Emerge Vermont Annual Report

E M E R G E V E R M O N T:
Ushering in the next generation
of female leaders in Vermont
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OUR MISSION
Emerge Vermont recruits, trains and inspires Democratic
women to serve in elected and appointed office.
White Logo
© 2015
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Emerge Vermont is the premier training program for Democratic women in the state.
We inspire women to run. We hone their skills to win.
Our goal is clear: to increase the number of Democratic women in public office.
Letter from our Board Chair
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Our Launch at a Glance
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The Inaugural Class of 2014
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Emerge America: The National Movement
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Join Our Movement
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2014 Budget
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Madeleine’s List & Donors
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Our Team
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Dear Friends,
In late 2013, Vermont Woman Newspaper ran a story on Emerge Vermont with the
headline, “Can Emerge Vermont inspire more women to run for office?”
With the tremendous support of so many, Emerge Vermont inspired three women
from our inaugural training class to run for office, two of whom were elected.
Emerge Vermont has much to celebrate since our official formation in August of 2013!
In July 2014, we graduated 17 women from our inaugural five-month campaigntraining program. Our alumnae range in age from 29-58 and hail from 13 different
towns and 8 different Vermont counties.
Three of our alumnae ran for the Legislature in 2014 and two won: Senator Becca
Balint from Windham County is the first openly lesbian women to win a Senate seat
and Representative Kiah Morris is the first African-American woman elected to the
House in over 25 years.
More than 200 people celebrated the success of Emerge Vermont and our inaugural
graduates of the Class of 2014 at our annual Legacy & Leadership reception at
Shelburne Museum. I was honored to be recognized for the 30th Anniversary (hard
to believe) of my election as the first female governor of Vermont (so far). That’s a
stark reminder of the importance of our work. We are building the political bench
with qualified, female leaders, and I am confident that soon another woman will
follow in my footsteps.
Emerge Vermont is part of a larger national movement to increase the number of
women serving in office at all levels of government. Thirteen other states run Emerge
programs and this year 245 Emerge alumnae ran for office across the country, and
54 percent of them won their races. Even in a difficult electoral year for Democrats,
Emerge alumnae across the country won because our training program works.
We are proud that you believe in our mission to recruit, train and inspire Democratic
women to run for office. Together, we will change the face and voice of Vermont
politics!
GOVERNOR MADELEINE M. KUNIN
Emerge Vermont Founder and Board of Directors Chair
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Our Launch at a Glance 2013-2014
Emerge America’s fastest-to-launch state!
NOVEMBER
Inaugural Board of
Directors meeting
held in Burlington.
Waterbury-Stowe
Kick-Off Tour
Event.
JANUARY 2014
First application
window opens
and recruitment
begins for inaugural
program members.
AUGUST
It’s official!
Emerge VT
affiliates with
Emerge America
becoming the
14th Emerge state
program.
DECEMBER
Brattleboro Kick-Off Tour Event
JANUARY 2013
Emerge America &
Governor Madeleine
Kunin convene an
interest meeting at the
State House.
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SEPTEMBER
Inaugural Kick-Off Celebration at
Hotel Vermont and Press Conference
announcing Emerge Vermont’s
formation and launch.
OCTOBER
JUNE
Three women
from the Class of
2014 declare their
candidacies to run
for the Legislature.
Emerge VT honors Governor Kunin
in her 30th Anniversary of being
elected VT’s first female governor
and celebrates the inaugural Class
of 2014 at Legacy & Leadership:
An Evening Celebrating Democratic
Women in Politics. 200 people
attend including Senator Patrick
Leahy and Congressman
Peter Welch.
.
NOVEMBER
MARCH
OCTOBER
Inaugural Class of
2014 begin their
five-month training
journey at the State
House.
JULY
Emerge VT establishes
the Cheryl Hanna
Scholarship Fund to
honor Cheryl’s legacy
and commitment to
empowering the next
generation of female
leaders in VT.
