WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Tom Roberts, who has led the nonprofit organization Vital Communities for five years, plans to leave his role at the end of June.
“We are sorry to see Tom go. We will miss his leadership,” Vital Communities board chairman Ron Shaiko said in a news release. “He will leave Vital Communities in great shape, and we are grateful that he will stay until the end of June to help with the transition to the new executive director.”
In Roberts’ five years with the nonprofit — which focuses on transportation, energy, food and leadership projects in addition to leading the popular Valley Quest program — its annual budget has grown from $800,000 to $1.3 million and has achieved financial stability, according to the release. In the last five years, Vital Communities has added programs including Workforce Housing, Climate Adaptation and a merger of the Sustainable Energy Resource Group with the Energy program.
“We have accomplished a lot here together over the last five years. It has been a privilege to work with our dedicated staff and board, together with this incredible Upper Valley community. Vital Communities is strong and will continue to flourish,” Roberts said in the release. “During my time off, I plan to travel, spend time outdoors, hiking, reading and writing, volunteering, and working on hobbies and projects at home and at my community at Cobb Hill Co-Housing. The beauty of taking a break will be seeing what unfolds.”
The board of directors has created a search committee to find a successor.