MIDDLEBURY — The Town of Middlebury has hired Middlebury resident Jim Gish to serve as community liaison for the upcoming project to replace two downtown bridges. The newly created position is responsible for providing timely and accurate information on the project to town residents and businesses, to the media, and to town visitors. The part-time, temporary position is funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
“Jim’s familiarity with the community as a Middlebury resident and as the former chair of the Ilsley Library Board of Trustees, his superb written and oral communication skills, and his positive attitude combined to make him the ideal candidate for the post,” Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay said.
Gish has worked as a senior editor for some of the world’s largest publishing companies and plans to bring the creative problem-solving and relationship-building skills learned in that business to his new work.
“Providing accurate, up-to-date information to the community will be a given, whether it’s using social media or good old-fashioned door-to-door communication,” Gish said. “My focus will also be on developing creative marketing and promotional solutions for Middlebury’s downtown to minimize the impact of this challenging construction project on our business community and on town residents so that at the project’s completion we can look back and say, ‘This was a project that brought the town together.’”
A Middlebury resident since 1998, Gish maintained an office in the Battell Block for 10 years. He serves on an advisory board for design and illustration students at the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center and coached for several years in the Middlebury Area Little League. He is a member of the Vermont State Library Board and Vermont Public Library Foundation, advising the state librarian on matters of policy and strategy. His three sons all graduated from Middlebury Union High School. His wife, Peggy Burns, works at Middlebury College.
Gish can be reached for questions or comments at [email protected].