Events: Vermont WLG

Vermont WLG
Vermont WLG

Upcoming Events

All events are free to members. Brown Bags are $10 for non-members.

To be notified of upcoming events, send an email to vtwlgovt@gmail.com with "add to mailing list" in the subject line. Non-members will be invoiced after the event, with the option to pay the event or membership fee.

Click here for the Membership Application

VTWLG Spring Conference 2026

Register
Register

Free for VTWLG members | $40 for non-members (covers the cost of membership) | Lunch provided

Schedule of the day

9:00-9:30am - Check-in, registration

9:30-10:30am - Welcome Session - Jessie Baker

10:30-10:45am - Break

10:45- 12:45 - Celebrating your why: Grounding your leadership in purpose *Christina S. Barsky, Ph.D., M.P.A.

Leadership begins with knowing what matters most. In this session, you will be guided through a process to identify and celebrate your personal mission and values as the foundation for authentic leadership - and chart your path for continued growth and purpose-driven impact.

12:45-1:15pm - Lunch (lunch provided)

1:30-2:30pm - BINGOals - Fredi Hayes

2:30-3:00pm - Closing remarks and departure

*Christina Barsky, Ph.D., M.P.A. is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Public Administration program and the graduate certificate in Community Resilience in Planning in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont. As a self-described "prac-ademic," she uniquely bridges theory and practice in public administration, focusing on election science, the delivery of public services, and innovative pedagogy. Barsky’s research explores the dynamics of citizen-state interactions on the frontlines of democratic society and offers actionable insight for policymakers, practitioners, and educators. Her scholarship offers insights into the gendered nature of election administration, emotional labor of public officials, workforce challenges in public health during crises, and administrative burdens in rural disaster recovery. She investigates the politicization of, and violence directed towards, street-level public servants, including gender violence, and its implications for representative governance. Barsky’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship extends across her research agenda, aiming to produce not only academically rigorous work but also work that directly contributes to developing solutions to pressing societal challenges. She seeks to answer urgent questions, devise potential remedies, and effectively engage with public audiences, fulfilling her role as a citizen-scholar dedicated to advancing socially-just, inclusive, and responsive governance. In the classroom, Barsky is known for innovative teaching methods, creative approaches to applied learning, and simulation engagements. As a citizen-scholar committed to public engagement, Dr. Barsky frequently contributes to media outlets, translating complex academic findings into accessible information for public audiences. Barsky bridges the gap between theory and practice, leveraging her practitioner background in community, economic, and social policy alongside rigorous scholarly training to address contemporary public challenges.

Past Events

  • March 26, 2026: Brown Bag with Chief Norma Hardy

  • January 22, 2026: Virtual event - Loneliness in Government Part 2

  • November 13, 2025: Virtual event - Loneliness in Government

  • October 8, 2025: Town Fair - Networking game, prizes

  • May 22, 2025: 2025 Spring Conference featuring Keynote Speaker Jennifer Knauer

  • October 6-7: VLCT Town Fair

  • May 26, 2022: Understanding and managing racism and power dynamics in municipal decision making, with Susan McCormack, Creative Discourse

  • April 28: Microaggressions Follow Up, with Elaine Wang

  • March 24, 2022: Thinking Through Disability Access: You don't know what you don't know until you know it!, with Vermont Center for Independent Living

  • February 24, 2022: Managing COVID-19 lessons learned and practice sharing, with Cameron Niedermayer.

  • January 27, 2022: Ditch the Guilt, with Coralee Holm. Click here for the presentation.

  • November 18, 2021: Conversation with the new Executive of the Vermont Policy Academy, Heather Simons.

  • October 28, 2021: Conversation with Chief Norma Hardy, the new Brattleboro Police Chief and the first Black female Police Chief in Vermont.

  • October 6, 2021: Annual Meeting at VLCT Town Fair

  • September 2, 2021: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - what our municipalities are doing (or not doing).

  • June 24, 2021: Meet and Greet Ted Brady, new VLCT Director

  • May 27, 2021: Failing Up, with Coralee Holm

  • April 22, 2021: Dialogue Across Difference, with Tabitha Moore.

  • March 18, 2021: Dealing with microaggressions, with Elaine Wang. Click here for the resource sheet.

  • February 18, 2021: Retiring VLCT Executive Director Maura Carrol’s journey.

  • January 21, 2021: Dealing with feeling of guilt for “not doing it all” with Invest EAP.

  • December 17, 2020 online Brown Bag: Listening session for VLCT’s Executive Director search.

  • November 19, 2020 online Brown Bag.

    • Managing Stress in the time of COVID-19, with Myra Handy, Invest EAP.

    • Takeaways: Calendar in me-time. Call it a brain break. Stick to those commitments. No guilt. If you recharge yourself, you'll get more work done in a shorter period of time, and you may not burn out.

    • Follow-up resources:

    • October 15, 2020 online Brown Bag.

      • Leading in the Time of the Virtual Meeting, with Jennifer Knauer.

    • September 28, 2020 online

      • Annual Meeting

      • Happy Hour

  • September 28, 2020

    • Annual Meeting and Happy Hour at VLCT’s 2020 Town Fair..

  • January 17, 2020 in Middlebury, VT.

    • Discussion on disrupting implicit bias in the workplace.

  • October 3, 2019 in Killington

    • Vermont WLG officially launched at Town Fair 2019.

  • May 29, 2019 in South Burlington.

    • Ten of us met for a discussion with a Vermont utility CEO on her leadership style.

  • February 20, 2019 in Barre town.

    • Eighteen of us gathered to hear a panel of three senior managers in Vermont discuss their experiences.

  • October 12, 2018 in Shelburne.

    • Ten of us gathered to discuss a specific case study one participant brought forward.

  • July 26, 2018 in Winooski.

    • Twenty municipal managers and department heads came together to hear Linda Tarr-Whelan (a national expert on women’s leadership) speak and to connect with one another.