Emerge VT alumnae
win! Becca Balint is
elected to the VT Senate
in Windham county
becoming the state’s first
openly lesbian senator
and Kiah Morris is
elected to the VT House
in Bennington. Kiah is
the first African-American
woman elected to the
Legislature in 25 years.
Emerge VT graduates
17 women from their
inaugural training
program in Rutland.
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The Inaugural Class of 2014
OUR GR ADUATES
24%
In July 2014, Emerge Vermont graduated 17 women from our inaugural training program.
These remarkable leaders completed a five-month journey acquiring the latest skills in
campaign strategy and tactics through our comprehensive training program. Our alumnae
hail from 13 different towns and 7 different counties, ranging in age from 29-58. Their
backgrounds and professions include lawyers, teachers and educators, researchers, small
business owners, farmers, CEOs, executive directors, environmentalists and more.
of our program members
identify as LGBT
12%
of our program members
identify as women of color
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women received scholarships
toward their tuition fee of
$700 totaling $2,450 in
awarded scholarships
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CL ASS OF 2014
Becca Balint, Brattleboro
Elizabeth McLoughlin, Brattleboro
Melody Burkins, Jericho
Julie Moore, Middlesex
Dawn Ellis, Burlington
Kiah Morris, Bennington
Barbarina Heyerdahl, Montpelier
Madeline Motta, Stowe
Ashley Hill, Montpelier
Molly O’Brien, Burlington
Vanessa Kittell, E. Fairfield
Julie Raboin, Newport
Michelle Laperle, Duxbury
Korrine Rodrigue, Rutland
Nicole Mace, Winooski
Denise Smith, Saint Albans
Pam McCarthy, Saint Albans
In 2014, three of our alumnae ran for
office, all in contested races, and two won:
Dawn Ellis ran for a State Senate seat in
Chittenden County and came up short by
just 0.72% in a race where all 6 incumbents
were re-elected.
Senator Becca Balint from Windham
County is the first openly lesbian women to
win a Senate seat in Vermont.
Representative Kiah Morris from
Bennington is the first African-American
woman elected to the House in more than
25 years. Below Kiah celebrates with her
family on Election night.
Your candidacy begins today!
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More than 30 different trainers, speakers, consultants
and elected officials presented and spoke to the Class
of 2014 on a range of topics including campaign
finance, fundraising, direct mail, field strategy, ethical
leadership, messaging and communications and more!
Emerge Vermont thanks our 2014 speakers, trainers
and consultants who presented to the Class of 2014:
• Liz Bankowski
• Julia Barnes, Vermont Democratic Party
• Rep. Sarah Buxton, Building Bright Futures
• Liz Chadderdon, The Chadderdon Group
• Sheila Manchester Coniff, Vermont State
Employees Association (VSEA)
• Ben Eisenberg, Fundraising Consultant
• Ryan Emerson, Let's Grow Kids
• John Faas, Vermont Democratic Party
• Anne Galloway, VTDigger
• Selene Hofer-Shall, Theseus Advisors, LLC
• Steve Howard, Vermont State Employees
Association (VSEA)
• Rep. Tim Jerman, Vermont Democratic Party
• Christopher Klose, Klose Communications
• Governor Madeleine Kunin
• Councilwoman Bianka LeGrand, Red Coral
Consulting
• Anne Lezak, ADL Consulting and Mercy
Connections
• Senator Ginny Lyons
• Selectwoman Donna Macomber, Women's
Freedom Center
• Rep. Ann Manwaring
• Sarah McCall, Emerge Vermont
• Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, Marlboro College
• Ryan McLaren, Office of Congressman Peter Welch
• Mary Meagher, The Meagher Group
• Sue Minter, Vermont Agency of Transportation
• Judy Neufeld, Emerge America
• Selectwoman Kate O'Connor, Brattleboro Area
Chamber of Commerce
• Treasurer Beth Pearce
• Julie Peterson, Southeast Vermont Learning
Collaborative
• Rep. Kesha Ram
• Ben Sarle, Vermont Democratic Party
• Governor Peter Shumlin
• Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson,
Springfield Family Center
• Senator Jeanette White
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“
I could not have succeeded without
the help of Emerge Vermont.
