Vermont Development Conference

Joseph Barra
Construction Attorney | Robinson + Cole LLP

Joseph Barra is a partner in the Boston office of Robinson + Cole LLP and has practiced construction law for over 30 years. Licensed in Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont, he represents owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, and design professionals in transactional matters and disputes. An adjunct professor of construction law at Wentworth Institute of Technology, Joseph is also a construction arbitrator, member of the AAA DRB Panel of Neutrals, and certified mediator. A Bachelor of Science graduate in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute, he previously worked as an engineer in New York. Chambers certified, he was recently named a “Go To” Construction Lawyer in Massachusetts by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

Beth Boutin
Vice President of Community Investments | Evernorth

Beth Boutin is Vice President of Community Investments at Evernorth, where she leads a 11-member team across the Burlington, Vermont, and Portland, Maine, offices. She oversees Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and New Markets Tax Credit strategies throughout northern New England, guiding project origination, underwriting, and deal structuring. With 29 years of experience in economic and community development finance, Beth has held roles at the Vermont Community Loan Fund, Evergreen Community Development Association, and the State of Vermont. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Vermont and lives in Montpelier with her family.

Chris Campany
Executive Director | Windham Regional Commission

Chris Campany is Executive Director of the Windham Regional Commission in Brattleboro, Vermont, serving 27 towns in southeastern Vermont. He leads emergency planning, disaster response and recovery, and conservation for the state’s 11 regional planning commissions, and chairs the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership. Previously, he was Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture and Graduate Program Coordinator at Mississippi State University, and held leadership roles in Calvert County, Maryland; Orange County, New York; and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. Chris holds a B.A. in Political Science and master’s degrees in Public Policy and Administration and Landscape Architecture. He lives in Townshend.

Kevin Chu
Executive Director | Vermont Futures Project

Kevin Chu grew up in Vermont and wants to grow old here too. He is the son of immigrants and a graduate of Middlebury College, where he studied the environment and education while competing in track and field. Before joining the Vermont Futures Project, Kevin worked at the University of Vermont in diversity recruitment, advising, communications, community engagement, economic development, and strategic planning. He is now Executive Director of the Vermont Futures Project, a nonpartisan organization using data to guide Vermont’s economic evolution. His work developing an Economic Action Plan has taken him across the state toward a more affordable, abundant future.

Dominic Cloud
City Manager | City of St. Albans, Vermont

Over the last 15 years, Dominic Cloud has directed the comprehensive redevelopment of St. Albans, Vermont, from his position as city manager. Under his tenure, the City has demonstrated the power of forming public/private partnerships to advance economic development projects. Dominic previously served as the director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns Municipal Assistance Center and as a lobbyist in the Statehouse. He received an M.P.A. from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a B.A. in Government from St. John’s University. He lives in Essex, Vermont, with his family.

Chris Cochran
Director of Community Planning and Revitalization | Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development

Chris Cochran leads a skilled, multi-disciplinary team in the Community Planning and Revitalization Division at Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development. They manage a $40M budget and take a place-based approach to community development—aligning land use policies, programs, and funding to help state and local leaders build prosperous, inclusive, and resilient downtowns, villages, and neighborhoods. Chris holds a Master’s in Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia’s College of Environment and Design and previously worked with UGA’s Center for Community Design and Preservation. He lives with his wife, Stephanie, and their Bengal cats in a former village store.

Will Dodge
Director, CEO and Managing Partner | DRM

Will Dodge leverages DRM’s collective creativity, experience, and environmental awareness to guide clients in telecommunications, land use, energy, and environmental law. He has secured approvals for carriers, utilities, tower developers, and broadcasters, including in areas with strong local opposition and complex zoning, title, and litigation issues. Will played a key role in creating Vermont’s Section 248a permitting process and New Hampshire’s SB101 siting reforms. He also assists energy and real estate clients with permitting, rights-of-way, and hazardous materials projects, using Vermont’s BRELLA program to resolve title issues for contaminated properties.

