BRATTLEBORO-Vermont Democrats gathered for their annual Obuchowski Awards ceremony, honoring the service of retiring Rep. Mollie Burke of Brattleboro and Mary Gerisch, a longtime healthcare, housing, and human rights advocate from Bennington.
The awards, presented by the Vermont Democratic Party (VDP) on July 17 at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (BMAC), are named after former State Rep. Michael “Obie” Obuchowski, who represented Bellows Falls in the House for 38 years, from 1973 to 2011, and who served as speaker for three sessions, from 1995 to 2001.
The awards recognize party members who have demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to their community and state.
A nine-term lawmaker retires
Burke received the Windham County Obie award in recognition of her 18 years in the Vermont House of Representatives, where she represented the southernmost neighborhoods of Brattleboro.
Windham County State Sen. Wendy Harrison presented the award to Burke, commending her achievements that have continued to better the state during her tenure, most notably her work on transportation, community health, climate policy, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and public transit.
Burke’s political career took root 36 years ago, when she was elected as a Representative Town Meeting member in Brattleboro. She was elected to the House in 2008 and has served on the Transportation Committee for her nine terms.
Additionally, Burke chairs the House Sexual Harassment Prevention Panel and also is active in the Vermont Women’s Legislative Caucus and the Vermont Legislative Climate Solutions Caucus.
“I’m so humbled to be here,” Burke said after receiving her award.
Burke announced in May that she will not run for re-election this year. Though she is formally leaving the Legislature, she still plans to be involved in politics.
“And now that I’m leaving [the] Legislature, I’m also looking for new ways to work on the next issue,” she said.
Burke concluded her acceptance speech by thanking the VDP and its members for their tireless dedication to the Democratic Party.
“I will miss my role as a legislator deeply,” she said.
Dignity and worth
The Bennington County Obie award was given to Mary Gerisch, a longtime Democratic activist known for her dedication as an advocate for human rights, housing, and healthcare.
Gerisch serves as the housing chair on the board of the Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP and as a board member of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.
She has previously served on other boards for a number of causes, including the Vermont Workers’ Center, the Rights and Democracy Project, Turning Point Recovery Center, and the Bennington County Coalition for the Homeless.
Gerisch, of Lakota descent, grew up in Detroit as the daughter of a nurse and a cardiologist.
“Do you remember watching them care for people who couldn’t afford treatment?” VDP Secretary Jonathan West, who presented the award, asked her.
Gerisch, noting that her parents did in fact play a leading role in her decision to enter politics, said she was “honored and humbled to accept this award, on behalf of my parents, who taught me about human rights, particularly the right to healthcare.”
Gerisch concluded her acceptance remarks by reminding people that inaction is the antithesis of positive change, community is essential to democracy as a whole, and that basic human rights are all interconnected.
“We each deserve to live a life of dignity and worth,” she said.
Roots in supporting working families
Earlier, VDP Executive Director May Hanlon reflected on her upbringing in rural Vermont and placed emphasis on the importance of community and what politics are truly all about.
She harkened back to neighbors who struggled to afford groceries, healthcare, and housing despite working a full-time job — sometimes two jobs — and still finding themselves “coming up short at the end of the month.”
Hanlon said the party’s mission is rooted in supporting working families and organizing in communities, particularly in rural areas. She urged attendees to invest time and effort in grassroots organizing, volunteerism, and the like, asserting that efforts like these are what truly bring communities together.
“I didn’t come into politics because it looked glamorous,” Hanlon said. “I came into politics because I watched too many people I loved fall through the cracks.”
This News item by Rye O'Brien was written for The Commons.