MONKTON — After a brief search, the Monkton selectboard appointed longtime resident Marikate Kelley to fill an open seat vacated by Rodger Parker, who resigned from the board last month.
“For now I’m just getting my feet wet,” Kelley said after Monday’s meeting. “This is a great town and a great group of people, and I want to be of service to my community.”
Two official meetings in, she added with a grin, “I haven’t changed my mind about that.”
Kelley is no stranger to service. She volunteered with the Peace Corps in the West African nation of Sierra Leone. And she knows her way around a boardroom, too, having served on both Monkton’s school board and the Vermont Principals’ Association executive council.
She also brings legal expertise to her new position. A partner in Woodward & Kelley, she practices law from her home office.
“We’re excited about having someone with her expertise and long-standing commitment to the community,” said Monkton Selectboard Chairman Stephen Pilcher.
Kelley has lived in Monkton since 1995. Her daughters, 13 and 15, attend Mount Abraham Union High School, and her partner, Emmy Harvey, works at the Counseling Service of Addison County.
Selectboard member Kelley has another title as well: Coach Kelley. Next spring will be her third leading the Vergennes/Mount Abraham cooperative girls’ lacrosse program.
Kelley officially joined the board on Nov. 26. Her term, begun by Parker in 2016, expires in March, and she will have to run for election on Town Meeting Day. She plans to do so, she said.
In the meantime, she’ll have plenty of work to do as the selectboard focuses on crafting next year’s budget and reviewing a new town plan expected soon from the town planning commission.
Reach Christopher Ross at [email protected].