1. What do you see as the top three priorities for our town over the next three years, and why?

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In addition to the significant day-to-day responsibilities of managing town services, responding to unexpected challenges, and staying within budget, St. Johnsbury must continue focusing on the conditions that drive long-term economic and community vitality.

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First, we must support housing development—especially affordable and workforce housing. Housing availability directly affects our workforce, school enrollment, and economic growth. This includes continuing our involvement in the Tru Temper redevelopment project and supporting the other housing initiatives led by private and nonprofit partners.

Second, we must advance public safety infrastructure. That means resolving the future of the Armory and developing clear, sustainable plans for police and fire facilities that meet today’s needs and position us for the future.

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Third, we must continue investing in core infrastructure and downtown revitalization. Leveraging federal and state funding for water, sewer, roads, and sidewalks is critical. We also must maintain momentum toward bringing the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail into downtown and advancing waterfront redevelopment. These efforts grow our tax base, strengthen downtown, and support long-term affordability.

And these priorities work together: infrastructure and public safety create confidence; housing supports workforce growth; and economic vitality broadens the tax base necessary to maintain affordability. 

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2. How would you approach balancing the town budget while maintaining essential services?

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Affordability, while continuing to move our community forward, is our central challenge.

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Balancing the budget starts with clearly defining and protecting essential services—public safety, public works, road maintenance, and core municipal operations. From there, disciplined spending, conservative revenue projections, and multi-year forecasting are essential.

We also need to continue aggressively pursuing grants, partnerships, and outside funding to reduce pressure on local taxpayers. At the same time, we must recognize that underinvestment today leads to higher costs tomorrow.

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A strong local economy and a growing grand list are also critical—expanding the tax base reduces the burden on residential taxpayers and supports long-term affordability.

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3. How will you ensure transparency and clear communication between the Selectboard and residents?

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Transparency builds trust, and trust strengthens community. And public engagement strengthens decisions. Clear agendas, timely posting of materials, and accessible minutes are fundamental. Residents should be able to understand what we are discussing and why. Using multiple communication channels—including our town website, public meetings, and community forums—helps reach more residents. I encourage residents to come to our meetings, or reach out to us between meetings.   The town website provides Selectboard contact information, and I believe in being accessible and responsive.  Clear communication also means explaining the reasoning behind decisions—especially before significant votes. Even when residents disagree, they deserve to understand how conclusions were reached.

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4. How do you handle disagreements or differing viewpoints when serving on a board?

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Healthy disagreement is part of good governance. I approach differing viewpoints by listening first and asking clarifying questions to fully understand concerns.  Keeping discussions fact-based, respectful, and solution-oriented is critical and when compromise is possible, I work toward it. When a vote is taken, I respect the outcome and support the board’s decision moving forward.

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During my time on the Selectboard, we have not always agreed. That said, I believe that members have displayed respect for each other and a shared commitment to what best serves the entire community.  Professionalism and mutual respect are essential to maintaining public confidence in our work. It takes positivity, collaboration and commitment to move us forward, as rural communities like ours face plenty of headwinds. That is really important in order for St. Johnsbury to succeed in strengthening our community.  

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5. What specific experience or skills make you prepared to serve effectively on the Selectboard?

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Over the past four years serving on the Selectboard, I have developed a strong understanding of municipal operations, budgeting, capital planning, and the interplay of local decisions with state and federal requirements. I prepare thoroughly, review materials carefully, and approach issues with both fiscal discipline and long-term perspective.

In my professional role as President and CEO of the Vermont Land Trust, I manage staff, oversee substantial annual budgets, develop long-term forecasts and strategic plans and administer federal and state grants.  Over the past twenty-five years I have also served on a number of Northeast Kingdom nonprofit and for-profit boards. These experiences have shaped my understanding of effective governance—keeping the big picture in mind, asking good questions, and supporting staff expertise while maintaining accountability. 

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I am also a small business owner, and was part of the group of residents that started and managed Kingdom Taproom and Table for ten years, so I understand the pressures and challenges facing our local businesses, as well as the opportunities they provide for economic and community vitality.

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Most importantly, I care deeply about this community and am committed to making thoughtful decisions that strengthen St. Johnsbury today while positioning us responsibly for the future.