BRATTLEBORO — Governor Peter Shumlin has reappointed Kerry Secrest of Brattleboro to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women, according to a news release. She will serve an additional four-year term.
Secrest is a leadership coach for individuals and organizations through Watershed Coaching, her Brattleboro-based firm. She leads training in the areas of team-building, women's leadership, understanding multigenerational work environments, change management, strategic planning, conflict resolution, and leadership development. Her clients include national and international firms, both commercial and nongovernmental organizations, as well as Vermont-based companies.
Secrest also created and directs Women's Leadership Circles of Vermont, a Marlboro College Graduate and Professional Studies program. The six-month intensive program for Vermont women in leadership positions is designed to enhance effectiveness and fulfillment at work.
Previously, Secrest served as a program director with the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C., and worked as director of a program at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Prior to those positions, she served as Advisor for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Embassy of Lithuania. She holds a master's degree in International and Intercultural Relations from the SIT Graduate Institute, and an undergraduate degree from Villanova University.
Secrest said in a news release that the Commission “is a critical resource and advocate for Vermont women and children. I am proud of our important advocacy work, especially regarding paid family and medical leave, as well as the Vermont Equal Pay Compact project, and our Change the Story Vermont initiative.”