There is so much you don’t know
(when considering a run). Emerge
turned my dreams of running for
office into a reality. After just a
few days of training, I felt like
I could really take the plunge!
SENATOR BECCA BALINT,
EMERGE ALUMNA, CLASS OF 2014
“
“
Power is best used to empower others.
GOVERNOR MADELEINE KUNIN
“
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1st Annual Legacy & Leadership Celebration
On October 15th, 2014, Emerge Vermont held it’s first annual Legacy & Leadership
reception at the beautiful Shelburne Museum. In a night filled with powerful speakers,
electrifying energy and inspirational women, we honored the 30th anniversary of
Governor Madeleine May Kunin’s election as the first female governor of Vermont, and
we celebrated the graduates of the inaugural Emerge Vermont Class of 2014.
In addition to wonderful live music from Anaïs Mitchell, dynamic speeches from Governor
Madeleine Kunin, Senator Patrick Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch and Emerge alumna
Becca Balint reminded us again of why Emerge does the work we do and just how much
we can accomplish when we help, support, and empower one another. As Governor
Kunin said in her speech, “Power is best used to empower others.”
Not only did we celebrate Vermont’s past and future female leaders, but thanks to the
generosity of our donors, we also raised nearly $20,000 for Emerge Vermont, ensuring
that we will continue to train Democratic women in the years to come.
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The Cheryl Hanna Scholarship Fund
The Scholarship
In October 2014, Emerge Vermont
established the Cheryl Hanna Scholarship
Fund, which provides up to $3,000
in annual tuition assistance to one or
more program members each year. The
scholarship fulfills Emerge Vermont’s
belief that the $700 tuition cost of the
program should not be a barrier to any
woman wishing to participate in Emerge
Vermont training.
2014 SCHOL ARSHIP DONORS
Elizabeth Bankowski
Naomi Clemmons
Sam Holmes
Katharine Hutchinson
Deb Lichtenfeld
Hinda Miller
Bess O’Brien
Marissa Parisi
Rep. Kesha Ram
About Cheryl Hanna
A graduate of Kalamazoo College and Harvard Law School, Cheryl Hanna was a Professor of
Constitutional Law at Vermont Law School, whose life work was dedicated to legal and social
justice for women and girls. In addition to serving on numerous boards and commissions,
including the Council on the Future for Vermont, the Young Women and the Economy Task
Force, and the Burlington City Arts Foundation, Cheryl joined Emerge Vermont’s Advisory
Council in April of 2014, until her death in July 2014.
For more info: emergevt.org/content/cheryl-hanna-scholarship-fund-through-emerge-vermont
Ann Raynolds
Mike Reilly
Kathy Silva
Ellen Sklar
Christopher Stone
Lynn Sutton
Jennifer Taub
Elzy Wick
“
Cheryl Hanna, a beloved role model
and educator, joined Emerge Vermont’s
Advisory Council to provide our
organization with her guidance and
expertise. When Cheryl suddenly passed
away, we, like you, were deeply saddened.
She continues to be missed. We believe that
her memory will live on through the Cheryl
Hanna Scholarship Fund which expresses
her passion for empowering women.
GOVERNOR MADELEINE KUNIN
“
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Emerge America: The National Movement
Founded only 10 years ago, Emerge America has worked to change the face of
American politics by recruiting, training and empowering women to run for public
office across the country. Since 2005, Emerge training programs, which operate in
14 states, have trained more than 1,500 women to run for public office. In 2014
alone, 257 alumnae women ran for office, including one for U.S. Senate and five
for the U.S. House of Representatives. Even in a tough election year for Democrats
nationwide, 54% of the Emerge women who ran in the 2014 general election won.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2014
With the election of Kathleen Taylor,
Emerge Oregon now has seven
alumnae serving in the State House,
bringing the percentage of women in
the state legislature to 33%. Of the
8 Democratic House leaders, 4
are Emerge graduates.
