David TuckerDavid Tucker

David chose to live in the Northeast Kingdom because of the kind of place it is. These are towns where people look out for each other — where people work hard, take pride in what they do, and don’t ask for much, just that things function the way they should.

It’s a place with a strong sense of community where neighbors step up for each other.

That matters to David and to a lot of people who live here.

David came to the Kingdom 53 years ago to finish college at Goddard College. My senior project was to apprentice as a blacksmith and document the life and work of Orien Dunn, a blacksmith in Victory, Vt.

It was then that he first fell in love with the Kingdom. He pursued a career in human services and learned to appreciate the working landscape by growing most of his vegetables, working with his neighbor to raise grass fed beef and bring his sugar woods into production. He cut firewood and raised two wonderfully strong and independent daughters.

He enjoys exploring all of the outdoor recreational activities in the district with his partner Meri Simon. They’ve paddled and camped along the Connecticut River Paddlers Trail, fished in the Comerford Reservoir, hiked on Chamberlin Mountain, skied the trails at McIndoes Academy, and cycled nearly every backroad in the district.

During his career in human services, David worked directly with individuals and families, saw where systems break down—and has taken an active role in ensuring that communities are empowered to address problems and that support reaches people more effectively.

David had a leadership role in Northeast Kingdom Youth Services, where the Court Diversion Program and the Guardian Ad Litem training efforts were started.

David was honored to be accepted into Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government where he earned a Masters Degree before returning to the Kingdom with renewed skills and energy.

At Northeast Kingdom Community Action (NEKCA), he led efforts to establish the Gilman Housing Trust (now known as Rural Edge) to create housing that’s affordable, provided start-up support to Rural Community Transportation (RCT), which provides public transportation and transportation to needed medical services. He also provided ongoing, strong leadership for Head Start and other early childhood programs.

He has been a board member of Umbrella, an alternate representative to the NEK Broadband board, and worked in partnership with many community groups and organizations to ensure that the Kingdom continues to be the very best place to live, work and raise a family.

These experiences, and others like them, taught David how to bring people together, build something that lasts, and actually get things done.

David served as Director of the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) which provides funding, training, and oversight to Community Action Agencies and dozens of other grassroots anti-poverty organizations across Vermont to provide food, shelter, and support services to our neighbors in need.

David gained a hands-on understanding of how the legislative process works and how to navigate it, he helped get Weatherization funding reauthorized for the first time while at OEO.

David also served on the Housing Vermont board, was a founding member of the board of Public Assets, and served several terms as a board member of Voices for Vermont Children.

This experience is what David will bring to the legislature – he is running to focus on practical things that actually make daily life here better.