Valley Quest

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 [...]

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 [...]

Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course

Vital Communities is offering its popular Green Real Estate Crash Course again on Tuesday, November 19, at Service Credit Union, just off I-89 [...]

Oct. 26 Guided Valley Quest: Trees of Dartmouth

Join Vital Communities' Valley Quest Coordinator Beth Roy on a guided treasure hunt of the trees of Dartmouth. Celebrate fall as we disc [...]

Chime In: 9/18 Hartford Hearing on Affordable Housing in Vermont

Concerned about the need for more affordable housing in both Windsor County and Vermont? Join a discussion with local business leaders, affordable [...]

Housing: Regional Challenge—Local Solutions

Housing: Regional Challenge—Local Solutions We live, work, shop, and play across state and town lines, so it makes sense to work together to meet o [...]

Upcoming Events

	January 2020
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
			1 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 1, 2020 - 11:59 pm More details... •	2	3	4
5	6	7 Energy Savings Outreach Training (Springfield) Energy Savings Outreach Training (Springfield) Starts: 5:30 pm Ends: January 7, 2020 - 8:00 pm Location: Springfield Town Hall, 96 Main St, Springfield, VT 05156, USA Description: All are welcome! Training will help volunteers understand existing energy assistance programs (weatherization, fuel & electric assistance) to inform our outreach efforts at mobile home parks to promote these programs. FREE DINNER PROVIDED questions contact ana@vitalcommunities.org More details... •	8 Leadership Upper Valley - Economic Development Day Leadership Upper Valley - Economic Development Day Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 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... •	9	10	11
12	13 Winter Warrior Bike Workshop Winter Warrior Bike Workshop Starts: 6:00 pm Ends: January 13, 2020 - 7:30 pm Location: Norwich Public Library, 368 Main St, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Description: Learn Winter Bike Skills! In this free workshop, get tips and tricks about winter biking from an experienced, year-round bike commuter! We’ll cover how to plan and dress for a winter commute, provide info about snow and ice safety, and teach you how to keep your bike clean. This workshop is held indoors in the library’s community room (no need to bring your bike!). Workshop taught by Vital Communities and sponsored by Local Motion. Light refreshments will be served. Please register by emailing uvtma@vitalcommunities.org. More details... •	14	15 Weatherize Hanover Info Night Weatherize Hanover Info Night Starts: 6:30 pm Ends: January 15, 2020 - 8:00 pm Location: Black Community Center, Hanover Description: Meet and chat with the qualified contractors on the Weatherize Hanover contact list. Vital Communities will also give a presentation on the basics of home energy efficiency and weatherization, including the costs and benefits of investing in air sealing and insulation upgrades. Light refreshments provided. Snow date (if needed) Wed. Jan. 22, 6:30-8 pm at Howe Library (Mayer Room) https://www.hanovernh.org/weatherize More details... •	16	17	18 Energy Savings Outreach Training - CANCELLED Energy Savings Outreach Training - CANCELLED Starts: 10:00 am Ends: January 18, 2020 - 12:30 pm Location: Community Room, Upper Valley Food Co-op, 195 N Main St. WRJ Description: This training has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date to be determine. If you'd like to know when the training will be offered again, please send an email to ana@vitalcommunities.org All are welcome! Training will help volunteers understand existing energy assistance programs (weatherization, fuel & electric assistance) to inform our outreach efforts at mobile home parks to promote these programs. FREE DINNER PROVIDED https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexcZqD0VTDowch-JcskIF51r-j59PDBukzraOdbmXoHMNKQQ/viewform Questions? contact ana@vitalcommunities.org More details... •
19	20 Vital Communities Holiday Vital Communities Holiday Starts: 12:00 am Ends: January 20, 2020 - 11:59 pm More details... •	21	22 Weatherize Plainfield Cornish Info Night Weatherize Plainfield Cornish Info Night Starts: 7:00 pm Ends: January 22, 2020 - 8:30 pm Location: Plainfield Elementary School, 91 Bonner Rd, Meriden, NH 03770, USA Description: Come to the Weatherize Plainfield Cornish 2020 kick-off presentation and learn how you can save money and be more comfortable! Light Refreshments and Door Prizes https://www.plainfieldnh.org/energy/index.html More details... •	23 UVTMA Monthly Meeting UVTMA Monthly Meeting Starts: 4:00 pm Ends: January 23, 2020 - 5:30 pm Location: Lebanon City Hall, North Park Street, Lebanon, NH (unless otherwise noted) Description: We meet in the West Meeting Room, by the City Council Chambers. We typically NO NOT meet in August and December. More details... Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 5:00 pm Ends: January 23, 2020 - 7:00 pm Location: The Space On Main, 174 Main St, Bradford, VT 05033, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... • •	24	25 Weatherize Kearsarge Info Session Weatherize Kearsarge Info Session Starts: 2:00 pm Ends: January 25, 2020 - 3:30 pm Location: Kearsarge Regional High School, 457 N Rd, North Sutton, NH 03260, USA Description: Hosted by Kearsarge Climate Action for residents throughout the broader Kearsarge / Lake Sunapee region. https://vitalcommunities.org/energy/weatherize/ More details... •
26	27 Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 3:00 pm Ends: January 27, 2020 - 5:00 pm Location: Arnold Block, 245 Main St, Bethel, VT 05032, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... •	28 Local First Marketing Workshop Local First Marketing Workshop Starts: 10:00 am Ends: January 28, 2020 - 12:00 pm Location: Kilton Public Library, 80 Main St, West Lebanon, NH 03784, USA Description: Could your local business use advice on how to make the most of digital marketing? Join us for digital marketing workshops AND an opportunity for reduced-rate one-on-one professional consultation to help local businesses and farms improve their digital marketing. Register today for a workshop in Bradford (1/23), Bethel (1/27), or West Lebanon (1/28). https://vitalcommunities.org/localfirstalliance/improve-your-small-business-digital-marketing-presence/ More details... •	29	30	31

