painting, travel, and keeping her two Labrador dogs out of trouble.

Cari Kelly | Owner Hopeful Minds
W4. Mental Health Literacy for Communities
Cari Kelley, Founder of Our Hopeful Minds, is certified to teach Mental Health First Aid, QPR suicide-prevention training, and Mental Health Literacy. She delivers engaging trainings to workplaces and communities, inspired by her lived experience supporting a family member with severe anxiety, depression, and addiction challenges. Cari brings 30+ years of nonprofit experience, including work with United Way of Northwest Vermont and lives in Grand Isle, Vermont.

Pat LaClair | Program Director UP for Learning
W8. Youth and Adults Leading Together
Pat is a program director with UP for Learning, where he works to support youth-adult teams as they come together to make their schools and communities the best that they can be for everyone. This work involves helping teams collect, analyze, and share data as part of a Youth Participatory Action Research cycle. Pat is interested in helping youth and adults feel a sense of agency and power in the systems they are a part of.

Jeanette Langston | Owner Social Roots Studio
W3. Wild Belonging
Jeanette Langston is the founder of Social Roots Studio, a mission-driven social enterprise in Rutland, Vermont, that helps organizations, workplaces, and communities learn how to intentionally weave the practice of social connection into their planning, projects, and everyday life. A U.S. Regional Ambassador for the global Social Connection Collective and a Social Innovation Diploma holder from the UN-mandated University for Peace, she founded and led the nonprofit Social Tinkering before launching Social Roots Studio. Jeanette is dedicated to fostering authentic, regenerative connection practices that strengthen the wellbeing of people, teams, and communities.

Brian Lowe | CEO Assembly Theory
P5. AI for Rural Leaders
Brian is the founder and co-Managing Partner of Assembly Theory. He focuses on projects related to housing policy and development, practical and ethical AI integration, municipal operations, and climate resilience.

HB Lozito | Executive Director Out in the Open
P7. Reinventing Social Connection

Neale Lunderville | Chair AI Task Force
P5. AI for Rural Leaders

Cass Madison | Executive Director and Co-Chair of AI Task Force of the Community Resilience Working Group Center for Civic Future
P5. AI for Rural Leaders

Madison Murphy Barney | Founder & Principal The Center for Story & Strategy
W1. Storytelling: Bridge Divides and Build Trust
Madison Murphy Barney is a sister, author, doula, and story-driven strategist. She is the founder and principal of The Center for Story & Strategy, a boutique firm specialized in community engagement, story-driven strategy, authentic communications, and organizational doula work. She is also the author of the newly released book Our Ancestors Want Us to Be Mushrooms.

Ryan Nakhleh | Founder Local Maverick
P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond
Ryan Nakhleh is the founder of Local Maverick, a commerce ecosystem dedicated to strengthening Vermont’s economy by helping local businesses grow through curated retail, events, and strategic partnerships. After graduating from Northeastern University, Ryan returned to his hometown of Shelburne, Vermont, to pursue a career in business development and marketing. His experience ranges from working with a global luxury brand across Beijing, New York, Hong Kong, and Munich to developing new retail opportunities with local farms and small businesses throughout Vermont. Since launching Local Maverick in 2020, Ryan has helped dozens of Vermont makers, farmers, and entrepreneurs expand their access to customers and new markets. He is passionate about strengthening local economies through entrepreneurship, collaboration, and community engagement.

Elisabeth Nance | Grant Programs Manager Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Elisabeth received her undergraduate degree in Social Studies Licensure from the University of Southern Mississippi and her Masters in Resilient and Sustainable Communities from Prescott College (having started at Green Mountain College). After various careers, including marketing manager for a casino company, data processing technician for the Burlington Free Press, and customer service representative for an online job board, Elisabeth started her economic development career as the Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Swanton and the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation. In 2024 she moved into her current role as Grant Programs Manager for the Vermont Department of Economic Development, supporting the State Program Manager for the Northern Border Regional Commission and assisting with the Brownfields Revitalization Fund, and the Rural Industry Development Program. Elisabeth is the Agency of Commerce and Community Development Designee on the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Board. She lives in St. Albans City with two cats, Mary-Margaret and Henry.

