New, emerging and experienced leaders are invited to the 7th Annual Vermont Community Leadership Summit at Vermont State University Castleton on Tuesday, October 6th from 9am-4pm. This annual summit has become well known for having workshops and panels that give local leaders the tools they need to strengthen civic life, spark local initiatives, and create new possibilities in housing, childcare, public infrastructure, and important community projects.
This year, the Summit is grounded in the newly revised Vermont Community Leadership in Action Guide as the backbone to the day’s agenda. Summit participants will be the first ones to receive a free copy of the guide. Because this robust toolkit reflects a wide range of community‑identified priorities, leaders working on issues from climate resilience and housing to local economies, volunteer engagement, recreation, and community spaces will come together as speakers, presenters, and storytellers to share their experience and insight.
Attendees at the Summit can choose from over twenty-eight panels and workshops with nearly 80 speakers and panelists from topics such as Planning Accessible Public Engagement, Mental Health Literacy for Communities, School Building Transformations, How Farmers and Foresters and Building Community, EVERYDAY Big and Small: A Conversation with Filmmaker Bess O’Brien and more.
Each year, VCRD presents the Community Leadership Award to individuals or groups who exemplify dedication, integrity, and honorable service to rural Vermont, and whose work has had a transformational impact on their communities. This year, VCRD is honoring Paul Costello, former VCRD Executive Director, with the Lifetime Leadership Award, and Bill Moore, Deputy Town Manager of Brandon, with the 2026 Vermont Community Leadership Award. Both recipients will be recognized at the Summit for their outstanding contributions to their communities and to the state of Vermont.
Other highlights of the Summit include an opening plenary with Song Weaver Heidi Wilson and Spark Stories from Max Barrows of Green Mountain Self Advocates, Harmony Belle Devoe of the Vermont State Youth Council, and Kathryn Baxter of Lunenburg. Several workshops and panels will be offered in live-streamed and hybrid formats. A BIPOC Affinity Space, hosted by the Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC), will be open to Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color throughout the day. The opening plenary will have ASL interpretation and live captioning. The Summit will conclude with a free ice cream social. VCRD encourages attendees to take advantage of a Summit carpool to offer or request rides to Castleton. For more information and to register, visit vtrural.org/summit.