Northeast Kingdom Collaborative Logo
The Northeast Kingdom Collaborative started as a way to pull people from across the NEK to share information, to work together. It became more formal – board and by-laws – when it was named the local organization associated with the NEK’s REAP Zone status through USDA/Rural Development. The people regularly at board meetings includes:
Officers
- Chair: Carol Moore, President, Lyndon State College (LSC)
- Vice-Chair: Kenn Stransky, Chair, Norton Planning Commission
and teacher for Northeast Kingdom Learning Services (NEKLS) - Treasurer: Paul Denton, Executive Director, Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA)
- Secretary: Gloria Bruce, Executive Director, Northeast Kingdom Travel & Tourism Assoc. (NEKTTA)
Non-Voting
- Steve Campbell, Area Director, USDA Rural Development (USDA/RD)
- Steve Patterson, Executive Director, Northeastern Vermont Development Agency (NVDA)
- Admin Support: David Snedeker, Planning Manager, (NVDA)
Board Members
- Bob Whittaker, Dean of Institutional Advancement, (LSC)
- Jon Freeman, CEO & President, Northern Counties Investment Corp. (NCIC)
- George Mathias, Director, Home Ownership Programs, Gilman Housing Trust (GHT)
- Sigurd Andersen, co-owner, Solbakken Technology Partners
and author of professional, personal interest and other blogs – e.g., for Walden School
and the newest members,
- Andy Kehler, Jasper Hill Farm (as member of VT Cheese Council)
- Ken Gordon, Northeastern Vermont Area Agency on Aging (NEVAAA)
- Gregory MacDonald, Agency of Human Services (AHS)
This year the board has the broadest representation it’s ever had of regional planners – for their own organization or for the region in general (NVDA, NCIC, USDA/RD). The current chair, Carol Moore has helped us set and stick to a schedule of regular board meetings and public forums to drive a plan that can be used in common by all these agencies and others. We’ve held public forums covering a range of areas, and have plan developed in conjunction with multiple local agencies. Part of the work of the Collaborative (view of this board member) is to pull these organizations together, to work at bringing them to a conversation and keeping them engaged. The web site is in sore need of restructuring; that’s in the works. The new site will have a “forum” area for discussion of subjects that are relevant in the NEK.
As of late 2009, the Board is exploring combining forces with Coös County, New Hampshire on addressing regional issues.