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
Vendor Registration

Resilient Farmer Climate Network

Photo Gallery

Program NEWS

Renewable Energy Funding for Farms and Small Businesses

Join Vital Communities, Hanover Co-op Food Stores, and USDA Rural Development for a webinar and workshop series to learn about opportunities to fund renewable energy systems and energy efficiency projects with the REAP (Renewable Energy ...more

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

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 months as part of my fall FarmRaiser—a community-supported agriculture (CSA) fundraiser ...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

Rooted in Community = Giving Back All Year

Locally owned businesses are rooted in the Upper Valley and donate time and money every month of the year as they support nonprofits, schools, and communities. Keep your dollars where your heart is and support the ...more

Nov. 19 Green Real Estate Crash Course

Vital Communities is offering its popular Green Real Estate Crash Course again on Tuesday, November 19, at Service Credit Union, just off I-89 in Lebanon, NH. Earn 3 elective credits in VT and NH. Register online at vitalcommunities.org/greenrealestate This is NOT your average CE ...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

Celebrate Farm to School Month With Our Fall Farm to School Forum

Meet Your Local Farm to School Network! The Upper Valley Farm to School Network invites you to gather in your region to build local connections with peers and Farm to School practitioners, and access resources. Find ...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

12th Annual Roundtable - May 7

You're Invited! The 12th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable is Tuesday, May 7, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an energy committee, wish to ...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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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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Allison Rogers Furbish

Communications Manager

Allison Rogers Furbish joined Vital Communities after a decade-long career in local journalism and public relations in the Upper Valley. A native of Lebanon, N.H., she has a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic, an MBA in Sustainable Business from Green Mountain College, and a passion for telling stories that help make the community more sustainable and vibrant. She was the Founding Editor of The Lebanon Times, a hyperlocal newspaper launched in 2013 to cover the “good people, good places, and good things happening” in the city. She lives in Canaan, N.H., where she enjoys the sights and sounds of nature, explores the local trails and waterways, and is slowly learning to garden with her husband and two children. Outside of work, she loves to bake, eat, read, hike, ride her bike on the Northern Rail Trail (with kids in tow!), and spend time with her family.

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Carole Petrillo

Bookkeeper and Office Manager

Carole Petrillo joined Vital Communities in 2013 as Bookkeeper, Office Manager, and Human Resource Manager. She is also a longtime yoga instructor and practitioner. Since arriving in Vermont in the 1980s, Carole has sought work and play where it contributes to services to lead a healthy lifestyle. Working at Vital Communities is a team effort to practice these goals in the workplace and in our community. Carole takes pleasure in contributing to make the office run smoothly and helping to support Vital Communities’ great programs. Carole grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., where she embraced winter – her favorite season. When not working, you can find her enjoying the adventures of skiing endless wooded trails with Jimmy, her partner and best friend. During all the other seasons, look for her on some mountaintop in the White Mountains or the Adirondack Mountains, her favorite playgrounds.

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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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Elyse Payson

Assistant to the Executive Director

Elyse Payson first became acquainted with Vital Communities after mistaking a Valley Quest treasure box for litter while out hiking. She joined the Vital Communities staff in July 2017 as Assistant to the Executive Director, with many years of administrative and management experience at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, MedU, and as a private consultant. A lifelong resident of the Upper Valley, Elyse enjoys hiking with her children, including on Valley Quests.

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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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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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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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