Montpelier Alive today announced the addition of four new members to its Board of Directors: Denise Johnson, Stephani Kononan, Jessica Turner, and Peter Walke.
Montpelier Alive Executive Director Dan Groberg announced, “I am pleased to welcome our four newest members to our Board of Directors. They each have a unique background, with diverse experiences that make them an asset to Montpelier Alive and our work to celebrate downtown Montpelier.
The Honorable Denise R. Johnson was the first woman to be appointed a justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. She served on the Court for 21 years. She participated in historic decisions regarding public school funding, gay marriage, and the right to privacy in one’s home, as well as numerous decisions reviewing criminal trials and procedure. In addition to performing her regular duties as a justice, she was a leader in improving access to justice for women, minority groups, foreign language speakers and low-income litigants, and was active in the field of continuing judicial education for appellate judges nationwide.
Stephani Kononan is a Vermont native who has lived in Montpelier for more than a decade and has 15 years of experience in the field of marketing and communications. Since 2014, Stephani has worked at Hunger Mountain Co-op as their Community Relations & Marketing Manager. In addition to cultivating the Co-op’s brand and messaging, she oversees community outreach initiatives and member engagement for over 9,000 member-owners. Prior to her role at the Co-op, Stephani spent nearly four years as the Marketing & Promotions Manager at the Vermont Foodbank where she developed and promoted cause marketing campaigns and fundraising events grossing nearly $450,000 annually.
Peter Walke is the Deputy Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Peter is a Montpelier native who returned to his hometown in 2017 after many years. After college, Peter joined the Navy, serving for nine years as an intelligence officer. After resigning his commission, he went to work for the Governor of New York as an environmental policy advisor and eventually became Chief of Staff of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. He’s thrilled to be back home in Vermont where he works on important issues like climate change and the state’s response to PFOA contamination.
Jessica Turner grew up in northern Maine and came to Vermont in 1994 to attend college at Castleton University, where she studied English and Journalism. She spent several years writing for newspapers, working in television and then at Vermont Life Magazine before opening Capital Kitchen in 2008. She previously served on the board of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Montpelier’s 2019 Board of Directors, Officers:
David Markow, President; Vice President of Student Services, Vermont College of Fine Arts
Nate Hausman, Vice President; Project Director, Clean Energy Group
Linn Perkins Syz, Secretary; Community Member
Liz Walsh, Treasurer; Owner, The Drawing Board
Directors-at-Large:
The Honorable Denise Johnson; Community Member
Stephani Kononan; Community Relations and Marketing Manager, Hunger Mountain Coop
Emma Schoenberg; Fellow, Climate Disobedience Center
Justin Tease; Associate Vice President – Life and Annuity Solutions, National Life Group
Jessica Turner; Owner, Capital Kitchen
Peter Walke; Deputy Secretary, State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Amy Willis; Community Member
Joslyn Wilschek; Partner, Wilschek Iarrapino Law Office
Conor Casey; City Council Representative
Montpelier Alive celebrates the City of Montpelier. We work with partners to sustain and build upon Montpelier’s vibrant downtown community by offering and supporting special events and activities and by promoting City businesses. We work to ensure a thriving local economy for Montpelier and to preserve the City’s historic character and unique sense of place.