Administrator’s Comment: Did Symington gain special treatment for Intervale? The Intervale Center issue under her leadership was truly a horrid example of greed, power and a disregard for Mother Earth.

Gaye Symington named director of environmental fund

MIDDLEBURY -- Former Vermont House Speaker Gaye Symington has been named executive director of the High Meadows Fund -- a supporting foundation of the Vermont Community Foundation that awards grants aimed at promoting environmental stewardship, fund officials said this week.

The High Meadows Fund's grantmaking aims to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, encourage renewable energy development, and promote sustainable agriculture and land use practices in Vermont.

Symington’s 20 of leadership in energy and rural economic development policy will bring new knowledge and experience to the High Meadows Fund’s evolving work, according to President of the Fund Carl Ferenbach.

“We were in search of a leader who is passionate about addressing the environmental challenges we all confront and for whom the specialness of Vermont is second nature. We wanted a person who would be capable of leading Vermont toward solutions, and we are pleased to say that Gaye Symington is that person," Ferenbach said in a prepared statement.

Symington holds a B.A. from Williams College and an MBA from Cornell University. She lives with her husband and three children in Jericho, where they produce grass-fed beef for sale locally and in Boston and New York City.

The Vermont Community Foundation is a Middlebury-based statewide public charity with more than 500 charitable funds created to build vital Vermont communities.

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090410/NEWS02/90410010