Roger Allbee of Townshend, Vermont was elected chair of the board of trustees of Union Institute & University at its quarterly meeting on January 28, 2016 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Allbee served as vice chair from 2013 to 2015 and has been a member of the board since July 2011.
Union Institute & University President Roger H. Sublett is grateful to Mr. Allbee for his dedication and commitment to Union.
“We are indeed fortunate to be led by this visionary leader. Mr. Allbee is an outstanding advocate of Union’s goal to transform lives and communities.His expertise and experience will assist Union in its mission to engage, enlighten, and empower adult learners to pursue a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.”
Allbee is CEO of Grace Cottage Hospital and Rural Health Clinic in Townshend, Vermont. He looks forward to his new role with Union as chair of the board.“Union Institute & University has been a leader in changing the face of higher education since its inception over 50 years ago. I am excited and honored to be joined by a great team of trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff as Union continues the founders’ legacy of transforming lives and communities.”
A dedicated public servant, Allbee is a recognized leader in the advancement of agriculture in the United States and his home state of Vermont. Hisdistinguished roles have included serving as executive director for the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Services Agency for the State of Vermont and secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
As secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets he administered one of the most diverse and publicly watched agencies in Vermont, overseeing all facets of the state’s agriculture including animal health and welfare, agricultural development, water quality and nutrient management, international trade and trade policy, and food safety.
In his position as executive director for the USDA Farm Services Agency for the State of Vermont, he was responsible for the execution of farm loan and farm program delivery to Vermont farmers and managed several offices throughout the state of Vermont. During his tenure as executive director, the Vermont FSA loan team received an USDA FSA Administrator’s Award.
In addition to Allbee’s roles with the state of Vermont and the USDA, he also served as a senior international business consultant on agricultural trade policy and as a professional staff member of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture. He has also served as vice president of the former Farm Credit Banks of Springfield, Massachusetts, and as an extension specialist at Cornell University.
Allbee earned his B.S. in agricultural economics from the University of Vermont, and a master's in agricultural economics from the University of Massachusetts. He has completed the Cornell University Agricultural Executives Program, and Harvard Business School Agribusiness seminars. He served in special weapons of the U.S. Army with a rank of captain, and has received numerous awards including the Honor Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America.
Union Institute & University’s board of trustee members are selected for their commitment to the university’s purpose and mission. Members are active and involved participants in the governance of the institution, and committed to its growth and development. They meet four times each year in January, April, July, and October.
Union Institute & University, headquartered in Cincinnati with academic centers in Los Angeles, Sacramento, North Miami Beach, and Brattleboro, Vermont, is in its 52nd year of educating highly motivated adults who seek academic programs to engage, enlighten, and empower them to pursue professional goals and a lifetime of learning, service, and social responsibility.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, Union Institute & University offers undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degree programs designed for adults seeking to make a difference in their own lives and within their communities. Since its inception in 1964, the university has offered specialized distance-learning programs that combine online and classroom coursework with high-touch faculty attention, designed for students regardless of where they live and work.