Jeff Dube, P.L.A.
Landscape Architect and Planner | Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Jeff Dube is a landscape architect and planner in the Community Planning and Revitalization Division at Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development. With experience spanning large-scale master plans, mixed-use town centers, and neighborhood pocket parks, Jeff integrates design, ecology, and urban systems to enrich communities and bring their vision to life. His work includes downtown revitalization efforts across the Northeast, the award-winning Ellicott City Watershed Master Plan, and several projects along Vermont’s Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Jeff collaborates with designers, engineers, policymakers, and the public to create places that foster connection, economic vitality, and a strong sense of place.

Alex Farrell
Commissioner of Housing and Community Development | Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development

Alex Farrell is Vermont’s Commissioner of Housing and Community Development; previously, he served the Department as Deputy Commissioner. Prior to public service, Alex worked in data and corporate strategy. Alex also serves as Chair of the Board for the Vermont State Housing Authority, and is on the Board of Housing Foundation, Inc, and the Vermont Foundation of Recovery. In the past, Alex has volunteered on several Boards and Commissions, including the Vermont Real Estate Commission on which he served as chair for several years; Alex also served the city of Burlington on the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Commission, the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board, and the Board for Registration of Voters. Alex is a Vermont native who was raised in Shelburne and attended the University of Vermont for his undergraduate degree, and Clarkson University for his master’s degree; he lives in South Burlington with his wife and son.

Kendall Fortney
Program Director | Vermont Research Open Source Program Office

Kendall Fortney is Program Director of the Vermont Research Open Source Program Office (VERSO) at the University of Vermont, where he supports the open-source ecosystem by engaging faculty, students, and the local community. Through the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA), he fosters innovation and collaboration on student-run projects. Previously, Kendall was the inaugural Fellow at the Vermont Center for Geographic Information, contributing to geospatial and data science initiatives. He has organized the Burlington Data Scientist Meetup and the Open Source Connector, and led conferences such as GeoDatSci 2018 and PyData Vermont in 2024 and 2025, advancing community-driven technology statewide.

Robert Freas
Principal | Exponent

Robert Freas is a principal in Exponent’s construction consulting practice, advising on risk management, project controls, change management, scheduling, process improvement, dispute avoidance, and the preparation or defense of claims. He has developed, analyzed, and defended disputes involving delays, inefficiencies, and cost overruns, and is recognized as an expert in CPM scheduling, construction delay and inefficiency claims, and related damages. He provides risk analysis for owners and contractors, including contract assessments, probabilistic scheduling, and cost evaluations. Robert is president and fellow of the Project Management College of Schedule, and 2022–23 chair of the Washington Building Congress board, and frequently lectures on claims avoidance and risk mitigation.

Jessica Hartleben
Executive Director | Vermont Economic Progress Council

Jessica Hartleben is the Executive Director of the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC), which serves as the approval body for the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI) program, Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District program, and newly created Community Housing Infrastructure Program(CHIP). In addition to running her own law practice, she also previously served as Staff Attorney for the Vermont Department of Economic Development and as an Assistant Attorney General in the Vermont Department of Children and Families’ Family Services Division. She graduated from Vermont Law School and the University of Maine.

Morgan Hood
Manager of Innovative Products and Services | VGS

Morgan Hood currently serves as the Manager of Innovative Products and Services at VGS. She brings 18 years of experience in the energy industry to her work designing and managing products and services focused on decarbonization and efficiency. Morgan’s highly developed and wide-ranging customer engagement expertise with energy users—from the individual homeowner or renter to large industrial companies—helps her unlock the invaluable customer insights that fuel the product development process. Her method-based approach employs the principles of design thinking, value proposition design, and the business model canvas as creative frameworks for evidence-based decision-making.

Chris Huston
Vice President of Preconstruction | ReArch Construction

Chris Huston is Vice President of Preconstruction at ReArch Construction, where he leads planning and development with a focus on collaboration, innovation, and sustainable building practices. A licensed architect with more than 35 years of experience, Chris serves as ReArch’s primary client contact during preconstruction, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and shared vision across stakeholders. He brings expertise in energy-efficient construction and projects incorporating geothermal systems. Before joining ReArch, he held leadership roles at DiNisco Design Architects, Bread Loaf Corporation, and Bellwether Architects. Chris earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Roger Williams University and lives in Vermont with his family.

