VCDA Fall Conference 2026
Cutting the Strings:
Getting to Know the Flexible Funding Sources Beyond Grants
Wednesday, October 14th | 9:00am - 4:00pm | The Vergennes Opera House
Vermont communities are often asked to do more with less. Moving a good project forward means navigating a maze of grants, restrictions, applications, and timelines. While grant funding remains an important means for community development, it isn’t the only way to finance local priorities.
The VCDA Fall Conference will explore tools beyond traditional grant sources that can give communities greater flexibility, local control, and the ability to move projects forward on their own timelines. From municipal debt and local option taxes to other creative financing and revenue-generating strategies, attendees will learn how communities can build sustainable funding streams and make strategic investments in their future.
Learn how to advocate for local financing and build support among build support among elected officials, community members, and other decision-makers; explore how locally controlled sources can help communities respond to opportunities, accelerate project timelines, and reduce reliance on funding sources with lengthy application and compliance requirements; And discover how to use local investment to generate new revenue and create long-term value for your community
Join fellow community champions, municipal leaders, planners, and development partners for a day of ideas, practical strategies, and candid conversations about how Vermont communities can take greater control of their financial future.
Morning snacks will be provided. Coffee, tea, and water will be available throughout the day. Attendees will have extra time to enjoy lunch at one of the many nearby local restaurants.
Be sure to stay until the end for our post-event ice cream social featuring ice cream from lu*lu Ice Cream!
The VCDA Fall Conference will explore tools beyond traditional grant sources that can give communities greater flexibility, local control, and the ability to move projects forward on their own timelines. From municipal debt and local option taxes to other creative financing and revenue-generating strategies, attendees will learn how communities can build sustainable funding streams and make strategic investments in their future.
Learn how to advocate for local financing and build support among build support among elected officials, community members, and other decision-makers; explore how locally controlled sources can help communities respond to opportunities, accelerate project timelines, and reduce reliance on funding sources with lengthy application and compliance requirements; And discover how to use local investment to generate new revenue and create long-term value for your community
Join fellow community champions, municipal leaders, planners, and development partners for a day of ideas, practical strategies, and candid conversations about how Vermont communities can take greater control of their financial future.
Morning snacks will be provided. Coffee, tea, and water will be available throughout the day. Attendees will have extra time to enjoy lunch at one of the many nearby local restaurants.
Be sure to stay until the end for our post-event ice cream social featuring ice cream from lu*lu Ice Cream!
Lunch
Morning snacks will be provided. Coffee, tea, and water will be available throughout the day. Attendees will have extra time to enjoy lunch at one of the many nearby local restaurants.
Thank you to the Vergennes Partnership for their comprehensive listing of restaurants in downtown Vergennes! Click here to view a list of restaurants that are typically open and serving lunch on Wednesdays.
Thank you to the Vergennes Partnership for their comprehensive listing of restaurants in downtown Vergennes! Click here to view a list of restaurants that are typically open and serving lunch on Wednesdays.
Location
We are holding this event at The Vergennes Opera House located at 120 Main Street, Vergennes, VT.
Attendees will have access to street parking and the space in the back of the Opera House by the ADA access ramp may
be used for drop off of guests with accessibility needs. There is free parking on Main Street and the surrounding side streets.
Attendees will have access to street parking and the space in the back of the Opera House by the ADA access ramp may
be used for drop off of guests with accessibility needs. There is free parking on Main Street and the surrounding side streets.
Agenda
Keynote
Laura Mack
Owner, lu*lu Ice Cream
Owner, lu*lu Ice Cream
Laura Mack is the founder and owner of lu•lu Ice Cream, a small batch, from scratch ice cream company and scoop shop in downtown Vergennes, Vermont.
Laura founded lu•lu in Bristol, Vermont, in 2014 with a commitment to making ice cream differently, starting with local milk and cream and crafting every flavor from scratch. In 2018, she moved lu•lu to the heart of downtown Vergennes, expanding into a year round scoop shop and production facility. What began as a small seasonal business has since grown into a retail shop, wholesale operation, catering business, and licensed dairy production facility serving customers and partners throughout Vermont.
Growing lu•lu has also given Laura a firsthand education in the realities of financing a small business. Over the past decade, she has navigated grants, loans, owner investment, major equipment purchases, infrastructure improvements, regulatory requirements, and the constant challenge of deciding when and how to invest in the next stage of growth. Most recently, lu•lu completed a major expansion of its dairy production capacity with support from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, significantly increasing production while keeping the business rooted in downtown Vergennes.
Laura was named the 2025 U.S. Small Business Administration Vermont Woman Owned Business of the Year and was recognized among Vermont’s 40 Under 40 in 2021. She is a graduate of the SBA THRIVE Emerging Leaders program and a 2026 Center for Women & Enterprise 30 Stars Award recipient. In 2023, lu•lu was selected as a winner of the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center’s Dairy Product Innovation Competition, which gave Laura the opportunity to work with Cornell University to develop and scale lu•lu’s lactose free goat milk gelato line.
