Valley Quest

How can we know which uses of our public funds are the most productive in a recovery? Join this free webinar at 1 pm March 31 by Joe Minicozzi of Ur [...]

Climate & Community Resilience Spring Series

Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like What is good f [...]

13th Annual Energy Committee Roundtable – March 18

You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Wednesday, March 18, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual ga [...]

Make Your Pitch to The Local Crowd UV!

We're accepting proposals for the next round of The Local Crowd Upper Valley crowdfunding campaigns! Do you have an incredible project just waiting [...]

Flavors of the Valley Vendor Registration is Open!

Registration is open for the 19th annual Flavors of the Valley, the Upper Valley's premier local food tasting expo. With 50+ vendors and more than 80 [...]

Get Involved With Workforce Housing In Your Town

The workforce housing shortage is a challenge that impacts everyone in the Upper Valley. Many communities are working toward solutions—and you can g [...]

Canaan Keeps FarmRaisers Alive

Kale. Carrots. Beets. Potatoes. Powerkraut®! These are just a few of the delightful local foods I've received from Root 5 Farm over the past few m [...]

Celebrating our Volunteer of the Year

Ed. note: Vital Communities Executive Director Tom Roberts made the following remarks to honor 2019 Volunteer of the Year Bill Geraghty at our Ope [...]

Support TLC Campaigns Now!

Invest in your community and contribute to campaigns today! Visit the TLC Upper Valley campaign page The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a communi [...]

Join Us: Open House December 6!

Our annual Open House is one of our favorite events of the year—a chance to catch up with old friends of Vital Communities, make welcome new con [...]