Emerge Kentucky graduates helped
to keep the Kentucky state legislature
purple, making it the
only
Democrat-held State House in
the South.
12 Emerge Maine women were
elected to the Maine House and
Sara Gideon, Emerge Maine Class of
2012, was elected Assistant Majority
Leader.
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After November 2014 elections, Republicans hold 69 of the 99 state legislative
chambers—more than at any other time in history. The map may look grim, but
there are opportunities here. Emerge America is focused on building the political
bench with qualified, female candidates who will be ready to run and win in
2015, 2016, and beyond.
Join Our Movement
Run For Office
Why not you? We all know there are plenty of reasons to avoid running for
public office. The Emerge Vermont Training Program is the essential step for
Democratic women who have a vision of running for public office, but do
not necessarily know where to start. Our training program will demystify the
campaign process for you and give you the tools you need to win.
For information about applying to join the next class,
email contact@emergevt.org or visit: emergevt.org/training
Encourage a Woman to Run
Help us build the political bench! Do you know a woman in your community
who should run for office? Studies show that women need to be asked to run
six times before they will consider running. Ask a woman to run today.
Then recommend her to the Emerge Vermont training program
with our online tool: emergevt.org/content/recommend-woman
Follow Emerge Vermont Online
Stay connected with us by joining our online communities
@EmergeVT
EmergeVermont
Become a Donor or Renew your Commitment to
our Mission
We can’t do this work without your support! We rely predominantly on the
generosity of individual Vermonters to meet our small budget each year. Join
our movement today with a gift of any amount!
You can give online at: emergevt.org/contribute
Or you can mail a check to:
Emerge Vermont, PO Box 8256, Burlington, VT 05402
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2014 Budget
Emerge Vermont met its revenue goal through the generosity of individual donors from across the state.
Emerge Vermont raised $84,414 in 2014 from 435 individual contributions.
7%
7%
Board of Directors and Advisory Council Members
Other Donors/Misc
43%
Major Donors ($1,000+)
16%
REVENUE
Program Tuition/Fees
Budget Goal: $82,000
Actual Revenue: $84,414
27%
Event Sponsorship/Tickets
5%
Fundraising
15%
Office/Administrative
EXPENSES
80%
State Program & Staffing
Budget Goal: $82,000
Actual Expenses: $71,041
Emerge Vermont is a 527 political organization. Contributions to Emerge Vermont are not tax-deductible.
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Madeleine’s List
2014 Sponsor Level Donors
Madeleine’s List is a leadership group of donors deeply
committed to changing the face and voice of Vermont
politics. With a cumulative, annual gift of $2,000 or more
each year, founding Madeleine’s List donors have been
instrumental in enabling Emerge Vermont to launch with
a strong base of supporters and build a financially stable
organization.
$1,000 - $1,999
Madeleine’s List Founding Donors — 2013 & 2014
$500 - $999
Tiffany Bluemle & Liz Shayne
Eileen Growald
Kathy Hoyt
Michelle Fay / Fay for VT House
Barbara Lee
Hinda Miller
State Rep. Maxine Grad (2014)
Barbarina Heyerdahl (2013)
Lisa Steele (2013)
Jane Stetson (2013)
Lola Van Wagenen & George Burrill (2013)
Lisa Alther
Michele Asch
Dottie Deans & Lydia Spitzer
Valerie Graham
Kristi Brown Lovell
Melinda Moulton / Main Street Landing Co.
