I am writing to encourage neighbors and friends in the Addison -3 District (Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes, Waltham) to vote for Matt Birong so that he may represent us in the Vermont Legislature in January 2019.
Matt Birong has the energy, commitment, vision, and experience to represent us well. He believes in a strong local economy and as a successful business owner in Vergennes, he knows the importance of a vibrant downtown. He also understands that economic vibrancy does not happen in a vacuum. It takes collaboration, patience and creative thinking for a community to thrive. He also understands that in order for businesses to thrive, there needs to be an educated and fairly compensated workforce. He gets the connection between accessible and effective education and the ability to foster a strong workforce. In this regard he is a champion for education models that complement the variations in a learner, which includes expanded vocational education options. He also believes in a socially conscious approach to the environment and the effects sustainable practices may have on communities and businesses.
I think we can all agree that healthy communities, healthy businesses, healthy education systems, and a healthy environment are important to all of us. Matt Birong is uniquely qualified to be our champion in Montpelier on all of these issues. I urge you to vote for Matt Birong and allow him to bring his fresh, exciting, and passionate perspective to our state capital in 2019. 
Gerianne Smart
Waltham