Devon Neary | Executive Director Rutland Regional Planning Commission
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Devon Neary is Executive Director of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and Chair of both the Vermont Association of Planning and Development Agencies and the Marble Valley Regional Transit District. With experience in regional planning and project management, he focuses on community-based planning, relationship building, and consensus-driven solutions. A lifelong Vermonter, Devon enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife, Marisa, their son, Ira, and their dog, Kipa.

Bess O’Brien | American film producer and director Kingdom County Productions
W11. EVERYDAY – Big and Small: A Conversation with the Filmmaker
Bess O’Brien is an award‑winning documentary filmmaker and theatre producer, and Co-Founder of Kingdom County Productions and Writers for Recovery. Her recent films include Just Getting By, Coming Home, The Listen Up Project, All of Me, The Hungry Heart, Ask Us Who We Are, and I Am From Here, exploring issues from food and housing insecurity to incarceration, addiction, foster care, and racism in Vermont. Her work is widely recognized for its deep listening and community impact. As U.S. Representative Becca Balint notes, “Bess listens deeply to Vermonters, and makes them the center of her stories.” Senator Bernie Sanders has praised her as “exemplary in the state of Vermont” for elevating critical issues facing children and families.

Maggie O’Brien | Regional Planner – Emergency Management Rutland Regional Planning Commission
P9. Building Community Climate Resilience
Maggie has cultivated a passion for ecology, environmental justice, and systems thinking even before earning her bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She took up roots in Vermont in October 2022, serving as the emergency management planner with the Rutland Regional Planning Commission. Her first major disaster, the July 2023 floods, served as a catalyst for a serious examination and tackling of emergency planning and preparedness gaps in the Rutland Region through the lens of community and climate resilience. She continues to leverage existing local relationships, mutual aid networks, and a “neighbors helping neighbors” philosophy to meet municipalities where they are as they address capacity and sustainability challenges.

Kate O’Neill | Human Advocacy Director Center for an Agricultural Economy
P9. Building Community Climate Resilience
Kate O’Neill is the Human Advocacy Director for the Center for an Agricultural Economy, in Hardwick Vermont. In addition to providing Human Resources for CAE, she is a member of the Leadership Team and supports the work of the Community Connections Team, focused on Food Justice, Place Based Education, and Community Partnerships.

Robyn Palmer | Community Engagement Director Secretary of State’s Office
P4. Boosting Local Democracy Without Picking Sides

Sarah Pelkey | Director of Economic Development Chamber and Economic Development Corporation of the Rutland Region (CEDRR)
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Sarah Pelkey is the Director of Economic Development at Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region.  Her role at CEDRR serves as a primary driver of business and economic growth initiatives across the Rutland Region with a priority focus on economic development strategy and special projects.  Sarah holds roles on the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) Steering Committee, the South Lake Champlain Basin Water Quality Council, the Rutland Airport Business Park, and the Rutland Airport Committee.

Sharon Plumb | Program Manager Vermont Trails and Greenways Council
P3(H). Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility
Sharon Plumb serves as Program Manager for the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, she is passionate about making Vermont’s outdoors more accessible to people of all ages and abilities. In 2024, with funding from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) Capacity Building Grant, Sharon partnered with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Upper Valley Trail Alliance, and Community Geographics (Trail Finder) to launch the Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub. Since its launch, the Hub has completed more than 60 pedestrian, aquatic, and mountain bike trail assessments; improved more than 50 Trail Finder descriptions; and hosted dozens of workshops and webinars. Through this work, Sharon and her partners are helping Vermont communities and trail organizations create more accessible and inclusive outdoor recreation opportunities.

Jeff Pratt | Co-Chair New Haven Housing Taskforce
P1. Community Housing: Borrowing Brilliance
Jeff Pratt has co-chaired the New Haven Housing Task Force with fellow Rutland native, Rick Shappy, since its inception in January 2026. He has lived in New Haven for over 30 years and served on the school board and volunteered within several other community groups. Professionally, Jeff has owned several Vermont-based businesses and now enjoys a career as a digital commerce consultant for clients such as Green Mountain Coffee/Keurig, GE Healthcare and Cracker Barrel. As a panelist, Jeff can share the experiences this Task Force has had in identifying and engaging stakeholders within the community, select board and outside agencies as the Task Force establishes a common vision for the future of housing opportunities within New Haven.

