Vermont Business MagazineRoger Allbee of Townshend has beenelectedchairof the board of trustees ofUnion Institute & Universityat its quarterly meeting onJanuary 28, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Allbee served as vice chair from 2013 to 2015 and has been a member of the board since July 2011.Union Institute & University President Roger HSublett said he is grateful to Allbee for his dedicationand commitment to Union.Allbee is CEO of Grace Cottage Hospital and Rural Health Clinic in Townshend, Vermont.
“We are indeed fortunate to be led by this visionary leader. Mr. Allbee is an outstanding advocate of Union’s goal to transform lives and communities.His expertise and experience will assist Union in its mission to engage, enlighten, and empower adult learners to pursue a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.”
Allbee said he looks forward to his new role with Union as chair of the board.“Union Institute & University has been a leader in changing the face of higher education since its inception over 50 years ago. I am excited and honored to be joined by a great team of trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff as Union continues the founders’ legacy of transforming lives and communities.”
Allbee is a recognized leader in the advancement of agriculture in the United States and his home state of Vermont. Hisdistinguished roles have included serving as executive director for the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Services Agency for the State of Vermont and secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
Assecretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets headministered one of the most diverse and publicly watched agencies in Vermont, overseeing all facets of the state’s agriculture including animal health and welfare, agricultural development, water quality and nutrient management, international trade and trade policy, and food safety.
In his position as executive director for the USDA Farm Services Agency for the State of Vermont, he was responsible for the execution of farm loan and farm program delivery to Vermont farmers and managed several offices throughout the state of Vermont. During his tenure as executive director, the Vermont FSA loan team received an USDA FSA Administrator’s Award.
In addition to Allbee’s roles with the state of Vermont and the USDA, he also served as a senior international business consultant on agricultural trade policy and as a professional staff member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. He has also served as vice president of the former Farm Credit Banks of Springfield, Massachusetts, and as an extension specialist at Cornell University.
Allbee earned his B.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Vermont, and a master's in agricultural economics from the University of Massachusetts. He has completed the Cornell University Agricultural Executives Program, and Harvard Business School Agribusiness seminars. He served in special weapons of the U.S. Army with a rank of captain, and has received numerous awards including the Honor Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America.
Union Institute & University’s board of trustee members are selected for their commitment to the university’s purpose and mission. Members are active and involved participants in the governance of the institution, and committed to its growth and development. They meet four times each year in January, April, July, and October.
Union Institute & University
Union Institute & University, headquartered in Cincinnati with academic centers in Los Angeles, Sacramento, North Miami Beach, and Brattleboro, Vermont, is in its 52nd year of educating highly motivated adults who seek academic programs to engage, enlighten, and empower them to pursue professional goals and a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Union Institute & University offers undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree programs designed for adults seeking to make a difference in their own lives and within their communities. Since its inception in 1964, the university has offered specialized distance-learning programs that combine online and classroom coursework with high-touch faculty attention, designed for students regardless of where they live and work.
Union’s flexible delivery models, combined with its focus on social relevance, distinguish it from other universities by providing not only online classes, but also brief residencies, face-to-face small classroom settings, and a hybrid model, all emphasizing relevant and transformative coursework taught by more than 300 faculty/scholar-practitioners. Union graduates, including more than two dozen college presidents, leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, a member of the United States Congress, and the first female prime minister of Jamaica, promote Union’s legacy of utilizing education toengage, enlighten, and empower.
For more information about Union Institute & University, visitwww.myunion.edu