Upcoming Events

	April 2020
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1	2	3	4
5 Climate and Community Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #2 Climate and Community Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #2 Starts: 3:30 pm Ends: April 5, 2020 - 6:00 pm Description: Historical Landscape: Learning from the Past Take a deep dive into the history of the Upper Valley to understand its watersheds, landscapes, climates, and inhabitants – and how they affect each other. Use the lessons of the past to envision a just future. Free and open to all. https://vitalcommunities.org/valleyfoodfarm/climate-and-community-resilience-lessons-from-the-soil/ More details... •	6	7	8 Leadership Upper Valley - Transportation & Livable Communities Day Leadership Upper Valley - Transportation & Livable Communities Day Starts: 12:00 am Ends: April 8, 2020 - 11:59 pm Description: This is a Vital Communities Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 event. If you'd like to learn more or apply for next year's LUV Class, please contact Rob Schultz at rob@vitalcommunities.org or visit vitalcommunities.org/leadershipuppervalley. LUV alumni are welcome at current year classes with advanced notice. Please contact Rob for details. More details... LUV Transportation Day - Online LUV Transportation Day - Online Starts: 7:00 am Ends: April 8, 2020 - 12:00 pm More details... Taking eLearning Outdoors: Into the Garden: Taking Care of Our Basic Needs Taking eLearning Outdoors: Into the Garden: Taking Care of Our Basic Needs Starts: 1:00 pm Ends: April 8, 2020 - 2:00 pm Description: Our next adventure is slated for Wednesday, April 8th from 1:00 - 2:00 pm Join us for Adventure #2 - Into the Garden: Taking Care of Our Basic Needs. This conversation will focus on caring for our students and their families and enriching learning through connections to our communities’ food systems. Our featured presenter is Beth Roy, Food & Farm Manager at Vital Communities. Beth has a wealth of knowledge and experience and has been working with schools to develop strong Farm-to-Schools and gardening programs. Our aim is to make this simple, fun, and meaningful for you and your students. We’ll start the webinar with an overview and conversation and then open it up for questions and sharing. Let us know you are planning to participate here. Check out the website for more information and resources. More details... • • •	9	10	11
12	13 Climate and Community Resilience Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #3 Climate and Community Resilience Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #3 Starts: 5:30 pm Ends: April 13, 2020 - 8:00 pm Description: Here and Now: Human Impacts The world today has been shaped by human decisions to rearrange Earth’s systems. Learn about how and why the world exists in its current unstable state and explore possibilities to make better decisions in the future. Free and open to all. https://vitalcommunities.org/valleyfoodfarm/climate-and-community-resilience-lessons-from-the-soil/ More details... •	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23 UVTMA Monthly Meeting - REMOTE UVTMA Monthly Meeting - REMOTE Starts: 4:00 pm Ends: April 23, 2020 - 5:30 pm Location: By video conference Description: This is the meeting of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association. For spring 2020 and until further notice, meetings will be held remotely. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/271593187 Meeting ID: 271 593 187 One tap mobile +19294362866,,271593187# US (New York) +13126266799,,271593187# US (Chicago) Dial by your location +1 929 436 2866 US (New York) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 301 715 8592 US +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US Meeting ID: 271 593 187 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/adi4QNnzvZ More details... •	24	25 Guided Valley Quest: Hurricane Town Forest Guided Valley Quest: Hurricane Town Forest Starts: 1:00 pm Ends: April 25, 2020 - 3:00 pm Location: Hurricane Town Forest, Hartford, VT, USA Description: Join Vital Communities’ Valley Quest Coordinators Beth Roy & Sandy Gmur along with Kevin Tolan, Vermont Center for Ecostudies' Vernal Pool Monitor Coordinator, on a guided exploration of a vernal pool in the Hurricane Town Forest of Hartford. The Sally Salamander Meander will take us on a moderate hike to celebrate spring and all that comes to life at this time of year. This is a great opportunity to complete one of the Quests for the 2020 Super Quest and start the Questing season with an adventure! This guided Quest is appropriate for families and adults, all are welcome. REGISTER: https://hartfordvt.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29865 More details... •
26 Climate and Community Resilience Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #4 Climate and Community Resilience Webinar: Lessons from the Soil #4 Starts: 3:30 pm Ends: April 26, 2020 - 6:00 pm Description: Systems Collapse: Climate and Ecological Crisis The environment is destabilizing, along with societies, economies, and cultures. Understand the collapse through various lenses to explore adaptation and avoid false solutions. Free and open to all. https://vitalcommunities.org/valleyfoodfarm/climate-and-community-resilience-lessons-from-the-soil/ More details... •	27	28	29	30 Business Leaders VIRTUAL Housing Breakfast - Spring 2020 Business Leaders VIRTUAL Housing Breakfast - Spring 2020 Starts: 7:30 am Ends: April 30, 2020 - 9:00 am Location: Virtual event - details to follow Description: Business Leaders Housing Breakfast - Spring 2020 Thursday, April 30, 7:30 to 9 am. We are a resilient and flexible region! COVID19 precautions have made this a virtual event. Details to follow. Our topic this spring is housing solutions that are being implemented around the Upper Valley. We will hear from people leading efforts in Claremont, Bradford, the Mount Ascutney Hospital 13-town service area, Lebanon, and the four-town group of Sharon, Strafford, Royalton, and Tunbridge. We'll apply what we learn in small-group discussions of action steps employers and employees can take to expand the impact or replicate the projects presented. Please register here. More details... •

Go to the Full Calendar

Our
Core
Values

About Us

Vital Communities’ agenda and programs emerge from, and are driven by, regional needs and community interests.

As a neutral convener, Vital Communities brings diverse people and organizations together to devise and implement collaborative solutions.

Vital Communities takes on issues where regional coordination and leadership can achieve results.

