Together, we have everything we need to build a more prosperous, resilient, and democratic future.
As wealth and power become increasingly concentrated, too many Vermonters are struggling to afford housing, healthcare and the communities they love.
I believe Vermont can lead with a different vision, one that puts power back in the hands of people and communities, strengthens our democracy and builds an economy where everyone has the security and opportunity to thrive.
We are living through extraordinary times. Vermonters are burnt out. We’re working harder than ever and barely staying afloat. Families are being crushed by healthcare and housing costs. Young people can’t afford to build a life here. Communities are losing schools, local businesses, and a real voice over the decisions that shape their future. Our people and democracy are under attack, and people are anxious about the future and for good reason.
But Vermont has never been a place that simply accepts its fate.
I was born and raised in rural Vermont, where I learned that strong communities aren’t built by billionaires or distant political institutions. They’re built by people who know how to build what’s needed, repair what’s broken, grow what sustains us, and care for one another. By neighbors showing up for one another. By communities having a real voice in the decisions that shape their lives.
We don’t wait for someone else to decide our future. We decide it together.
I’ve spent my career helping governments across the United States and around the world build stronger, more resilient economies, and it’s only strengthened what Vermont taught me as a kid: the strongest places don’t wait for prosperity to trickle down. They invest in their own people, their own businesses, their own farmers, and their own communities. They build resilience from the ground up.
And here in Vermont, that’s exactly what this moment asks of us. Because despite what we have been told for too long, together, we have everything we need.
