Snelling Center for Government

Mark Snelling, mark@snellingcenter.org

Mark is the volunteer president of the Snelling Center. He is also president of Green Leaf Metals, a distributor of copper and brass wire products. He has owned and operated a number of businesses in the ski, bike and hardware industries. Mark served as chair of the Vermont Governor’s Council of Environmental Advisors, and chaired the Governor’s Commission on Downtowns and Growth Centers. He has previously served on the boards of Key Bank Vermont, the Vermont Land Trust, Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, and as Chair of Housing Vermont and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps. Mark resides in Starksboro, VT with his wife Linda.

Val Gardner, valg@gmavt.net

Val Gardner is the Director of the Vermont School Leadership Project. Val has worked as a teacher and coach, as well as Associate Principal and Principal at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont. CVU has been recognized at the state and national level for innovative programs. In 1993 – 1994, Val served as the first Principal in Residence in the U.S. Department of Education under Deputy Secretary Madeleine Kunin. Val earned a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Vermont and a Masters from the University of Oregon. She currently serves on the Snelling Center for Government and the Vermont Youth Orchestra Board. In the past she served on the Vermont Economic Progress Council, St. Michael’s College Graduate Advisory Panel. The Snelling Center School Leadership Project Advisory Board, and as President of Vermont Headmasters. Val has been recognized in numerous awards, including the Robert F. Pierce Award for service to youth in Vermont (1984); National Distinguished Principal for Vermont (1990); and has been inducted into the UVM Hall of Fame.

Colleen Oettinger, colleen@snellingcenter.org

Colleen is the Director of Events and Business Operations at The Snelling Center for Government. She has been with The Center since January 1994 and handles all of the financial and business matters. She is also our conference manager. Colleen is a graduate of Champlain College. She is an active Board member of the Vermont Women's Health Center.

 
Judy Warriner Walke, judy@snellingcenter.org

Judy Warriner Walke, new director of The Vermont Leadership Institute, has been associated with VLI since helping to launch the program in 1995. She has contributed to other Snelling programs -- the Vermont School Leadership Program and to a one-year nursing student leadership program. Judy is an organization development consultant and facilitator whose work has been energizing inspired teams and reflective leaders since 1993, in a wide variety of organizations, companies, and communities. To this work with groups, Judy Walke brings fifteen years’ management and planning experience in manufacturing with Digital Equipment Corporation, where she led her 60-person production group from a traditional hierarchy into a network of successful self-managing teams, with substantial increases in business results and employee morale. She has worked in nonprofit organizations and in government at the local and state level. Judy holds an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck School of Business at DartmouthCollege and an undergraduate degree in history of art from SmithCollege. She loves travel, reading, singing, tasteless jokes and terrible puns, and time outdoors whenever she can. Judy is a 35-year resident of Montpelier, where she is active in enVision Montpelier, a very long-range citizen engagement effort to create a sustainable city. She and her husband Steamer Walke are enjoying their new roles as doting grandparents.

Joanna Cummings, joanna@snellingcenter.org

Joanna Cummings is The Snelling Center’s coordinator for the E-Vermont Community Broadband Project, one of several collaborating partners in this two-year initiative to help rural Vermont towns take full advantage of the Internet. Previous to her work at the Snelling Center, she was the Director of Communications for Mountain Lake PBS, a public television station in New York, and was responsible for the development and implementation of communication, marketing and public relations strategies. Joanna’s career in communications and public relations also includes several years of public service with the State of Vermont, for the Department of Health and the Agency of Agriculture. She managed department websites, participated in the development of statewide emergency risk communication plans, created outreach programs and assisted hundreds of Vermonters with their needs.

Prior to her communications career, Joanna was a Horticulturist and certified Master Gardener, and worked as an estate gardener, greenhouse manager, florist, landscaper and market garden entrepreneur.

Joanna graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. degree in Horticulture, and received a M.S. degree in Environmental Communications from Antioch University/New England. She has served on the conservation boards for the towns of Richmond and Burlington, and on the energy committee for Essex, Vermont.

In Joanna’s spare time she loves to be outdoors, volunteers for organizations such as the Winooski Valley Park District, YMCA, VCAM, Champlain Initiative and SEABA, and engages her creative side by cooking, creating craft jewelry and experiencing the wonderful art and culture in Vermont.

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Charlie Smith, charlie@snellingcenter.org

Charlie was president of the Snelling Center for Government from 2006 - 2009.  In January 2003 Charlie was appointed Secretary of the Agency of Human Services by Governor James H. Douglas where he led the agency reorganization. He was then appointed Secretary of Administration in February 2005. Prior to serving in state government he was the District President and Senior Commercial lender for Key Bank Burlington, and served as Vice President of the same organization and its predecessors from 1988-1996. From 1984-1987 he was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Transphase Systems, Inc. in California; 1981-1983, he was Staff Director and Administrative Assistant for Congressman James Jeffords; 1980, Assistant to the Chairman of the Vermont Public Service Board; and 1975-1978, served in the Vermont House of Representatives representing the City of Burlington. He graduated from Harvard College 1978; attended the University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia on a one year Rotary Foundation Scholarship. Charlie lives in Burlington with his wife, Amy Mellencamp and their children, Emily and Chas.