A lifelong Vermonter who grew up in her family’s restaurant business, Laura brings a practical, hands on small business perspective to conversations about economic and community development. Her experience reflects both the opportunities and challenges of growing an independent business and the important role that flexible capital, creative funding, strong local partnerships, and thoughtful investment can play in helping small businesses grow while remaining rooted in the communities they call home.
Laura founded lu•lu in Bristol, Vermont, in 2014 with a commitment to making ice cream differently, starting with local milk and cream and crafting every flavor from scratch. In 2018, she moved lu•lu to the heart of downtown Vergennes, expanding into a year round scoop shop and production facility. What began as a small seasonal business has since grown into a retail shop, wholesale operation, catering business, and licensed dairy production facility serving customers and partners throughout Vermont.
Growing lu•lu has also given Laura a firsthand education in the realities of financing a small business. Over the past decade, she has navigated grants, loans, owner investment, major equipment purchases, infrastructure improvements, regulatory requirements, and the constant challenge of deciding when and how to invest in the next stage of growth. Most recently, lu•lu completed a major expansion of its dairy production capacity with support from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, significantly increasing production while keeping the business rooted in downtown Vergennes.
Laura was named the 2025 U.S. Small Business Administration Vermont Woman Owned Business of the Year and was recognized among Vermont’s 40 Under 40 in 2021. She is a graduate of the SBA THRIVE Emerging Leaders program and a 2026 Center for Women & Enterprise 30 Stars Award recipient. In 2023, lu•lu was selected as a winner of the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center’s Dairy Product Innovation Competition, which gave Laura the opportunity to work with Cornell University to develop and scale lu•lu’s lactose free goat milk gelato line.
A lifelong Vermonter who grew up in her family’s restaurant business, Laura brings a practical, hands on small business perspective to conversations about economic and community development. Her experience reflects both the opportunities and challenges of growing an independent business and the important role that flexible capital, creative funding, strong local partnerships, and thoughtful investment can play in helping small businesses grow while remaining rooted in the communities they call home.
Case Study Presentation
Ron Redmond, Vergennes City Manager
Gregory Faust
Bristol Town Administrator
Gregory Faust
Bristol Town Administrator
Gregory Faust is the Town Administrator for the Town of Bristol, where his portfolio covers capital planning, grants and finance, infrastructure, personnel, and Selectboard support. He led the town's work on its 1 percent local option tax, which Bristol voters adopted in March 2026 by a vote of 418 to 200 with a minimum of 40 percent of proceeds designated to capital infrastructure. He now runs the implementation side of it, building the capital plan the revenue feeds and working through the collection and administration problems that surface after a local option tax passes.
Before Vermont, Greg spent a decade in housing and community development in Phoenix, Arizona. As Director of Veteran Services and Community Programs at UMOM New Day Centers, he managed a portfolio of rapid rehousing grants, permanent supportive housing, workforce development, and nine Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties. He rebuilt the rehousing model that helped Maricopa County reach functional zero for homeless veteran families and hold it three years running. He later joined the City of Phoenix as a development project manager on Edison-Eastlake, a $220 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment producing 1,100 mixed-income homes.
Greg served ten years in the Army as an infantryman, including three combat tours in Iraq. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. He is Bristol's representative to the Board of Supervisors of the Addison County Solid Waste Management District, serves on the board of the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, and helped start the Addison County Regional Managers work group. He lives in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.
Before Vermont, Greg spent a decade in housing and community development in Phoenix, Arizona. As Director of Veteran Services and Community Programs at UMOM New Day Centers, he managed a portfolio of rapid rehousing grants, permanent supportive housing, workforce development, and nine Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties. He rebuilt the rehousing model that helped Maricopa County reach functional zero for homeless veteran families and hold it three years running. He later joined the City of Phoenix as a development project manager on Edison-Eastlake, a $220 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods redevelopment producing 1,100 mixed-income homes.
Greg served ten years in the Army as an infantryman, including three combat tours in Iraq. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Grand Canyon University. He is Bristol's representative to the Board of Supervisors of the Addison County Solid Waste Management District, serves on the board of the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, and helped start the Addison County Regional Managers work group. He lives in Ferrisburgh, Vermont.
Moderator
Julia Connell
Community Development Specialist, Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
Julia Connell
Community Development Specialist, Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD)
Julia Connell has been a Community Development Specialist at the Department of Housing & Community Development for the past 8 years. In that role, she administers Federals Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds into municipalities across the state – providing technical assistance and managing grants with a focus on affordable housing, recovery housing, economic development, public facilities, accessibility modifications, and planning. Julia is also a licensed Real Estate professional. Previously, she worked with non-profits in development and fundraising. Julia studied Public Communication at the University of Vermont in the Community Development and Applied Economics program. Julia currently serves at President of the Vermont Community Development Association (VCDA). She lives in Barre with her partner and their cat.