Diantha Korzun, AIA LEED AP
Firm Partner | gb Architecture

A partner at gbA, Diantha Korzun is committed to socially conscious projects and the creation of beautiful, sustainable buildings that are suited to their place through studying the culture, climate, and environment. Diantha has extensive design and project leadership experience, and has been focused on working on school and community projects in the U.S. and abroad for over twenty-five years. She has lived and worked all over the world, which has fueled her passion for discovering the unique qualities of people and places in order to design spaces that fit the environment but are of the time.

Steve Kredell, AIA
Principal | gbArchitecture

Steve worked as an architect in NYC and Pittsburgh before moving to Vermont. Prior to joining gbArchitecture, he was a founding partner of McLeod Kredell Architects, which was honored as one Architectural Record’s 2020 Design Vanguards. His projects range from multi-family housing and university buildings to small scale community-based projects. He also founded Design Assembly, a nonprofit design-build organization that builds small projects for communities in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire.

Brian Leet, AIA, LEED AP, CSI
Senior Project Manager, Freeman French Freeman

Brian Leet has over 25 years of design and project management experience in Vermont and Pennsylvania. During his 13 years with Freeman French Freeman, Brian has led many of the firm’s flagship projects including City Market, the Pomerleau Family YMCA, and Burlington High School and Technical Center. Brian brings a deep understanding of building science and sustainable design to every project.

Matthew Littell
Principal at Utile, Inc, Boston, Massachusetts

Matthew Littell is a founding principal of Utile, where he focuses on architecture, planning, and early-phase development projects. He is an expert in building and zoning codes and the regulatory process, particularly as they relate to urban design and housing. Matthew specializes in multifamily residential, especially affordable and middle-income housing. Utile currently has more than 500 subsidized units in design or under construction for community development corporations including The Neighborhood Developers, Urban Edge, VietAID, and the Portland Housing Authority. Matthew earned his M.Arch. from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1997, where he received multiple design awards.

Anne Minor
Senior Project Manager |  PC Construction

Anne Minor leads complex construction projects across Vermont and New Hampshire, bringing 17 years of experience and three degrees from Clarkson University. Her technical expertise and collaborative leadership have shaped high-profile developments including the Waterbury State Office Complex Redevelopment, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center Emergency Department, and the Omni Mount Washington Resort Guestroom Addition. She serves on the boards of AGC/VT and the Vermont Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), is a certified firefighter, and champions innovation in construction through Lean principles and execution strategies.

Kurt Naser
Director of Preconstruction | PC Construction

As Director of Preconstruction, Kurt Naser leads PC’s preconstruction and cost estimating services for projects across the Northeast. He manages a team of estimators and preconstruction managers that are responsible for detailed cost modeling ranging from conceptual estimates through guaranteed maximum price (GMP) proposals. Kurt has extensive experience in value engineering, constructability reviews, and construction system analyses, backed by years as a project manager and project engineer. Kurt holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University. He is an avid skier and resides with his wife and two sons in Essex Junction. In his free time, he can be found on the field or mountain coaching youth soccer, baseball, and skiing.

Toby Rittner, D.F.C.P., E.D.F.P.
President and CEO | Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA)

Toby Rittner is the President and CEO of the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA), a national association dedicated to advancing development finance, and Chairman of the CDFA Foundation. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices in the field, he has advised local, state, and federal leaders, including the past four Administrations, on development finance policy. Under his leadership, CDFA preserved private activity bonds during the 2017 tax reform and helped reauthorize and fund the $10 billion State Small Business Credit Initiative program. Toby has authored strategic finance plans for agencies nationwide and internationally, and wrote The Practitioner’s Guide to Economic Development Finance. He is a faculty member at The Ohio State University and Carnegie Mellon University, a Development Finance Certified Professional, and a graduate of the Oxford University Sustainable Finance Foundation Course. Toby holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.

