WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Randolph Center resident Sarah Jackson has been hired as the new executive director of Vital Communities, the nonprofit group that focuses on transportation, energy, food and leadership projects in the Upper Valley, according to a news release on M onday.
Jackson previously worked at Montpelier-based Institute for Sustainable Communities since 2017, where she assisted communities in Bangladesh, China and India to find funding for sustainability projects, among other tasks.
“I felt ready to come back to the U.S. and really wanted to get involved with community initiatives,” Jackson said in a phone interview. “I was missing being able to be involved in local issues.”
In 2018, Jackson began volunteering with the Randolph Region Re-Energized Program and got involved with the Capital Campaign and Grants Committees of the East Valley Community Group, East Randolph; and Randolph’s Climate Emergency Group.
“I really loved learning about what assets and developments were making residents of Randolph feel really proud, but at the same time what developments are causing concern and what needed to be addressed,” she said.
Jackson replaces Tom Roberts, who served as executive director for five years and will be on hand to help with the leadership transition. Beth Roy, director of Vital Communities’ Valley Food & Farm Program, has served as interim director since July.
In addition to wanting to be involved in local projects, Jackson was also inspired to apply for the role after taking part in Vital Communities’ 10-month Leadership Upper Valley program, which she graduated from in May.
“I just loved it,” she said, citing discussions about transportation, climate and health determinants. “I left every session thinking I just wanted to address these issues on a full time basis.”
Her start date is Oct. 26.
“I’m most excited, I would say, learning from the staff about what they’re currently doing and what they’re dreaming of doing,” Jackson said, adding that she’s also looking forward to meeting the businesses and other community partners the nonprofit organization works with. “I’m really excited to be in learning mode initially and then in brainstorming mode about what other things we can do.”
After a series of interviews, she was offered the job.
“The successful candidate needed to show us they have a clear understanding of the full scope of programs Vital Communities leads and the vision that the organization has cultivated so far, and be able to offer us a personal vision that can take us forward,” Ron Shaiko, chair of the Vital Communities Board, said in a news release. “Sarah has the quiet confidence to lead us in those next steps and the deep listening that is required to form lasting partnerships.”
Jackson grew up in Laconia and Merrimack, N.H. She earned a master’s degree from Princeton University and worked at nongovernmental organizations in Kenya and Egypt, according to the news release. She worked at the U.S. Embassy in Muscat, Oman, as director of initiatives that included the launch of a women’s leadership program and the first professional women’s networking organization in Oman.
Following six years at the embassy, she worked as the country director for Oman at the Muscat office of AMIDEAST where she built the operation from scratch by establishing a physical field office, recruiting and managing a team of more than 30 employees and trainers, and developing a $2.3 million portfolio of education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development initiatives. After serving as the executive director of the Oman American Business Center she joined ISC.
“I’ve done a lot of traveling in my career and the traveling I’d like to do is traveling around the region and visiting every single community that’s part of the Upper Valley and part of the region that we serve,” Jackson said. “I’m looking forward to that and getting to know the communities better and will be very happy to not get on an airplane to do work trips.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