Greatest Hits

Flavors of the Valley is Canceled

Resilient Farmer Climate Network

Photo Gallery

Program NEWS

On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included: Electric charging stations in Bethel An Upper Valley eBike lending library Energy saving window ...more

Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil

Climate and Community Resilience: Lessons from the Soil Spring Community Webinar Series to Unpack What Creating Our Future Looks Like What is good for the soil is good for our communities. Deep healthy soil governs flood resilience, ...more

Upper Valley Farm to School Forum: Trauma & Nutrition

Event Postponed We will be rescheduling the forum to the late spring or next fall Upper Valley Farm to School Forum: Trauma & Nutrition March 19 4:30-7pm Sharon Elementary School 75 VT Route 132, Sharon, VT 05065 Join the Upper Valley ...more

13th Annual Roundtable - September 15

You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable will be held Tuesday, September 15, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an ...more

Renewable Energy Funding for Small Businesses

Get the information you need to move forward with a renewable energy or energy efficiency project in Vermont or New Hampshire. Join Ken Yearman, Rural Development Energy Coordinator for Vermont and New Hampshire; a farmer ...more

Renewable Energy Funding for Farms and Small Businesses

Improve Your Small Business Digital Marketing Presence!

Calling all Upper Valley farms and small businesses! Could your business benefit from professional consulting services to improve your marketing? With Rural Development funding, Local First is hosting free marketing workshops AND providing an opportunity ...more

TLC Upper Valley Success!

Local Investing Success with TLC Upper Valley! The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to invest in the businesses, organizations and initiatives that support vital communities in our ...more

Efficient Heating in Vermont

Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission. The video describes the types and benefits of home heating options and describes the current rebates ...more

Fall Guided Quest: Trees of Dartmouth Quest

Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we discover many exotic trees around the Dartmouth College Campus and learn about their ...more

A New Quest to Celebrate the Mascoma River Greenway!

Have you been on the Mascoma River Greenway yet? If not, it is time to check it out. I had a fantastic time follwing the new Quest of the Mascoma River Greenway. I took my ...more

A New Quest in Pomfret, Vermont

Earlier this summer I had the fortune of working with the amazing staff of the Artistree Community Arts Center in Pomfret, Vermont on offering a Questing Camp. Over the week the campers learned about the ...more

Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead

Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more

Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley

Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more

2nd Annual Curb The Car Day - Friday, May 17!

On May 17, 2019 the rest of the country is celebrating National Bike to Work Day, but here in the Upper Valley we’ll be taking it a step further with our second annual Curb The ...more

Dazzlingly Reflective, 80's Style

We love pairing style with nighttime visibility, so we've ordered REFLECTIVE SLAP BRACELETS to reward people who bike or walk to Flavors of the Valley on Sunday, April 7! If you bike and walk to the ...more

Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready!

Get your bike, boots, or shoes ready! From our friends at Local Motion comes the Winter Edition of Vermont's Bike-Walk Challenge, February 1 to 8! Simply record two bike or walk commutes in the Go! Vermont app ...more

A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley

On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more

Vital Communities Staff

Tom Roberts

Executive Director

Tom Roberts joined Vital Communities as Executive Director in February 2015. A resident of Cobb Hill Cohousing in Hartland, Vermont, Tom has more than a decade of successful leadership experience in Upper Valley nonprofits, including as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation, and prior to that as Executive Director at the Ottauquechee Health Foundation in Woodstock. Before moving to the Upper Valley in 2002, Tom worked as an attorney both in a small litigation and government practice firm, and for the Homeless Advocacy Project with the Bar Association of San Francisco. He has worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors on issues of justice, housing, children, and healthcare. He holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University, a law degree from the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law, and is a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute.

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Sandy Gmur

Valley Quest Coordinator

Valley Quest

Sandy joined Vital Communities in Fall 2019 to coordinate Valley Quest. Sandy moved back to the East Coast after 32 years in Santa Cruz, CA, and is thrilled to be involved with an organization so interconnected with the issues and services that make the Upper Valley region a vibrant, collaborative, and future-thinking community. Sandy has a BA in Anthropology from Vassar College and worked for several years in Somalia and Greece. She later worked in school administration and then as a Senior Program Associate for the nonprofit Life Lab. Sandy is a founding member of a cohousing community in Santa Cruz and now lives at Cobb Hill Cohousing in Hartland. She is an Executive Committee member of the Sierra Club Upper Valley and volunteers with the Connecticut River Conservancy. Her nurture away from work comes from taking long walks, skiing, cooking, gardening, bread baking, and enjoying time with friends and family.

