The Waitsfield Select Board will interview five people interested in filling the balance of outgoing board member Darryl Forrest’s term tonight, Monday, December 7, with interviews starting at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
The candidates are Jordon Gonda, Pete Mooney, Christine Sullivan, JB Weir and Fred Messer. They will be interviewed in that order starting at 6:35 p.m. for 15 minutes each.
Gonda is an attorney for the state of Vermont and has served on the planning commission since 2014. She served as vice chair from 2018-2020 and has served on the Mad River Valley Housing Coalition since it was founded in 2019.
Peter Mooney retired three years ago after a 35-year-career as a partner in a global professional firm. He is a business strategy consultant by background and worked across audit, tax, forensics, regulatory and compliance and other consultative service areas. He is vice chair of the board of trustees of Washington & Jefferson College, chairs the academic affairs committee.
Christine Sullivan is a member of the Harwood Unified Union School District (HUUSD) Board and its negotiating and facilities committees. She chaired the board for four years/two terms. Prior to the town’s merging school districts under Act 46, she served as vice chair of the Washington West Act 46 Study Committee. She spent seven years as Waitsfield PTA treasurer and seven years on the board of Spring Hill School.
JB Weir currently works full time for Fayston as planning and zoning administrator as well as select board assistant. He has twice run for select board and currently serves on the Waitsfield Development Review Board. He is president of the board of directors for Neck of the Woods, the Waitsfield nonprofit childcare facility.
Fred Messer is retired from the Vermont Army Nation Guard. He served as a Waitsfield grand juror from 2016-2018, Waitsfield emergency management director from 2001 to present and Waitsfield health officer from 2019 to present. He served as chair of the local emergency management planning commission from 2006-2008.
After interviewing the candidates, the select board will meet in executive session to select someone to fill the seat until Town Meeting when it will be filled by Australian ballot.
Here is the link for the tonight’s Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9190265312; Passcode: 651855; By phone: 1 (929) 205-6099.
