BRATTLEBORO — Rep. David Deen, D-Westminster, was honored by the Windham County Democratic Committee with the Ron Squires Award, presented at the annual Davenport Day Dinner on Oct. 19 at the American Legion.
Deen was cited for his 20 years as a Vermont legislator, focusing on public policy and advocating for river protections. For most of his legislative time, he has been a member of the Natural Resources/Water Resources committees. Currently, he is chair of the Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee and a member of the Rules Committee. He was a member of the Vermont Senate from 1987 to 1988 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1991.
He has worked as a River Steward for the Connecticut River Watershed Council since 1998. Previously, he was the executive director of Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) and has owned Strictly Trout Fly Fishing Guide Service since 1983.
Deen graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1968 with a degree in chemistry. He went on to receive a master's degree in Environmental Science from Antioch New England Graduate School in 1996.
The award is named in honor of the late Ron Squires, a native of Guilford who worked to end discrimination while a member of the Vermont House, helping to pass Vermont's anti-gay discrimination bill in 1992, the fourth state in the nation to do so. He died a few months afterwards.