About

Photo Credit: Better Middlebury Partnership, Annual Chili Festival

What We Do

VCDA is an organization of individuals who are committed to working together on community development issues of importance to Vermonters.

OUR MISSION:

Building a network of effective community development professionals by offering unique, targeted, and timely educational forums that provide the tools to improve quality of life in Vermont communities.

To these ends, VCDA:

Advocates for public and private resources that strengthen community development;
Provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and collaborative action; and
Fosters collaboration between residents, private enterprises, non-profits and local governments.

How We Do It

VCDA holds informative meetings during the year at various locations around the state on issues identified by its members. Among the topics:

Renewable Energy
Downtown Development and Sprawl
Livable Wages and Job Training
Affordable Housing Options and Workforce Housing
Micro-Enterprise Development
Economic Development and Recovery
Age-Friendly Communities

Our History

In 1978, the Vermont Community Development Association formed to address community development opportunities that are available through the HUD Community Development Block Grant and other federal grant programs.

Since that time, we have expanded to cover a broader array of issues and have conducted many educational programs in order to help practitioners in the field improve their knowledge and effectiveness.

The Bernice Murray Award

Each year VCDA recognizes an individual who has worked in the community development field for over 10 years as either a professional or community volunteer and who has demonstrated leadership, dedication and commitment to a Vermont community or communities, with the Bernice Murray Award. The award is given in memory of Bernice Murray, well-known for her dedication to, and support of, community development both in her role as the Vermont State Director for Senator James Jeffords and then as State Director of the Farmers Home Administration.

Bernice Murray Award Recipients