Roger Allbee has announced that he is a candidate for the Vermont State Senate, representing Windham County, as a Democrat. Allbee will contest the Democratic primary on August 26 with incumbent Senator Jeanette White, as well as several other candidates. He will enjoy the endorsement of Senator Peter Galbraith who has decided to not seek reelection.
Allbee is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Administrator of Grace Cottage Hospital / Carlos G. Otis Health Care Center in Townshend and is the former Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets for the State of Vermont. Additionally, he is working on VIEWBOOST, a rural tourism application for mobile devices, which connects tourists to places, events and businesses in real time and is using Vermont as a model.
“I have decided to be a candidate for the Vermont State Senate because I am passionate about Vermont and believe that my life experiences will benefit not only the residents of Windham County but also Vermont, as we tackle the important issues affecting our quality of life,” Allbee said.
“The upcoming legislative session may be the most consequential since the one that passed Act 250 in 1970,” Allbee explained, “I am committed to an issues-oriented campaign around sustainable funding for health care reform, education, property tax relief, environmental issues including protecting our forests, job creation for our young people and increasing our high tech competitiveness.”
Allbee was raised in Brookline. His educational background reflects his commitment to the continued advancement of agriculture. He received his B.S. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Vermont, and a master’s in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts. He has completed the Cornell University Agricultural Executives Program, and the Harvard Business School Agribusiness Seminars. He has received numerous awards including the Outstanding Alumni Award, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences from the University of Vermont, and the Honor Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society of America. Mr. Allbee served in the U.S. Army in Special Weapons with the Rank of Captain.
Allbee has been an early advocate for the Working Landscape Initiative in Vermont for agriculture and forestry, and has been part of the group of leaders building the consortium for a higher education food systems educational collaborative in the state. He was an advisor to the President of Vermont Technical College on the creation of an Institute for Applied Agriculture and Food Systems and chairs the Advisory Committee to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont.
Allbee and his wife, Ann, have three children, Kathleen, Douglas, and Karen.
His passion for Vermont and commitment to his community was evidenced by being a finalist for “Vermonter of the Year” by the Burlington Free Press.
“I have always found a way to bring people with differing viewpoints together to get a mix of ideas and approaches to work through issues,” Allbee said, “It leads to much better solutions.”
“With my background, depth of experience, energy, time – and most of all – encouragement of my friends and
family, I strongly believe that my time in the legislature will be beneficial to my constituents and fellow Vermonters,” Allbee declared.
For more information, please visit www.allbeeforsenate.com or on Facebook, Allbee for State Senate.
Too much political babble here
What is sustainable funding for health care? Lots of talk about agriculture but nothing about the right of all Vermonters to have good nutrition. Nothing about a living wage, campaign financing, paid sick days, a state bank, energy production…So far he’s postioned himself at the point where the Democratic right merges into the Republican left. However he just came out of the corner. Maybe he needs a little time to carve out and articulate a stronger case for himself.