Jon Ramsay | Executive Director Center for an Agricultural Economy
P8(H). How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community –and– P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World
Jon is a lifelong farmer from Greensboro, and this has always informed how he has approached his off farm work. For the last 27 years, Jon has worked with community members and farmers across Vermont. This work includes 20 years at Vermont Land Trust and seven years as the Executive Director at the Center for an Agricultural Economy. Jon has overseen CAE through a period of tremendous growth including COVID response efforts, the construction of a new food hub facility, onboarding of Farm Connex now CAE’s largest program and working to support the community after multiple climate disaster.

Shanna Ratner | Ambassador Braver Angels
P4. Boosting Local Democracy Without Picking Sides
Shanna Ratner is the founder and Principal of Yellow Wood Associates, a firm specializing in rural economic and community development since 1985. She is the author of Wealth Creation: A New Framework for Rural Economic and Community Development, (2020), and Progress You Can See: Measuring for Social Change (2023). She is a skilled facilitator and a concerned citizen and was responsible for bringing Braver Angels to Vermont in 2017. She was the moderator and co-leader of the Braver Angels of Franklin County Vermont Alliance from 2017 to 2024. It was one of the first rural Alliance, and it helped seed other Braver Angels Alliances in Vermont, including the Chittenden County Alliance.

Randy Richardson | Development Director Upper Valley Trails Alliance
P3(H). Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility
Randy spent most of his professional life in education — first as a teacher and coach and then as an administrator. But a decade ago, life brought changes that led him to focus his professional energy on trails and outdoor recreation with the team at the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. His responsibilities include everything from grant writing, to stonework, to tool sharpening. Randy has also served on the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council and several trail committees in Woodstock, VT and is fully committed to maximizing access to all of the health and community benefits of trails.

Dottye Ricks | Board member League of Women Voters of VT
P4. Boosting Local Democracy Without Picking Sides

Andy Robinson | Owner Andy Robinson Consulting LLC
W5. Facilitating in Demanding Moments
Andy Robinson (https://andyrobinsononline.com/) provides training and consulting for nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies. He’s designed and facilitated thousands of workshops, webinars, retreats, and programs covering a variety of topics, including fundraising, board development, marketing, leadership development, facilitation, planning, change management, alternatives to the 501(c)(3), and train-the-trainer programs. Andy is the author of six books, including Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money, https://trainyourboard.com/. He currently serves on the Selectboard in Plainfield.

Dru Roessle | Program Manager Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont
W13. From Crisis to Opportunity: Rethinking the Big Issues

Tino Rutanhira | Director Vermont Professionals of Color
P5. AI for Rural Leaders
Tinotenda Rutanhira is a seasoned equity strategist, facilitator, and co-founder of the Vermont Professionals of Color Network, where he serves as Co-Executive Director. He brings expertise in Appreciative Inquiry and inclusive organizational development, with experience supporting equity-focused board transformation for organizations such as the Janet S. Munt Family Room, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and the University of Vermont Academics. He collaborates with subject matter experts to implement equity-centered improvements grounded in community insight, lived experience, and a deep commitment to systemic change in Vermont. Tino was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. He completed university studies in South Africa before immigrating to the United States. Prior to joining VT PoC full-time in 2024, Tino was employed at Dealer.com and Cox Automotive. He also sits on the Board of The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as the Board of Let’s Build Homes. An Entrepreneur by heart, over the last 5 years Tino has produced and hosted his own podcast called “On The Shoulders of Giants,” co-founded and sold Best In VT Tours & Charters, acted in a play at the Flynn called “The Call,” and performed standup comedy at the VT Comedy Club. In 2019, he co-founded the Vermont Professionals of Color Network. When not working or creating, Tino enjoys listening to music or podcasts, and watching or playing in competitive sports. He loves to play and watch football (soccer), and most Saturdays he can be seen in his beloved Liverpool FC jersey yelling at the TV! Most importantly, Tino is a single parent of the most beautiful, intelligent, amazing, (insert glowing adjective here …) 20-year-old daughter. Parenting is by far his biggest source of pride and joy.

