The Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) presented awards and selected Board members at its annual meeting this past Saturday.
The event was attended by 150 CHT members.
CHT presented U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders with the Tim McKenzie Award for his commitment to the community land trust model for nearly 30 years in public office.
CHT's predecessors, the Burlington Community Land Trust and Lake Champlain Housing, were created under the Sanders Administration while mayor of Burlington in 1984. Since then, Bernie has advocated for investment in permanently affordable housing programs and organizations.
The Tim McKenzie Award is named for the organization's first Executive Director.
Lois McClure of Shelburne was recognized with the Hilton A. Wick Award for her fundraising and advocacy leadership. She recently completed payment of a $1 million pledge to CHT's endowment, and secured an additional $500,000 to the fund.
The award memorializes the efforts of Hilton Wick, a campaigner for several community causes.
Flynn Avenue Co-op resident Richard Kemp was recognized with the Carole Pack Volunteer of the Year Award.
Richard represents cooperative housing residents on CHT's Board of Directors and has been a community activist concerned with affordable housing for many years.
Members also elected six board members:
- L. Randolph Amis, general member
- Jane Kiser, public member representing St. Albans
- Joe Reinert, public member, representing Burlington
- Adam Piper, CHT homeowner
- David McFeeters, CHT homeowner
- Pamela James, CHT renter
CHT has 15 board members elected by the membership. One-third are resident representatives; one-third represent municipal interests in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties; and one-third are general or at-large members.
CHT is a community land trust that supports strong, vital communities in northwest Vermont by creating and maintaining permanently affordable homes and associated community assets. It stewards 440 shared-equity single-family homes, manages 1,500 apartments, and provides governance support to 81 cooperative households.