Alice Rivlin
Shap Smith / PAC for a Better Vermont
Gaye Symington
Lola Van Wagenen & George Burrill
Vermont Democratic Party
Gubernatorial Council ($2,000 - $4,999)
$250 - $499
Presidential Council ($10,000 +)
Donna & Jake Carpenter (2013 & 2014)
Barbarina Heyerdahl (2014)
Congressional Council ($5,000 - $9,999)
Katherine Arthaud (2013)
Jan Blomstrann (2013 & 2014)
Debra Lopez Gottesman (2014)
State Rep. Maxine Grad (2013)
Patsy Highberg (2014)
Kathy Hoyt (2013)
Crea & Philip Lintilhac (2013 & 2014)
Lisa Lorimer (2014)
Richard Paisner & Christie Weiner (2014)
Jake Perkinson & Cate MacLachlan (2013)
Sallie Soule (2014)
Lisa Steele (2014)
Jill Boardman
Jean Cherouny
TJ Donovan for State’s Attorney
Mayor Liz Gamache
Lisa Gosselin
Lisa Hagerty
Leslie Halperin
George Hamilton
John Hennessey
Marcia Hindle
Sheila & Jeffrey Hollender
Rep. Tim Jerman
Jennifer Kimmich
Pamela Kraynak
Gov. Madeleine Kunin
Anne Lezak
Donna Macomber
C D Mattison
Marcia Merrill
Sue Minter
Dawn Moskowitz
Elizabeth Novotny
Treasurer Beth Pearce
Rep. Kesha Ram
Andrea Rogers
Rosalee Sprout
Randy Sweeney
Linda Tarr-Whelan
Rep. Maida Townsend
Elzy Wick
t o al l
u
o
y
Thank
s!
p or t e r
p
u
s
r
ou
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Board of Directors
Governor Madeleine May Kunin, Board Chair, is the first female governor of Vermont. She served as Deputy Secretary of
the U.S. Department of Education and was Ambassador to Switzerland under the Clinton Administration. She has authored
several books including, “The New Feminist Agenda,” “Pearls, Politics and Power,” and “Living a Political Life.” Governor
Kunin is a current Marsh Professor at the University of Vermont and lives with her husband, John, in Burlington.
Mayor Liz Gamache serves as Director of Efficiency Vermont, the statewide energy efficiency utility operated by the
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC). Prior to joining VEIC in January 2015, she served for seven years as
Manager of Corporate Services at Vermont Electric Cooperative. She is currently serving a second term as Mayor of the
City of St. Albans, where she is leading an unprecedented downtown revitalization effort. Liz received a Bachelor of
Science from the University of Vermont in Business Administration.
Rep. Maxine Grad is currently the Chairwoman of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee. Maxine was first elected to
the Vermont Legislature in 2000. She provides leadership on issues affecting military members, veterans, crime victims,
juvenile and children’s’ issues. Governor Howard Dean appointed Maxine to the Governor’s Commission on Women,
which she also chaired. She received her BA from Clark University and her JD, Cum Laude and Masters in Environmental
Law from Vermont Law School. She is the mother of 3 children.
Ashley Hill works as a Deputy State's Attorney in Addison County. She is a faculty member at the Community College
of Vermont (CCV) and also serves on the statewide Social Sciences Curriculum Committee for CCV. She is currently
serving as the Statewide Coordinator for CCV's Community of Student Representatives, the College's student governance
organization. Ashley currently resides in Montpelier.
Barbarina Heyerdahl is a funder, investor and citizen advocate engaged in addressing climate change and supporting
sustainable agriculture. For the past few years her “day job” has been full-time mother of her four children, but over the past
25 years she has worked at environmental organizations, run an organic vegetable farm, and been a parenting educator
in schools in Maine and Vermont. She sits on several boards including the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and
the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Action Fund and NRDC’s Global Leadership Council. She resides in Montepelier.
Kate Lapp is a native of Ira and a current student of Political Science and Economics at the University of Vermont.
Committed to motivating other young people to get active in politics, Kate is the Youth Representative to the Vermont
Democratic Party’s Executive Committee and has gained experience from a variety of internships including working in
Governor Peter Shumlin’s Office.