 

Rebecca Sandborn Stone | Owner Community Workshop, LLC.
W15. Engagement By Design: Crafting Processes that Work
Rebecca Sanborn Stone is passionate about helping people create great communities and big change. She is an award-winning community planner and instigator, writer, speaker and strategist. As a Principal at Community Workshop LLC, she is known for using creative and surprising techniques to revitalize rural communities, engage people, and build vibrant and livable places across North America. Rebecca is the author of the DIY Community Cookbook: a Do-it-Yourself Guide to Making Your Community a More Livable Place, and a Co-Founder of the pop-up Bethel University. Rebecca lives in Bethel, Vermont with her husband and two daughters, one dog, fifteen chickens, and a big garden.

Jessica Savage | Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives Vermont Council on Rural Development
W2. Best Practices for Meeting and Event Facilitation –and– W5. Facilitating in Demanding Moments
Jessica joined VCRD in 2021 and serves as the Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives. Prior to joining VCRD, she served 15 years in the public sector mainly in the natural resources and recreation management fields. She has an MPA from UVM, is an avid outdoorsperson and a mom to two young children.

Kathryn Schenkman | Vice President Valley Hub Inc – RHS Repurposing Project
P2(L) School Building Transformations

Gretchen Schimelpfenig | Huntington Block Party
P7. Reinventing Social Connection

Karen Scott | Grants Coordinator for Strategic Partnerships Vermont Community Foundation
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Karen Scott is a Grants Coordinator on the Community Impact team at the Vermont Community Foundation. For the past four and a half years, she has worked behind the scenes to channel philanthropic resources into creative, positive change for the state—supporting everything from competitive discretionary grants to statewide partnerships. Karen’s entire career has been rooted in helping Vermonters thrive, building on a background in higher education, educational opportunity initiatives, and nonprofit management.

Jules Shackman | Loan Officer VT Economic Development Authority (VEDA)
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Jules Shackman is a Loan Officer at Vermont Economic Development Authority. He assists Vermont businesses seeking financing to grow and expand as well as new owners starting up or purchasing a business. He is based in Burlington Vermont and serves the entire state.

Laura Sibilia | Director of Regional Economic Development Strategies and Programs Brattleboro Development Credit Corp.
N1. Community Project Help Desk with Resource Providers
Laura Sibilia, a Dover resident, joined the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) in 2011 after serving as Executive Director of the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce. She brings extensive experience in strategic planning, partnership development, nonprofit management, communications, fundraising, and community engagement. At BDCC, Laura supports regional initiatives focused on economic resilience, community development, and long-term economic vitality across Southern Vermont. Her work has included coordinating business recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Irene and helping lead regional economic development planning through Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS). Laura also represents her region in the Vermont House of Representatives.

Denise Smith | Executive Director VT Council on Rural Development
Opening
Denise joined the VCRD team in September 2024. She comes to VCRD with over 20 years of leadership, non-profit management, community development, and business experience. Since 2017, she has served as Director of Population Health Programs and Strategies at Northwestern Medical Center where she worked alongside change makers to improve the health of Vermonters. And before that, she was Executive Director of Friends of Northern Lake Champlain, a non-profit organization focused on improving the water quality of Lake Champlain. Denise also sits on a number of boards serving as Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Lake Champlain, Chair of the St. Albans Planning Commission, and Treasurer of the Vermont Public Health Association. Denise attended the University of Vermont as an undergraduate and served in the Peace Corps in Maui West Africa shortly after graduating. In 2018, she received her Master of Science in Leadership for Sustainability from UVM’s Rubenstein School. Denise lives in St. Albans with her husband, three children, and two dogs.

Mike Solimano | President & Ceo Killington Resort and Pico Mountain
P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond
Mike Solimano is the President and CEO of Killington/Pico Ski Resort, where he oversees all operational and strategic aspects of the largest ski resort in the Eastern United States. His career began at Deloitte, where he advanced to Audit Manager before pursuing his passion for the ski industry. He later served as Vice President of Finance and Operations for Skis Dynastar North America, a subsidiary of the Rossignol Group, before joining Killington/Pico Resort in 2001 as Director of Finance. In addition to his leadership role at Killington/Pico, Mike holds multiple board positions, including Audit & Finance Chair for Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO), board member and past Chair for Ski Vermont, and board member for the Vermont Business Roundtable, Vermont Futures Project, and Killington Mountain School. Previously, he served as Chair of the Rutland Regional Medical Center Board. He is also actively involved with the National Ski Area Association, contributing to the broader ski industry. When not working at the resort, he enjoys outdoor activities like skiing, biking, hiking, and tennis.

