Emerge Vermont, dedicated to increasing the number of Democratic women serving in elected and appointed office at all levels of government through a comprehensive 5-month training program, announced its Board of Directors today.
Since officially founding Emerge Vermont on August 7, 2013, the Board of Directors has led the organization through a successful launch, a series of kick-off events and an incredibly successful first-year fundraising effort. The Board named Executive Director, Sarah McCall, in August 2013 to lead these efforts.
Board members are currently preparing to select the inaugural Class of 2014 who will participate in the organization’s first 5-month training program, which is set to begin on March 29th. The Emerge curriculum will demystify the campaigning process. Program members will learn best practices and receive in-depth instruction from expert trainers and female leaders in campaign strategy, media and communications, public speaking, fundraising, field operations, technology and new media, labor and endorsements and ethical leadership.
“We are ready to launch our first Emerge Vermont class of future women leaders who will make a difference in their communities and in our state,” Board Chair Governor Madeleine Kunin said.
Members of the Board of Directors:
Governor Madeleine May Kunin, Chair, Burlington
Madeleine May Kunin was the first woman governor of Vermont and the first woman in the U.S. to serve three terms. She served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. department of Education and Ambassador to Switzerland in the Clinton administration. She is currently a Marsh professor at the University of Vermont and a commentator on Vermont Public Radio. She is the founder and board member of the global Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), a non-governmental organization, focused on climate change and civil society.
She is the author of “The New Feminist Agenda, Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work and Family,” published by Chelsea Green. Her other books are: “Pearls, Politics and Power, how women can win and lead,” “Living a Political Life,” and “The Big Green Book.” She is the co-editor of “We Do, American Leaders who believe in marriage equality,” published in 2013. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Kunin lives in Burlington, Vermont with her husband, John W. Hennessey Jr.
Judy Bevans, Vice Chair, Craftsbury Commons
Judy currently works at Sterling College, a small liberal arts college that is focused on the great issues of our time: climate change and the environment, ecology and sustainability. She is Sterling’s Director of Advancement/Government Relations. From 2003 – 2011 Judy served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Vermont Democratic Party. She is the Chair of the Orleans County Democratic Committee and serves on the VDP Executive Committee. Current board service includes the Vermont Conservation Voters and the Planned Parenthood PAC Committee. Judy lives in Albany, VT with her best friend/husband, their Yorkshire terrier, Tess and too many cats.
Dawn Moskowitz, Finance Chair, Burlington
Dawn Moskowitz spearheads Parents for Change, the community organizing initiative of Voices for Vermont’s Children working with Burlington and Winooski Schools. Dawn has over twenty years of experience working on issues to improve education, increase affordable housing and advance economic opportunities for all families. She’s been actively involved in local political campaigns in Burlington and served on the Public Works Commission. Dawn developed her community engagement, leadership development and strategic planning expertise in both the private and public sectors at Fortune 500 corporations, start-ups, and entrepreneurial nonprofits. She has led program development teams at Opportunities Credit Union, Citibank, Time Inc., and Common Ground Community, the winner of the 1998 Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. Dawn was a founding member of the Greater Burlington Women’s Forum, a 2011-2012 Fellow with the Institute for Democratic Education in America and a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from UVM and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mayor Liz Gamache, Saint Albans
Mayor Liz Gamache was elected Mayor of Saint Albans in March 2012. Eight cities in Vermont elect Mayors, including Barre, Burlington, Montpelier, Newport, Rutland, St. Albans, Vergennes and Winooski. Of the eight, currently Mayor Gamache is the only female Mayor in Vermont. Barre, Burlington, Rutland and Winooski have never elected female Mayors. Liz is the Manager of Corporate Services at Vermont Electric Cooperative. A graduate of the University of Vermont, she lives in Saint Albans where she has been a local community leader focused on creative economic development since her move to the city in 2001.
Rep. Maxine Grad, Moretown
Maxine Grad is currently the Vice-chair of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee. She has been the vice chair for the past 12 years. Maxine was first elected to the Vermont Legislature in 2000. In addition to serving on the House Judiciary Committee, Maxine has served on the Judicial Rules and Judicial Retention Committees. Governor Howard Dean appointed Maxine to the Governor’s Commission on Women, which she also chaired. She lives in Moretown where she has served on the planning commission, energy committee, and Central Vermont Solid Waste District. Governor Kunin appointed Maxine to Vermont’s first Victims Compensation Board. Maxine is the mother of 3 children.
Kate Lapp, Burlington
Hailing from Ira, VT, Kate is currently studying economics and political science at the University of Vermont. She is the Youth Representative to the Vermont Democratic Party’s Executive Committee and has been a committed volunteer for the VDP since 2010. Kate has gained experience from a variety of internships including working in Governor Shumlin’s Office, advocating for students’ voice with the Vermont School Boards Association, and helping to coordinate volunteers for several Vermonters running for local office. Kate is also a member of the Advisory Board for the organization, Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together (YATST), which works to increase student voice and engagement in decision making and learning in Vermont schools. While still in high school, Kate co-founded and served as president of the Young Democrats of Vermont.
Alexandra MacLean, Peacham
Alexandra MacLean recently opened her own strategic communications business, ASM Strategies. For her primary client, Jay Peak Resort, she is the Program Manager for the Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative – a $600 million program designed to bring economic opportunities to Vermonters in the remote, Northern region of Vermont.
Prior to opening ASM Strategies, Alexandra was Governor Shumlin’s Deputy Chief of Staff and Secretary of Civil and Military Affairs. She also served as the Governor’s Campaign Manager for both his 2010 and 2012 campaigns.
A native Vermonter, Alexandra was born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom. She left the Northeast Kingdom to attend the University of Edinburgh in Scotland but returned after receiving her Masters of History degree in 2005. She has devoted her professional career to improving the lives of Vermonters and lives in Peacham, Vermont.
Selectwoman Donna Macomber, Brattleboro
Donna Macomber currently serves as a Selectwoman in Brattleboro. She works as Legal Coordinator at the Women’s Freedom Center, a feminist organization striving to end men’s violence against women. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and has participated in Undoing Racism trainings for the past decade.
Donna graduated from Emerge Massachusetts in 2008, and brings the generative perspective of years of activist/advocacy work to the board of Emerge Vermont. She passionately believes that increasing the presence of women in all levels of government is essential to improving the overall integrity of our democratic processes, and the quality of life for all citizens.
Rep. Kesha Ram, Burlington
Kesha serves Burlington’s Old North End, Hill Section, and University District in the Vermont House of Representatives. At 27 years old, she is currently the youngest legislator serving in Vermont. She attended the University of Vermont, where she graduated with degrees in Natural Resource Planning and Political Science. Kesha serves on the Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over revenue generation for the state. When not in session, Kesha is the Public Engagement Specialist for Burlington’s Community and Economic Development Office. She also serves on the boards of the Center for Whole Communities and the University of Vermont. Her work has earned her recognition as a Morris K. Udall Scholar, Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Harry S. Truman Scholar, and Oxfam Climate Change Ambassador.
