Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Senate Committee on Committees has made the following appointments to the newly formed Environmental Justice Advisory Committee:
Environmental Justice Advisory Council: Mobile Home Park Representative: Gayle Pezzo of Colchester. Gayle is a current board member and president of her resident owned mobile home park community of about 600 residents. Before moving to Vermont in 2016, much of Gayle’s work was in Long Island, NY as a clinical director in an intensive care outpatient substance abuse treatment facility.
Gayle Pezzo
Environmental Justice Advisory Council: Social Justice Organization Representative: Britaney Watson of North Springfield. Britaney currently serves as the Environmental Justice Chairperson for the Rutland NAACP branch, serves on the Renews BIPOC Council, the BIPOC Advisory Council for Let’s Grow Kids and as member of Releaf. Britaney has spent the last year as an Environmental Justice Community Engagement and Network Coordinator for the Center for Whole Communities and Rights and Democracy where she engaged communities across Vermont and lead the establishment of the first Vermont State Environmental Justice Network.
Britaney Watson
Environmental Justice Advisory Council: Municipal Government Representative: Zoraya has worked on environmental and social justice issues for over ten years - from renewable energy finance in Kosovo and fishery sustainability in the Philippines to removing no-cause evictions in Vermont. Zoraya also works as a Director of Equity and Inclusion for Nature 4 Justice, as an equity consultant with the Creative Discourse Group, and serves on the Burlington Vermont City Council after winning a seat as the first woman of color in 2020.
Zoraya Hightower The Senate Committee on Committees appointed Esther Charlestin of Bridgeport to the Vermont Commission on Women. Esther is the current Dean of Students at Middlebury Union Middle School and has previously served as a member of Middlebury’s Selectboard and as a member of Middlebury’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup.
Esther Charlestin The Senate Committee on Committees also appointed Kellie Campbell of Georgia, VT to the Vermont Commission on Women. Kellie Campbell, Ed.D., is the Chief Information Officer for the Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) with a background in business, technology, education, leadership and management. In addition to leading the Information Technology Shared Services organization across the VSCS, in her leadership role, Dr. Campbell also supports the broader system transformation efforts underway, working to build a sustainable public higher education model in our state. Dr. Campbell’s volunteer time reflects her commitment to advancing women. She was recently an active committee member of The Boston Club, one of the largest communities of women focused around the advancement of women to top leadership roles across the private, public and nonprofit sectors. She also recently served on the Executive Board for Vermont Women in Higher Education. Dr. Campbell served as a Commissioner with the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW) in a previous appointment, serving as chair of several working committees and was co-chair of VCW during the 2021-2022 year.
Kellie Campbell "On behalf of the Committee on Committees I want to thank all the Vermonters who applied to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women and the newly formed Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The numerous strong candidates from across Vermont served as a testament to the desire of Vermonters to be part of our State's future and to ensure our policies are more equitable, just and inclusive. We congratulate the appointees and look forward to all you will achieve on Commission and Council," said Lt. Governor Molly Gray.
Montpelier, Vt. — 12.16.2022 Office of Lt. Governor Molly Gray ltgov.vermont.gov/
