Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Announces New Executive Director

Montpelier The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (www.vsjf.org) announced today that Ellen Kahler has been named its new Executive Director. I am very excited about this new opportunity, said Kahler. The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is an innovative, forward-thinking nonprofit that uses an array of sustainable economic development strategies to create livable jobs, promote vibrant, economically diverse communities, develop new market sectors and business networks, and enhance our overall quality of life for generations to come.
We are thrilled that Ellen has accepted our offer to join the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, said Board Chair Kevin Harper. We have many new opportunities before us and are looking forward to the leadership we know Ellen can provide. The Board of Directors wishes to thank Ed Delhagen, Deputy Director of the VSJF, for his fine work in serving as the Interim Executive Director over the past 6 months, while a search process was undertaken. Ed will remain with the VSJF and continue with his duties as Deputy Director.
Ms. Kahler replaces Wayne Fawbush who served as the organizations founding Executive Director for 8 years. He left the VSJF in May to pursue other interests.
Ellen Kahler graduated in 1989 from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania with a BA in Political Science and from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2003 with a Masters in Public Administration. She was the Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Center in Burlington from 1990 to 2002. Her most well known work through the Peace & Justice Center the Vermont Job Gap Study and the Vermont Livable Wage Campaign won statewide attention around the issue of basic family needs, livable wages, and under-employment.
After graduating from the Kennedy School, Ms. Kahler returned to Vermont and created and directed the Peer to Peer Collaborative (www.vtpeertopeer.org), an initiative that assists founder CEOs of small, Vermont-based manufacturing companies in addressing the critical issues and strategic direction choices that inevitably arise as a company grows and to improve the wages and benefits to their lowest paid employees along the way. Over the past two years, the Collaborative has been sponsored by the Vermont Business Roundtable and will soon be integrated into the Business Assistance program area of the VSJF.
While at the Peace & Justice Center, Ms. Kahler was a recipient of a three year leadership development fellowship through the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (1994-1997) and was a member of the Snelling Center for Governments Vermont Leadership Institute class of 97. She also served on the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission from 1998-2002 representing socio/economic and housing interests. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Vermont Community Foundation.
The VSJF was formed in 1995 through enabling legislation passed the Vermont Legislature in order to "create quality jobs and conserve and protect Vermont 's social and natural environments" as primary means to maintaining "economic vitality and the quality of life of Vermont".