Using Debt to Advance Projects Panel
Meaghan McLaughlin, National Bank of Middlebury
Josh Hanford
Public Policy and Advocacy, Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT)
Josh Hanford
Public Policy and Advocacy, Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT)
Josh Hanford guides VLCT’s policy and advocacy work in the state house as well as with regional partners and state and federal agencies. Josh has over 25 years of government experience in natural resources, economic, housing, and community development, including five years as Vermont’s Commissioner of Housing and Community Development for Governor Phil Scott. He has worked at VLCT since 2023 and has six years in municipal service as a school board member, recreation committee member, lister, and planning commission member. Josh has been a leader in bringing new housing programs and solutions that work at scale, for all Vermont municipalities. Always a believer in good government, Josh defines success as bringing people together and finding common ground. Working at VLCT, Josh is continually inspired by local government leaders: their innovation and grit keeps him going.
Elijah D. Emerson
Bond Attorney, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC
Bond Attorney, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC
Eli Emerson uses his over twenty years of experience to work collaboratively with his clients to provide cost-effective, practical solutions to municipal, energy, public finance and environmental challenges with a focus on municipal utility and infrastructure projects. He asks questions and listens carefully to clearly identify issues and anticipate possible problems that had not yet been considered. Drawing from his in-depth knowledge of municipal law and finance, energy regulation, and environmental issues, Eli then proposes the most straightforward solutions to realize the client’s objectives. He has many years of experience assisting publicly owned entities in matters related to financing and implementation of large infrastructure projects.
Eun-Young Denny
Director of Commercial Lending, Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA)
Director of Commercial Lending, Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA)
Eun-Young Denny is the Director of Commercial Lending at the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA), where she oversees commercial lending activities that support business and economic development throughout Vermont. She has more than two decades of experience in commercial banking and lending, with expertise in business lending, credit analysis, loan structuring, and portfolio management across a broad range of industries and project types. Her experience includes underwriting complex commercial transactions, working with bank and community partners, and structuring financing to meet the needs of borrowers and their projects. In her role at VEDA, Eun-Young takes a collaborative and relationship focused approach to commercial lending and works closely with borrowers and lending partners throughout the financing process and maintaining those relationships as projects progress and businesses evolve.
Caroline Carpenter
President and CEO, National Bank of Middlebury
President and CEO, National Bank of Middlebury
Caroline Carpenter has been President and CEO of National Bank of Middlebury since 2015. She is the first female president of the bank since incorporation in 1831. Prior to becoming president, she served as Executive Vice President of the bank and Technology Manager. She serves on the board of directors of NBM, is the Executive Vice President of Middlebury National Corporation, and the chair of the Community Financial Services Group board.
Caroline joined the bank in 1997 and has held many roles in the organization including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President, Technology Manager and Information Security Officer.
Caroline is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the New England School of Banking at Williams College. She has been part of the banking community in Addison County since 1991, serving as a mortgage loan originator at Vermont Federal Bank for six years before joining National Bank of Middlebury in 1997. Caroline has served on various local non-profit boards including Habitat for Humanity, Addison County Humane Society, Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC), the Neighbors Together Committee, HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), president of the Vermont Women’s Forum, and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA). She currently serves on the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee, the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBB), the Executive Council of the Vermont Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve of Boston Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council, and is a member of the leadership team of the American Bankers Association Women CEO Peer Group.
Caroline joined the bank in 1997 and has held many roles in the organization including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President, Technology Manager and Information Security Officer.
Caroline is a graduate of the University of Vermont and the New England School of Banking at Williams College. She has been part of the banking community in Addison County since 1991, serving as a mortgage loan originator at Vermont Federal Bank for six years before joining National Bank of Middlebury in 1997. Caroline has served on various local non-profit boards including Habitat for Humanity, Addison County Humane Society, Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC), the Neighbors Together Committee, HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), president of the Vermont Women’s Forum, and the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA). She currently serves on the Hinesburg Affordable Housing Committee, the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBB), the Executive Council of the Vermont Bankers Association, the Federal Reserve of Boston Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council, and is a member of the leadership team of the American Bankers Association Women CEO Peer Group.
