Boards and Committees
Collaboration Across the Region
OFFICERS
Chair
Erika Berner – Wallingford
Oversees Commission meetings, facilitates discussions, and ensures the Board’s agenda and priorities are effectively managed.
Vice-Chair
Laura Black – Shrewsbury
Supports the Chair and steps in to fulfill the Chair’s duties when necessary.
Treasurer
Larry Courcelle - Mendon
Oversees financial matters and reports on the fiscal health of the organization.
At-Large Member
Mike Doenges – Rutland City
Represents the broader interests of the Commission on the Executive Finance Committee, providing additional insight and balance to financial decisions.
Specialized Oversight and Recommendations
Chair:
Erika Berner
Duties:
The committee is responsible for high-level oversight and governance of the RRPC. Composition includes Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Regional Committee Chair, Community Committee Chair, and At-Large Member. It provides strategic guidance to the Executive Director, helping shape long-term organizational direction. The committee develops and recommends the Annual Work Plan and budget, ensuring financial sustainability and alignment with regional goals. It has the authority to make critical decisions on behalf of the RRPC between regular Board meetings, with those decisions subject to ratification by the full Board. Additionally, the committee may oversee the development of policies related to human resources, governance, and organizational development.
Chair:
Erika Berner
Duties:
This committee plays a pivotal role in managing the region’s Brownfields Program, which focuses on assessing, remediating, and repurposing sites affected by hazardous substances. The committee evaluates funding requests from developers and municipalities, ensuring projects meet program criteria, align with environmental safety standards, and address local economic and community development needs. It also engages with environmental consultants and monitors project progress, aiming to facilitate the successful transformation of Brownfield sites into productive community assets.
Chair:
Robert Gibbs
Duties:
The Community Committee ensures that local and regional planning initiatives adhere to Vermont’s state planning goals. It reviews and approves local municipal plans for consistency, offering recommendations to RRPC for local planning confirmations. The committee provides guidance to towns on enhancing their planning efforts and seeks to support projects that strengthen the community’s character, infrastructure, and sustainability. It also plays an advisory role in recommending updates to zoning regulations and land use policies.
Chair:
Leona Minard
Duties:
The Regional Committee oversees the continuous improvement and periodic revision of the Rutland Regional Plan. The committee engages with stakeholders to ensure the plan reflects current economic, environmental, and societal trends while safeguarding the region’s long-term interests. It also prepares formal recommendations on Act 250 and Section 248 petitions, which involve development and energy projects, respectively. The committee collaborates with neighboring regional planning commissions and organizations to address cross-boundary issues, such as watershed management, transportation networks, and economic development corridors.
Chair:
Sean Barrows
Duties:
The TAC is a key forum for discussing transportation issues affecting the Rutland Region. It includes representatives from member municipalities, public transit providers, and relevant organizations. The committee facilitates collaboration among local, state, and federal transportation stakeholders, ensuring community needs are represented in policy discussions. The TAC evaluates transportation projects, provides input on funding priorities, and makes recommendations to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. It is involved in shaping regional transportation plans, focusing on road safety, public transit, active transportation, and infrastructure improvements.
Purpose:
The RRPC Chair may establish ad hoc or special committees to tackle emerging challenges or opportunities. These committees are formed to address specific projects or initiatives not covered by existing standing committees. Examples could include broadband expansion, climate resilience planning, or special studies on regional housing needs. Ad hoc committees are temporary and disband once their task is complete, whereas special committees may evolve into permanent structures if ongoing needs are identified.
Regional Plan Ad Hoc Committee:
The committee’s primary responsibilities include reviewing drafts of the Regional Plan, providing detailed feedback and strategic guidance to RRPC staff writers. It examines proposed policies to ensure they align with state statutes and regional priorities. The committee ensures that the plan update process adheres to statutory requirements and incorporates a robust public engagement strategy, involving stakeholders and community members meaningfully throughout the drafting and revision phases.
Other Committees of the RRPC
The Basin Water Quality Council (BWQC) directs funds to projects that have the greatest impact. Ideally BWQC members also participate in the basin planning process, and together with the DEC Basin Planner and other area partners, work toward meeting the strategies listed in the South Lake Tactical Basin Plan (TBP).
The RRWIB brings together businesses, educators, and community leaders to enhance workforce readiness and economic vitality in the Rutland Region. The board works to align workforce development initiatives with local employer needs.
WCVEDD fosters economic development by coordinating regional strategies, supporting local businesses, and securing funding for economic initiatives across West Central Vermont (Addison, Chittenden, Rutland, Washington, and part of Orange Counties). The WCVEDD implements the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy – the result of regionally led planning process designed to build capacity, support local initiatives, and develop economic resiliency.
The purpose of the REMC is to coordinate emergency planning and preparedness activities to improve the region’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all disasters. REMC brings together local officials, emergency responders, and partners to coordinate all efforts of the emergency management program.
The DHRT Council supports the management, enhancement, and promotion of the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail, a 19-mile multi-use recreational path spanning the Vermont/New York border. For the first time in its history, the DHRT brings together representatives from neighboring towns to provide community-led planning to this invaluable recreation asset.
Rutland Region’s Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities and O&D Program plays an important role filling gaps in existing transportation services for older adults age 60 and above as well as individuals with disabilities as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The OA&D Committee focuses on improving transportation accessibility, awareness, and quality for older adults and persons with disabilities, working with transit providers, social service agencies, and local partners to better align services with community needs.