Nic Stark | Geographic Information Systems Planner Rutland Regional Planning Commission
P11. Outdoor Recreation Economies
Nic Stark is the GIS Planner at the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, where his planning, data analysis, and mapmaking support outdoor recreation planning across the region, including serving as Secretary of the Delaware & Hudson Rail Trail Council. Outside of work, he stewards the Poultney River Loop Trail and sits on the boards of Slate Valley Trails and the Poultney Downtown Revitalization Committee.

Meg Streeter | Chair Old School Enrichment Council (Old School Community Center)
P2(L) School Building Transformations
Meg Streeter is a Vermonter who has been a realtor and volunteer for decades in her hometown of Wilmington. She has held leadership positions in her profession as well as being involved in start-ups in housing, finance and recreation. She is currently the chairperson of the non-profit organization that owns the community center located in Wilmington’s former high school.

Thayer Tomlinson | Board Member Friends of Algiers
P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond
Thayer Tomlinson works in regenerative agriculture and sustainable energy as a consultant for a number of organizations. She lives in Guilford and in addition to serving on the Friends of Algiers Village board, she is a long-time board member of a local non-profit childcare center in Brattleboro and has served on Guilford’s Planning Commission and Energy Committee.

Rick Ufford Case | Mayor City of Newport
P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World

Barbara Vacarr | Board Chair The Creative Campus at Goddard
P12. Steady Leadership in a Changing World
Barbara Vacarr, PhD, is a psychologist, educator, and organizational leader whose work explores how leaders and communities build the capacity to navigate uncertainty, cultivate creativity, and imagine new possibilities. She has served as President of Goddard College and President and CEO of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and previously founded and led graduate programs in adult learning and human development at Lesley University. She currently serves as Board Chair of The Creative Campus at Goddard, where she is helping to reimagine the former college campus as a living commons for community, creativity, learning, and belonging. Across her work, Barbara is particularly interested in the inner capacities of leadership that allow people and organizations to remain grounded, adaptive, and generative in times of profound change.

AnGayle “AJ” Vasiliou | Professor Middlebury College
P5. AI for Rural Leaders

Andy Vermilyea | Environmental Chemistry Professor VTSU Castleton &helped to establish “Friends of Castleton Parks & Recreation, Inc.
P6. Small Town Economies: Models for Businesses and Beyond
Andy Vermilyea is an Environmental Chemistry Professor at Vermont State University Castleton, is an avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, and has about a decade of experience working with nonprofits organizations focused on a combination of outdoor and community recreation. He was part of a team that helped to grow and professionalize Slate Valley Trails (SVT) out of Poultney, VT. Andy joined SVT as a Director on the board during the organization’s first year and took leadership positions as the Secretary and President over the next six years as SVT grew from a fully volunteer ‘club’ to a robust fundraising organization with paid staff that aimed to provide world class foot and bike trails for both the local community and to attract visitors to help stimulate the local economy. Recently, Andy has helped to establish another 501(c)3, Friends of Castleton Parks and Recreation, that aims to fundraise to support recreation for all ages in Castleton, VT. Friends of Castleton Parks and Recreation, Inc. is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting recreation, community wellness, and quality of life in the rural town of Castleton, Vermont. Founded in 2024 to advocate for and strengthen local parks, programs, and recreational facilities, the organization works in partnership with the Town of Castleton Parks and Recreation Department to provide opportunities for residents of all ages. In just a few years, the Friends have built a broad base of community support through grassroots fundraising, local business partnerships, special events, and volunteer engagement. These efforts have helped fund youth scholarships, recreational programming, athletic equipment, and a major community campaign to renovate the Castleton Recreation Center gymnasium. The organization’s success demonstrates how rural communities can leverage volunteer leadership, local pride, and strategic fundraising to invest in shared public spaces that strengthen community connections, economic vitality, and overall well-being.