Alexandra MacLean is the former Deputy Chief of Staff and Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs for Governor Peter
Shumlin. Currently, Alex is President of Strategic Communications at KSE Partners, the preeminent communications and
government relations firm in Vermont. Alexandra joined KSE as a Partner in 2015. She has devoted her professional
career to improving the lives of Vermonters. Alex lives in the Northeast Kingdom with her husband and daughter.
Selectwoman Donna Macomber works as a Legal Coordinator at the Brattleboro Women’s Freedom Center, fighting to
end men’s violence against women. In addition to her service on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Network Against
Domestic and Sexual Violence, she is a 2008 graduate of Emerge Massachusetts.
Dawn Moskowitz spearheads Parents for Change—the community organizing initiative of Voices for Vermont’s Children
working with Burlington and Winooski Schools. She is a 2011-2012 Fellow with the Institute for Democratic Education
in America, a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute, and a cofounder of the Greater Burlington Women’s Forum.
Rep. Kesha Ram is currently the youngest Democratic legislator in Vermont, serving Burlington's Hill Section and
University District in the Vermont House of Representatives. She is a member of the Natural Resources Committee and,
when not serving in the legislature, works as the Public Engagement Specialist for Burlington’s Community and Economic
Development Office.
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Emerge Vermont Executive Director
Sarah McCall is the Executive Director of Emerge Vermont after joining Emerge Vermont
as Interim Executive Director in August of 2013. Sarah has spent her entire career
working to elect to office and develop the leadership potential of women, young people,
LGBT people, and people with disabilities. Before her current role at Emerge Vermont,
Sarah worked with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) as their
Development Consultant.
Prior to joining AAPD, Sarah was a member of the development & political teams at
the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute, the nation’s leading organization that
identifies, trains and supports LGBT candidates, campaign staff and public officials. As a
member of the development team at Victory Fund, Sarah’s responsibilities included board
management & relations, major donor fundraising, grant writing and event planning &
coordination.
Sarah also served as the Political Manager at the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and
Institute. In this role, Sarah was responsible for overseeing Victory’s political operations
and campaign services in the mid-Atlantic and southeast regions of the United States.
Sarah began her career in political organizing in Colorado in 2006, working with the
House Majority Project to elect women to the CO State House and in South Carolina in
2008, as a member of Linda Ketner for Congress’ finance team. Previously, during her
stint in DC, Sarah served as Director of Development and Advisory Council Director for the
Women’s Information Network (WIN); Washington, DC’s premier professional, political &
social network dedicated to empowering young, pro-choice, Democratic women.
When not working to elect women to office, Sarah spends her time doing yoga,
snowboarding, playing bocce ball and traveling. She currently lives in the Old North End
of Burlington. She can be reached at sarah@emergevt.org.
Emerge Vermont Advisory Council
Julia Barnes, Burlington
Steve Howard, Burlington
Julie Raboin, Newport
Claire Benjamin, Washington, DC
Fauna Hurley, Burlington
Ben Sarle, Burlington
Melody Brown Burkins, Jericho
Rep. Jill Krowinski, Burlington
Rep. Sarah Buxton, Tunbridge
Anne Lezak, Burlington
Council President Joan Shannon,
Burlington
Dottie Deans, North Pomfret
Senator Ginny Lyons, Williston
Rep. Valerie Stuart, Brattleboro
Nicole Mace, Winooski
Linda Tarr-Whelan, Burlington
Sara Gilbert, Rutland
Hinda Miller, Burlington
Tess Taylor, Barre
Billi Gosh, Brookfield
Sue Minter, Waterbury Center
Ari Wengroff, Brooklyn, NY
Catherine Dianich Gruver, Dummerston
Jessica Nordhaus, Burlington
Linda Wheatley, Worcester
Selene Hofer-Shall, Burlington
Treasurer Beth Pearce, Barre
Michelle Fay, St. Johnsbury
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PO Box 8256, Burlington, VT 05402
EmergeVT.org
© July 2015 | Design by Britt Boyd
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