First Round of Breakout Sessions
Our guests are invited to choose one of the following to attend:
Session A: How to Advocate for Local Financing
Working with local boards to take on debt or new revenue sources and "selling" it to voters
Susan Schaefer
Treasurer, Friends of the Vergennes Opera House
Susan Schaefer currently serves as the Treasurer of the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House. The Friends recently completed the All Access Project, a $2.2 Million accessibility modification construction project to improve the historic Opera House/City Hall resulting in a building that is safely, comfortably and respectfully accessible to all, citizens, audience and performers alike. Funding for the project was sourced from a combination of federal, state and local grants, major donations and community participation campaigns. Susan is retired from the global financial services firm, Deloitte, where she managed strategic projects all around the world. She lives in New Haven, Vermont and stays involved in community service and active in outdoor sports.
Ilona Blanchard
Community Development Director, City of South Burlington
Community Development Director, City of South Burlington
Ilona Blanchard is the Community Development Director for the City of South Burlington, where she oversees the administration of the Tax Increment Financing District - including guiding placemaking projects into construction. She understands that success in meeting community needs while weathering financial headwinds involves stacking multiple funding sources. She staffs both the Economic Development Committee and the Public Art Committee. She also serves as a non‑voting member on the board of the City’s downtown organization and is the City’s commissioner to Green Mountain Transit. Ilona joined South Burlington's team after serving the City of Takoma Park, Maryland.
Dana Hart
Librarian, Ilsley Library
Librarian, Ilsley Library
Dana Hart is a librarian living in Lincoln, Vermont. She holds a MLIS degree from Pratt Institute, and an MA art history from Hunter College. She has been the director at Ilsley Public Library since 2018; prior to that, she was the Manager for Library Administration at the Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is an avid student of early printed books, and regularly teaches a winter-term course at Middlebury College on books printed in the West between 1450 and 1800. Outside of her work, she is kept busy by her two daughters, ages three and five.
Moderator
Chip Sawyer
St Albans Director of Planning and Development
Chip Sawyer
St Albans Director of Planning and Development
Chip Sawyer has been the Director of Planning & Development for the City of St. Albans since 2011. There he oversees the City's land use planning and permitting, community development, downtown program, stormwater planning, property valuation, and special projects. Chip is a member of the team that has brought unprecedented redevelopment to the City through infrastructure investment, public-private partnerships and numerous funding methods. He holds Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Natural Resource Planning from the University of Vermont. Chip grew up in the City of St. Albans and lives there with his family today.
Session B: Vergennes Walking Tour
Guided by
Bill Benton
Former Vergennes City Councilor and Mayor
Guided by
Bill Benton
Former Vergennes City Councilor and Mayor
Bill Benton is a lifelong resident of Vergennes and a graduate of the University of Vermont. He has served as a Vergennes City Councilor and Mayor, as well as President of the Vergennes Partnership and on the Bixby Library Board of Trustees for multiple terms. Bill is married and the proud father of three grown children and grandfather of three grandchildren.
Second Round of Breakout Sessions
Our guests are invited to choose one of the following to attend:
Session C: Spending Money to Make Money
Leveraging local sources to build funding stacks for projects
Dan Hassan and Rebecca Hassan, Vergennes Grand
Session C: Spending Money to Make Money
Leveraging local sources to build funding stacks for projects
Dan Hassan and Rebecca Hassan, Vergennes Grand
Lisa Mitchell
Executive & Artistic Director, Middlebury Town Hall Theater
Executive & Artistic Director, Middlebury Town Hall Theater
Lisa Mitchell is Executive & Artistic Director of Town Hall Theater, where she leads programming, operations and fundraising. Under her leadership, THT completed an $8.6 million capital campaign—supported by private philanthropy, grants, and local businesses and organizations—to expand its historic building into a regional performing arts center. A multidisciplinary producer and communications professional, Lisa represents Addison and Rutland Counties in the Vermont Arts Council Creative Network and co-founded Middlebury Underground. She also serves on boards, including the Friends of the Middlebury College Museum of Art, and volunteers with local organizations. Previously, she produced national tours for Condé Nast brands and CBS Radio and led a Washington, D.C., communications division before founding her own companies. She is a Harvard graduate.
Bill Moore
Deputy Town Manager, Town of Brandon
Deputy Town Manager, Town of Brandon
Bill Moore is a deputy town manager for the Town of Brandon with a focus on community development. When not attending the many evening meetings that are a symptom of his vocation, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters mostly successfully completing escape rooms and coming in second or third at trivia nights.
Moderator
Jenna Lapachinski
Field Service Representative, Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV)
Jenna Lapachinski
Field Service Representative, Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV)
Jenna Lapachinski is a Field Service Representative for the Preservation Trust of Vermont. Before joining PTV’s staff in 2017, she worked as the Historic Resource Specialist for the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) in New Hampshire and the Preservation & Education Coordinator for the Historic Macon Foundation in Macon, Georgia. Jenna is a graduate of the University of Vermont Historic Preservation Program and lives in Tunbridge with her family.
Session D: Vergennes Walking Tour
Elise Shanbacker
Executive Director, Addison County Community Trust
Executive Director, Addison County Community Trust
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