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Rob Schultz

Leadership Upper Valley Manager, Director of Development

Leadership UV

Rob Schultz is the Leadership Upper Valley Manager and Director of Development at Vital Communities. Most recently, he served as Area Coordinator for Granite United Way in the Upper Valley Region. Rob was Executive Director of COVER Home Repair in White River Junction for 9 years. Before working at COVER, Rob was Executive Director for the Farm & Wilderness Foundation for 8 years; helped start a corporate training center for PT Timah in Sumatra Indonesia; and ran programs for Outward Bound in Minnesota, Texas, and New Mexico. He is a graduate of Earlham College and has done graduate work at University of Maryland in International Political Economy. He lives in Hanover with his partner Diane. He sings with Thetford Chamber Singers and is an avid carpenter, cellist, wilderness traveler, and gardener.

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Bethany Fleishman

Transportation Program Manager

Transportation

Bethany Fleishman was born at the old Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover, N.H., grew up in West Hartford, Vt., and now lives in Hartford Village, where she can see the White River and the trains from her window. She has a biology degree from St. Lawrence University and has worked in public health outreach, as a line cook in San Francisco, a pastry chef in Hanover, and as a member of the Town of Hartford Selectboard. She serves on the board of directors for both Advance Transit and Upper Valley CarShare and is a lifelong bike commuter.

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Rachel Darrow

Finance Manager

Rachel Darrow joined Vital Communities in November 2016 after two years as Finance Manager of Opera North. Prior to moving to Lyme, N.H., she worked for more than eight years with the Greensboro Jewish Federation in Greensboro, N.C., most recently serving as Director of Finance and Human Resources. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from the University of Maryland University College and an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John's College. Rachel currently serves on the United Way Campaign Cabinet, dances with The Raqs Salaam Dance Theater, and enjoys spending time with her three goats.

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Mike Kiess

Workforce Housing Coordinator

Mike Kiess joined Vital Communities in July of 2018 as the Workforce Housing Coordinator, working to develop and strengthen workforce housing throughout the Upper Valley. Mike previously oversaw organizational development for Veteran Corps of America, a federal contractor in the field of emergency and disaster response. He moved to the Upper Valley in 2011 after years spent living and working across the US and abroad, serving as a Navy submarine officer aboard the USS Lewis and Clark, an administrative director for the United States Peace Corps, and as a project manager in the paper and steel businesses. Mike is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and holds an MBA from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. He lives in Thetford with his wife, who grew up in the area, and enjoys mountain biking, volunteering on the town Energy Committee, and encouraging people to try new things and do their best.

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Jill Savage

Bookkeeper, HR, Office Manager, Database Manager

Jill Savage joined the Vital Communities staff in December 2019 after several years as an independent bookkeeper and business consultant and 15 years at Dartmouth College. Jill is a proud Upper Valley native, born and raised in New Hampshire and now making her home in Vermont. Jill is an artist and music lover, which inspires the work of the small business she runs with her husband. Jill received her Bachelor's Degree from Goddard College, where she studied art and philosophy and gained a deep appreciation for the ways in which social and ecological issues impact and are addressed in local communities. For many years, Jill has started her day by reading the Community Discussion Lists.

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Tommy Katucki

Volunteer Coordinator & Program Assistant

Tommy Katucki joined Vital Communities in September 2019 as the Volunteer Coordinator and Program Assistant. He is an Upper Valley native and has always called the region home, even when he left the area for school and travel. Tommy helps organize volunteers to support Vital Communities events and projects and provides needed support to all Vital Communities programs. Tommy received his BA in Political Science from Grinnell College in Iowa.

