This time it is different! The future of Vermont is at a tipping point, and Vermonters are begging to replace the old party rhetoric, partisanship, and tired platitudes with leadership, cooperation, and a sense of community that excites citizens to pull together for the common good.
And Windham County needs a legislative representative with vision, commitment, and integrity. Windham County needs Roger Allbee, a friend and colleague for more than 30 years who offers experience in management of the new normal.
His understanding of the financial and credit markets led to a successful career with Farm Credit. At a time of crisis when the future of the agency was at risk, his ability to work cooperatively and effectively within the D.C. political system resulted in his role as a major player in saving the Farm Credit system.
Roger Allbee's love of Vermont comes from a 200-year-old family heritage, and agriculture and dairies run in his blood as part of his legacy.
He understands that agriculture, job creation, and economic development are integral components of the state's economy. As secretary of agriculture, he used that understanding to develop the leadership vision that job creation is sustainable agriculture.
From this insight, he created the Vermont Agricultural and Forest Products Development Board and the Farm to Plate Initiative, and he set the stage for the creation of the Working Lands Enterprise Board.
He was instrumental in bringing jobs to Brattleboro with Commonwealth Yogurt and has leveraged the Strolling of the Heifers Program to explore entrepreneurial and small-business opportunities.
His commitment to the advancement and sustainability of the dairy industry is evident in his effort to promote the industry as a whole and serve the communities, farms, and families that depend on farming and the dairies for their livelihood.
His tireless efforts as chair of the University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Advisory Board and as advisor to the president of Vermont Technical College for institutions of higher education to work together helped create the Food Systems Institute.
Concern for local medical and health services prompted him to accept the position of CEO of Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend, where he has developed cost-effective delivery of medical services and an understanding of the complex medical and health-insurance environment.
I strongly urge you to vote for Roger Allbee, a man of substance and ability, a thoughtful leader grounded in the issues of importance and with an ability to lead to solutions. A vote for him is a vote for experience, for knowledge, for a balanced approach, and for compromise. It is a vote for the future of Windham County and Vermont.