About Troy

 

I have lived in the Chittenden-15 district with Marianne, since 2001. Together, we raised our two daughters in Burlington, where they attended Burlington public schools before graduating from the University of Vermont. Over more than two decades, we have built deep connections with our neighbors and this community, and I continue to feel incredibly fortunate to call Burlington home.

For four years, the people of Chittenden-15 have placed their trust in me to represent them in Montpelier. I am deeply grateful for that trust and for the opportunity to serve a community that has given so much to my family and me. I entered the Legislature with a great deal to learn, and I continue to approach the work with curiosity, humility, and a willingness to ask difficult questions.

My path to the State House was not something I had planned. When Representative Selene Colburn decided not to seek reelection and encouraged me to consider running for her seat, I initially found the idea surprising. At the same time, I had been inspired by the people leading the effort to organize UVM Staff United. Their work encouraged me to think more seriously about the obligations that come with being part of a community and the responsibility to contribute rather than simply benefit from the work of others.

I moved to Vermont in 1996 after earning my graduate degree from Colorado State University and beginning a career in higher education administration. I previously earned undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Sociology through the University of Wisconsin system. My professional life has included work at the University of Vermont, in Human Resources for the City of Burlington, and as co-owner of a small landscape design and installation business. Along the way, I also earned an initial certification from the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. I still enjoy working on my gardens and tackling projects around our home.

I have worked in UVM’s Center for Student Conduct since 2008. That work has taught me the value of restorative practices, accountability, careful listening, and approaching difficult conflicts with an eye toward repair rather than punishment. Those lessons have strongly influenced how I approach public service.

In the Legislature, I have worked across party lines to turn good ideas into law and deliver results for Vermonters. I serve as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions, as Co-Chair of the Working Vermonters Caucus, and as a member of the House Sexual Harassment Prevention Panel. My work has focused especially on workers’ rights, corrections reform, civil liberties, housing, and creating a fairer tax system. I have sponsored successful legislation ending supervision fees for people under Department of Corrections supervision, improving the protections and rights of transgender people in state custody, and continued pressing for greater accountability around the impact of UVM’s growth on Burlington’s housing market.

I have chosen to serve as an Independent because I believe my responsibility is to the people I represent rather than to a political party. That independence does not mean working alone. Effective legislating requires relationships, collaboration, compromise, and the willingness to work with anyone who is serious about making Vermont better.

After two terms, I remain grateful that the people of Chittenden-15 have given me the opportunity to do this work. I hope to continue earning that trust by listening, asking hard questions, building relationships, and representing our community with independence, transparency, and integrity.