Heidi Wilson | Song Weaver Heidi Wilson
Opening Song
Heidi Wilson’s passion is to share original songs in service to community and the wild world; songs that celebrate the seasons, bring groups together, offer thanks, muster courage, and make room for healing. Heidi has been leading community singing groups for the last 19 years including work with the Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture, University of Vermont, Village Harmony, Burlington Integrated Arts Academy, Young Tradition Vermont, the Unitarian Church of Montpelier, and more. As a member of Heartwood Trio, Heidi is thrilled to be performing The Well Tree, their original storytelling musical, for audiences of all ages. HeidiAnnWilson.com.

Marian Wolz | Resilience Section Lead Climate Action Office
P9. Building Community Climate Resilience
Marian is the Resilience Section Lead in the Climate Action Office. She works closely with state and local partners to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change. Marian’s work focuses on supporting and building capacity in communities to implement adaptation actions and coordinating with other state agencies and partners on resilience planning and policy. Marian joined the Climate Action Office in 2022, after serving as the Global Warming Solutions Act Coordinator, where she supported the Vermont Climate Council in writing Vermont’s Initial Climate Action Plan. Prior to joining the Agency of Natural Resources, Marian worked at Vermont Emergency Management, supporting statewide emergency response and recovery planning.

Jasmine Yuris | Chair Johnson EATS
P10(H). Community Gathering Spaces

Thanks to the Summit sponsors who make this event possible:

         

Diamond

Vermont Community Foundation
Front Porch Forum (in-kind media sponsor)

Platinum

Community National Bank
Shock

Gold

The Alchemist Foundation & The Alchemist Brewery
Creative Campus at Goddard
Killington Resort
King Arthur Baking Company
Northfield Savings Bank
Passumpsic Bank
UVM Collage of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
UVM Office of Engagement / Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO)
Vermont Creative Network
VT Dept. of Housing & Community Development
Vermont Gas
VTSU ROAD to Success Program
Weston and Sampson
Windham Foundation

Silver

AWRE Vermont Resorts, Inc.
Cabot Creamery
Efficiency Vermont
Evernorth
Greater Burlington Industrial Corp
Green Up Vermont
Lawson’s Finest Liquids
Mascoma Bank
National Life Group
Pomerleau Real Estate
Preservation Trust of Vermont
Regional Development Corporations of Vermont
Rutland Regional Medical Center
Tiny Seed Project
Union Mutual of Vermont
Vancro Integrated Interpreting Services
VT Economic Development Authority
VT Housing & Conservation Board
Vermont Humanities
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

If you are interested in sponsoring this year, please see this Sponsorship Form and reach out to Denise Smith at [email protected] or 802-355-0694.

We appreciate the support of our outreach sponsors in sharing information about the Summit through their networks!

Know Before You Go

This information will be updated as Summit planning continues.

Getting There

Location: The Summit will be held October 6, 2026 at Vermont State University Castleton, 62 Alumni Drive, Castleton VT: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xyU3bYeibz1jZb8x8. Scroll down for a campus map or open new window here.

Carpool: If you’d like to carpool, there is a way to coordinate rides through this link: https://groupcarpool.com/t/xthni4. Self-organize and either 1) add a carpool if you’re offering to drive, or 2) if you’re looking for a ride, add yourself to the “waitlist” to be alerted when a carpool is available from your location.

When You Arrive

Parking: The event will begin in the Casella Theater in the Fine Arts Center. When you arrive, park in the Calvin Coolidge Library lot unless you need accessible parking. For accessible parking, there are marked spaces next to the Fine Arts Center (where registration and morning plenaries are held. Breakout sessions are held in classrooms across campus. Most buildings have limited accessible parking nearby. Here’s an interactive map of the Castleton campus.

Onsite Registration and Check-in: Walk-ins are welcome with onsite registration opening at 8:00 am. The day starts in the Fine Arts Center for check-in with pastries and coffee from 8-9am and the Summit opening and morning plenary sessions from 9-10:30am. Breakout sessions and lunch are in spaces across campus.

Summit Program: Find links to online registration, the agenda, breakouts, speaker bios, financial sponsors, and more, at vtrural.org/summit.

