The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) announces the election of three new officers to its Board of Directors: Michael J. New as Board Chair; Brigitte Ritchie as Vice Chair and Patrick Thornton, who was re-elected as Treasurer. The staff and board also would like to extend their sincerest thanks to Lesli Blount, who is COTS’ outgoing Board Chair and Director of Community Relations at KeyBank.
Michael J. New is the Vice President of Human Resources at St. Michael’s College in Colchester. Mr. New joined the COTS Board of Directors in 2007. He was Vice Chair of the Board before being elected to Chair earlier this month. Mr. New brings more than 34 years of Human Resources experience in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and corporations. He lives in Monkton with his wife, Patricia.
Brigitte Ritchie is Vice President of Public Affairs and Community Relations of Citizens Bank in Vermont. She received a bachelor’s of science from St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, New York. Ms. Ritchie brings over 28 years of finance experience to the COTS Board of Directors. She has chaired the Board Resource Committee at COTS for the past three years. Ms. Ritchie and her husband, Jeff, reside with their two children and four dogs in Williston.
Patrick Thornton is a financial adviser in Burlington. This is his second term as Treasurer of the board. Mr. Thornton brings with him many years of experience in finance, as well as having a background in Early Childhood Special Education and spent 15 years working with the University of Vermont’s hockey team. Mr. Thornton resides in Williston with his wife. He has two sons and three daughters.
COTS welcomes six new members to its Board of Directors: Tom Torti as Advocacy Committee Chair; Laurie Gunn as Human Resources Committee Chair; Catherine Kronk as Property Committee Chair; as well as Jeff Nolan, Sean Collins and Paul Lekstutis.
Tom Torti is the President and Administrative Officer of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Torti has been with the Chamber since 2006. Previously, Mr. Torti spent 16 years serving in senior cabinet roles in the state government. He also has a strong background in human services. Tom has been actively involved in his community and the region serving over the years on the Essex Select Board; Planning Commission; Chittenden County Transportation Authority; the Maple Leaf Farms Board of Directors and coaching youth sports. He currently serves on the boards of Run-Vermont; Hunger Free Vermont and as a Solicitor for the Chittenden County United Way.
Laurie A. Gunn is the Vice President of Human Resources at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Ms. Gunn joined Fletcher Allen in 1999 and has more than 20 years of human resources experience. Before joining Fletcher Allen, Ms. Gunn held leadership roles in both the financial industry and consulting services. She also serves on the board of the Greater Burlington YMCA and is a member ofthe parish council at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Williston. Ms. Gunn lives in Williston with her husband, Bill. They have two daughters.
Jeffrey J. Nolan is an attorney at Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C., where he focuses on employment and higher education law. He currently serves on several boards, including that of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Champlain Regional Workforce Investment Board, and the Vermont Campus Compact, and he was formerly the President of the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Burlington, and Chair of the board of Leadership Champlain.
Catherine Kronk is a founding partner of Murphy Sullivan Kronk (MSK), a law firm with offices in Burlington. MSK focuses on commercial real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, leasing and commercial finance transactions, along with planning and zoning matters and related litigation. Chambers USA has named Ms. Kronk among the foremost Vermont real estate lawyers for the past eight years. Ms. Kronk also has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers of America in 2011 in the practice area of Real Estate Law. Ms. Kronk lives in Winooski.
Sean Collins is the Director of Organization Development at Dealer.Com. Additionally, Sean has done organization development work for corporate, non-profit, and governmental organizations in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Prior to his role at Dealer.Com, Dr. Collins’ Vermont-based work was with families emerging from the multigenerational cycle of poverty via higher education through the efforts of Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). Dr. Collins has his doctorate from the University of Vermont in Leadership and Policy Studies. Sean lives in Winooski with his wife, Cortney Cahill, and daughters Sage and Lara.
Paul B. Lekstutis join the COTS Board of Directors after having served previously on the COTS Property Committee. Mr. Lekstutis co-founded L.N. Consulting in 1999 and has been a principal and Vice President of the company since its founding. In 2009, Mr. Lekstutis co-founded Cross Pollination, which aims “to promote the harmonic integration of renewable energy production with wholesome natural food production” and has been a principal and President of the company since its inception.
Founded in 1982, COTS provides emergency shelter and homelessness prevention outreach to families and individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. COTS also offers case-management and referral services, transitional and permanent housing to low-income families and individuals.
