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Executive Director's Message

Happy New Year! It is my sincere hope that you enjoyed the holidays, had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, and are experiencing a peaceful start to 2019. January is the time when we look ahead strategically, plan for the year to come and pursue our course. After celebrating a successful PACIF renewal and the completion of several successful regional and online workshops hosted by the Municipal Assistance Center, preparing for the new legislative session, and reviewing important feedback from the spring Listening Sessions, VLCT’s Board and staff are now poised to develop a roadmap for continued success in the pursuit of our mission to serve and strengthen Vermont municipalities.

 

Throughout the coming year, we will be discussing the details of what it means to be VLCT, what programs and services are or should be offered, and the role we play in the day-to-day work of our membership. When we observed VLCT’s 50th anniversary in 2017, we promised to explore the best ways to move the organization forward in order to remain a vital and trusted resource to members. We continue that work in 2019, identifying what matters to you, where VLCT can best partner with you to enhance your success, offer resources and develop initiatives that will deliver the greatest member benefit over the next several years. This is an exciting undertaking, part of which will entail collecting data from you – our members – and working closely with VLCT Board members and staff to steadfastly evolve as your organization and to transform the information you share into actionable projects that meet your needs. You should see evidence of this work by spring. 

 

Another important focus is this publication. VLCT News underwent an amazing creative redesign last year, and it will continue to grow and develop in 2019. We plan to offer our readership a wider range of perspectives and news stories, while still providing the expert advice, guidance, and useful information for which VLCT News is well-known. And, of course, the monthly trivia question and classified listings will continue to be popular features. The VLCT News team will solicit work from outside authors and news sources to present the helpful and interesting information you expect. VLCT News is your publication, and in order to ensure that you get the most from each issue, please send us your feedback. Are there specific issues you want to see featured? What topics would help you best serve the needs of your community? 

 

The holiday rush is behind us. As we settle into the remaining months of Vermont’s long winter, I look forward to having the opportunity to speak with you, to see you at an upcoming event such as Town Meeting Tune-Up on February 7 or Local Government Day on February 14, or to connect with you via email (mcarroll@vlct.org) should there be any topic that you would like to bring to my attention.

 

Working together, we are sure to see a successful year ahead! 

 

Warm regards, 

 

Maura Carroll

 

Executive Director, VLCT