Captioning and ASL Interpretation

For the morning plenary sessions in the Casella Theater there will be live captions on the projection screen provided by White Coat Captioning and ASL interpreters provided by Vancro Integrated Interpreting Services (plenary sessions only). ASL interpreter requests outside of the plenary session need to be made before September 22^nd by contacting Nick Parker at [email protected] or 802-227-4059.

A limited number of personal amplifiers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to reserve an amplifier in advance of the Summit or have questions about smartphone captioning apps such as Live Transcript (Andriod) and Live Captions (Apple), contact Nick Parker at [email protected] or 802-227-4059. Microphones will be used throughout the conference for both speakers and audience members.

Buildings

Morning and afternoon breakout sessions will be held in these spaces across campus:

• Casella Theater in the Fine Arts Center: Located at 45 Alumni Drive in Castleton and has accessible access for participants.
• Leavenworth Hall: 6 Alumni Drive
• Stafford Academic Center: 251 South St
• Jeffords Hall: 233 South St
• Campus Center: 49 University Dr
• Hoff Hall: 360 South St
• Pavilion: 360 South St
• Glenbrook Gymnasium: 190 University Dr

The campus is walkable, though quite spread out. All buildings have accessible parking spaces and elevators. The campus has good signage and paved walkways throughout. Scroll down for campus map or open map image in new window here.

Lunch

Lunch will be held either at the Pavilion or Glenbrook Gymnasium, depending on the weather. Box lunches will be provided. Participants are welcome to eat at tables set up at the lunch location, outside if it’s a nice day, at their next breakout session, or other spots around campus.

Participants will indicate their dietary restrictions when they register so the kitchen can accommodate needs. Those that let us know will receive confirmation saying we’ve received the request. If you don’t hear from us by October 2^nd, please contact Margaret at [email protected].

Quiet Space

A room will be reserved as a quiet space away from the noise and stimuli of the rest of the summit. This is not a room for meetings or conversations and is not staffed. Check the Summit program for the room location.

BIPOC Affinity Space

The BIPOC Affinity Space, hosted by The Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC), is open to Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color throughout the day, including lunch, until 4:00pm. VT PoC will also have a table during registration.

Wi-Fi

Public wifi is available at VSC-Guest. Click here for instructions on connecting.

Gender Neutral Bathrooms

*information to come

Lactation Room

A lactation room is available in the Stafford Academic Center, which is adjacent to the Calvin Coolidge Library.

No Cost Virtual Participation Options

*Links will be posted when available

Livestream: There will be a livestream of the opening plenary sessions from 9-10:35 provided by PEG TV, with captions by White Coat Captioning. In addition to the plenary livestream, there will be 3 livestreamed sessions – one in each timeslot. Visit vtrural.org/summit to find the links.

• 9am: Summit Opening and Plenaries
• 10:45am: School Building Transformations
• 1:15pm: Planning Accessible Public Engagements
• 2:30pm: Fundraising Conversations – Building Relationships that Lead to Giving

Hybrid Sessions: There will be 3 no cost hybrid sessions on Zoom. You will need to sign up in advance so click the following links to register for each:

• 10:45am: Safe Streets, Accessible Recreation, and Inclusive Mobility (panel)
• 1:15pm: How Farmers and Foresters are Building Community (panel)
• 2:30pm: Community Gathering Spaces (panel)

EMERGENCY AND MEDICAL AID INFORMATION

Emergency number:

If you must be reached in an emergency only, text Nick Parker at 802-227-4059. Please give this phone number out with care as it should be used only in emergency situations.

If you have an emergency while on campus, call Castleton Public Safety at 802-468-1215. Do not wait to find a VCRD staffer unless one is close by.

Medical aid:

Castleton does not maintain a health center that provides treatment for illness or injury to visitors. Participants are responsible for all applicable fees related to medical services or treatment received.

Emergency care treatment is available at the Rutland Regional Medical Center, 160 Allen Street in Rutland. In an emergency, Castleton Public Safety (802-468-1215) or 911 should be called to dispatch an ambulance.

Urgent / Walk-in Care:

Express Care Castleton (275 Route 30 North, Bomoseen, VT) – Open daily for minor illnesses and injuries.

QUESTIONS / ON-SITE SUPPORT / ACCOMMODATION REQUESTS

Contact Nick Parker at [email protected] or 802-227-4059 (voice/text). VP and relay calls welcome.