Chris Roy
Director | DRM

Chris Roy is Chair of DRM’s Litigation Group and a member of its Complex Land Use and Development Group, which brings together practitioners from multiple disciplines to assist clients with complex land use and development matters. A seasoned litigator and trial lawyer, Chris develops customized strategies for commercial and real property litigation, including environmental and land use permitting, and represents clients statewide in a broad spectrum of disputes. A former Williston Selectboard and Vermont Environmental Board member, he regularly appears before the Environmental Division and other Vermont trial courts, and has handled over 50 appeals before the Vermont Supreme Court and other appellate courts.

Kelsey Schweitzer
Associate | DRM

Kelsey Schweitzer is an associate in DRM’s Litigation Group and a member of the firm’s Complex Land Use and Development Group. She collaborates with experienced litigators and transactional attorneys to achieve her clients’ goals in a wide variety of matters, providing thorough legal research and thoughtful analysis.  Prior to joining DRM, Kelsey clerked for the Environmental Division of the Vermont Superior Court, where she assisted the court in several permitting matters.  At DRM, Kelsey continues to build her land use and permitting legal practice, working with Chris Roy and others on a variety of land use appeals, permit applications, and property disputes. 

Paul Simon
Principal and Branch Manager | Bowman
Developer | The Housing Initiative LLCPaul Simon is a Principal and Branch Manager with Bowman and a developer with The Housing Initiative LLC. With more than 25 years of experience in landscape architecture and development, Paul provides expertise in permitting, municipal requirements, green design initiatives, sustainability, and ADA regulations. He leads Bowman’s New Hampshire office in Hanover, overseeing projects from feasibility through construction, including housing, industrial centers, parks, and campuses. Paul holds a B.S. in Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky. A licensed landscape architect in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, he also serves on boards and is co-author of Urban Gardening for Dummies.

Emma Spett
Program Coordinator | Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships at the University of Vermont

Emma Spett works for the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships at the University of Vermont, where she builds collaborative programming related to rural data services, community needs assessments, and other community–university partnerships. Emma supports capacity building across Vermont’s most rural communities and employs systematic approaches to enhancing wellbeing across the state. Emma is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Community Development and Applied Economics, and teaches courses in the University of Vermont’s Public Administration program. Outside of her work at the University, Emma operates an inn and restaurant with her partner in Jamaica, Vermont.

Kevin Stapleton
Economic and Labor Market Information Division Assistant Director | Vermont Department of Labor

Kevin Stapleton is a labor market economist and Assistant Director of Economic and Labor Market Information at the Vermont Department of Labor, where he oversees labor market data programs, analyzes economic trends, and travels statewide to discuss the Vermont economy. He also teaches economics and international development at the University of Vermont. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of Vermont. Outside work, he’s often cycling, running in the woods, or in ice-cold arenas watching his 12-year-old daughter play hockey. His love for economics began in fifth grade—when he forgot his lunch money.

Craig Steigerwalt
Managing Engineer | Freeman French Freeman 

Craig Steigerwalt has over twenty years of experience in the construction and engineering industries. He has worked as a designer, contractor, owner’s representative, and construction consultant. His expertise is in project management, risk management, scheduling, productivity analyses, cost estimating, and damage analyses. He often works alongside owners in ensuring their programs are successful and mitigating risk, while also helping owners and contractors resolve their claims and litigation on troubled projects by providing expert witness services. Rooted in New England, when not helping solve clients’ problems, Craig is often spending time in the great outdoors with his wife and two children.

David White 
Founder and President | White + Burke Real Estate Advisors

David has been involved with the Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) since its beginning, having originated the concept in the fall of 2024 when he circulated a memo to interested parties outlining a rough concept and seeking feedback.  Subsequently, in coordination with Let’s Build Homes and others, he developed a more robust description that was used as the basis for the first draft of the legislation. He actively participated in the legislative process that led to passage of the CHIP bill and in the development of the CHIP guidance document. CHIP grew out of White + Burke’s deep understanding of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), having advised on eight of the ten active TIF districts in Vermont and having set up six of those.  David has been active in Vermont’s development industry for 45 years and specializes in public/private partnerships and managing complex development projects.