Rutland Herald
By Lola Duffort
Staff Writer | April 29,2016
Staff Writer | April 29,2016
KILLINGTON — The town recently named Deborah H. Schwartz, a former airport executive, to lead the town.
A native of Indiana, Schwartz comes to the town from Arkansas, where she ran her aviation consulting firm, Strategic Aviation Solutions. From 1994 to 2007, Schwartz was executive director at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark., a municipally-owned and operated airport in Arkansas, according to her LinkedIn profile. Also, she has worked at MorphoTrustUSA, a supplier of background checks for airport personnel, and the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.
Before heading out to meet a resident, tour the roads and highway maintenance facilities, and review tax bills, Schwartz sat down Monday morning with the Herald — day seven of her tenure in town — to answer a few questions.
Why move to Vermont from Arkansas?
Well, I’m not an Arkansas native, and I’ve had several stints for school, work — I have family connections in Vermont — excuse me, New England — and I’ve always enjoyed New England. The combination of my past positive experiences in New England, coupled with my love for mountains and the opportunity for this position, all came together.
Why go from managing airports to a town?
I was ready to do something different and something that utilized my skill sets. I’ve always been involved in public service, ever since I was in high school, and I’ve always enjoyed public service, and this is a broader venue, and an opportunity to serve more people in a wider range than just transportation.
What will you bring to the job?
I’m very well versed in municipal operations, having worked for municipalities as a department head for years. And I think that for this particular community, I have fresh eyes.
What will your priorities be?
I’m still learning what those priorities will be in terms of specific tasks. But I would just say my overriding interest is in serving the public. Being available. Hearing what they have to say, and being responsive to their interests. Now, being responsive doesn’t mean that I am always going to be giving them the answers that they choose, or that they would like to have. But there are a lot of people here that I have met just in the week that are long-time residents. Some are recent transplants — they’re firmly committed to the area. They’ve made a conscious decision to come here. They’re not here by accident of birth or happenstance … And many people I’ve met are tremendously involved in the community, in multiple areas. And that shows me a love and a commitment to the area … .
Some people have identified themselves as complainers, and I said that’s fine — we need everybody to talk. Because we can’t get things done if we don’t hear the good, the bad and the ugly.
What kind of concerns have citizens brought to you already?
Lower taxes. But I don’t know any community … where somebody doesn’t want lower taxes. Positively, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about the fact that I’ve chosen to live in Killington … As a newcomer to the area, there was no reason for me not to. (But) I could see where prior managers who were established in Vermont could choose to be in a commuting capacity.
Any surprises so far?
Last week, someone said: “There’s a moose down the road.” And I’ve never worked somewhere where you can walk outside and potentially see a moose.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for space and clarity.
lola.duffort @rutlandherald.com
A native of Indiana, Schwartz comes to the town from Arkansas, where she ran her aviation consulting firm, Strategic Aviation Solutions. From 1994 to 2007, Schwartz was executive director at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark., a municipally-owned and operated airport in Arkansas, according to her LinkedIn profile. Also, she has worked at MorphoTrustUSA, a supplier of background checks for airport personnel, and the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas.
Before heading out to meet a resident, tour the roads and highway maintenance facilities, and review tax bills, Schwartz sat down Monday morning with the Herald — day seven of her tenure in town — to answer a few questions.
Why move to Vermont from Arkansas?
Well, I’m not an Arkansas native, and I’ve had several stints for school, work — I have family connections in Vermont — excuse me, New England — and I’ve always enjoyed New England. The combination of my past positive experiences in New England, coupled with my love for mountains and the opportunity for this position, all came together.
Why go from managing airports to a town?
I was ready to do something different and something that utilized my skill sets. I’ve always been involved in public service, ever since I was in high school, and I’ve always enjoyed public service, and this is a broader venue, and an opportunity to serve more people in a wider range than just transportation.
What will you bring to the job?
I’m very well versed in municipal operations, having worked for municipalities as a department head for years. And I think that for this particular community, I have fresh eyes.
What will your priorities be?
I’m still learning what those priorities will be in terms of specific tasks. But I would just say my overriding interest is in serving the public. Being available. Hearing what they have to say, and being responsive to their interests. Now, being responsive doesn’t mean that I am always going to be giving them the answers that they choose, or that they would like to have. But there are a lot of people here that I have met just in the week that are long-time residents. Some are recent transplants — they’re firmly committed to the area. They’ve made a conscious decision to come here. They’re not here by accident of birth or happenstance … And many people I’ve met are tremendously involved in the community, in multiple areas. And that shows me a love and a commitment to the area … .
Some people have identified themselves as complainers, and I said that’s fine — we need everybody to talk. Because we can’t get things done if we don’t hear the good, the bad and the ugly.
What kind of concerns have citizens brought to you already?
Lower taxes. But I don’t know any community … where somebody doesn’t want lower taxes. Positively, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about the fact that I’ve chosen to live in Killington … As a newcomer to the area, there was no reason for me not to. (But) I could see where prior managers who were established in Vermont could choose to be in a commuting capacity.
Any surprises so far?
Last week, someone said: “There’s a moose down the road.” And I’ve never worked somewhere where you can walk outside and potentially see a moose.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for space and clarity.
lola.duffort @rutlandherald.com
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