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Sarah Brock

Energy Program Manager

Energy

Sarah Brock joined Vital Communities in 2013 as our Energy Program Manager. Through her work Sarah provides support for our region’s 40+ local energy committees, engaging with dozens of volunteers and clean energy businesses in programs like Solarize Upper Valley, Weatherize Upper Valley, and the Upper Valley Green Real Estate Network. Prior to joining the Vital Communities team, Sarah was an Environmental Philanthropy Associate with the High Meadows Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation. Sarah now lives in Warner, New Hampshire, with her husband Zach and her chickens. When she's not busy advocating for energy efficiency, Sarah enjoys playing the trombone and taking walks in her backwoods to look for signs of New Hampshire's abundant wildlife.

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Becka Warren

Food & Farm Coordinator

Food & Farm

Part of Vital Communities' Food & Farm team since 2012, Becka fosters relationships that keep agriculture a daily part of community life in the Upper Valley. She works with current and future farmers, businesses, schools, and partners across Vermont and New Hampshire to build connections that support farm viability and keep our landscapes working. Becka lived in Seattle for many years, where she worked for the Washington State University Small Farms Program, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Seattle Tilth, and area vegetable farms. Becka is also a writer, founding and writing Ask Umbra at gristmagazine.com until 2009. She holds a BA from Brown University and lives in Hartland, Vermont, with her family.

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Doreen Guillette

Assistant to the Executive Director, Flavors Coordinator

Food & Farm

Doreen Guillette joined Vital Communities in January 2020 as the Flavors of the Valley Coordinator and Assistant to the Executive Director, with many years of administrative and management experience at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, self-employment, and volunteering. An Upper Valley native, Doreen spends most of her time and energy caring for her mini-farm and a large family in Norwich. She is a strong advocate for local community and is president of the Beaver Meadow Chapel, Trustee of the Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse, and Co-Chair of the West Norwich Community Resilience Organization. Doreen enjoys hiking, kayaking, writing poetry, nature photography, and cooking meals that come from her own land.

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Nancy LaRowe

Food & Farm and Local First Coordinator

Local First Food & Farm

Nancy joined Vital Communities as the Food & Farm Coordinator in 2014. She works to support and grow our local food system and economy. Nancy has lived, worked, and farmed in the Upper Valley for more than 25 years and believes our community is healthier and stronger when our connections to food and the farms that produce it stay vital.

Nancy's informal job title is Farmer-in-Residence: she also runs a pasture-based cattle farm in Norwich. Nancy is on the Board of the Norwich Farmers' Market and a retired Norwich volunteer firefighter and EMT. She loves puttering in the garden, hiking with her dog, and visiting farmers' markets.

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Beth Roy

Food & Farm Manager

Valley Quest Food & Farm

Beth leads Vital Communities' Food & Farm team, including its Upper Valley Farm to School programming, and also oversees Valley Quest. Before joining Vital Communities, Beth Roy worked in the environmental and place-based education fields for 17 years in various positions around New England including at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and as the Director of Education at the Nature Museum in Grafton, Vt. Beth is also on the boards of the Vermont Science Teacher Association (VSTA) and the Vermont State-Wide Environmental Education Programs (SWEEP), a coalition of dozens of individuals and organizations promoting sustainability and environmental education in Vermont. Beth is a New Hampshire native and lives in Hartland, Vt., with her husband and two children. When Beth is not working you will find her exploring the woods around her home with her family or cooking up a new taste test (made of local foods, of course!) for her children.

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Ana Mejia

Climate Projects Coordinator

Transportation Energy

Ana Mejia is the Climate Projects Coordinator at Vital Communities. She is a Southern California native and first arrived to the Upper Valley in 2018. Ana received her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she wrote her thesis on solar home affordability and energy efficiency programs for low income families. When she is not actively working towards creating sustainable communities, Ana enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, birding, and trying out new dessert recipes with her KitchenAid mixer.

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