The following remarks are how Chapter Director Robb Kidd responded to the VT leadership team after the Winter Gathering. See below the images posted from it, and then afterwards Robb's remarks
Thanks to all who participated in Saturday's Winter Gathering and are part of the Sierra Club community. This year’s Gathering reaffirmed for me just how much our work here, and at the Sierra Club writ large, matters during these days of political chaos. I was moved to put together these reflections.
Eleven years ago, when I was hired at the Vermont Sierra Club, an Executive Committee member asked whether it was viable to have a Vermont Chapter, given our small size and the fact that many other environmental organizations dominate the Vermont political landscape. I said that it was. As a well-known organization with a unique grassroots model, the Sierra Club has a lot to offer. We would just need to fill out our ranks to offer even more.
Over my tenure, we have faced challenges, but the 2025/2026 Winter Gathering could not have reassured me more. The dedication of our volunteer leaders was a testament to our legacy. I want to name a few, especially Mark Klindest and Christine Hallquist for carrying out the bulk of the event’s needs; our chair Luke Miller for his amazing speech; our vice chair Zach Hozid for his leadership in planning the event and arranging his law firm’s contribution; the full Executive Committee; Doug Deaett welcoming everyone at the sign-in table; Lori, Mark’s partner, for the amazing job packing up; and our newer and longtime volunteers including Tom, Rick, Dan, Olivia, Carolyn, David, and Bob. I am also grateful to the members who drove from all corners of Vermont to be together. I was particularly moved by the tribute to the long tenure of our award-winning Chapter Treasurer Chris Miller. His volunteering is the source of our chapter’s power and what makes this organization special.
We also saw how welcoming we can be to families. Tom had his son rolling around the hall, Olivia brought her daughter, and Mark’s suggestion to hire my son and his friend Forrest and Rocks as our musical guests was especially meaningful. Let’s keep showing kids that they are part of the solution.
We saw the power of our national organization and the respect we command through U.S. Senator Peter Welch and Vermont State Senator Andrew Perchlik. Both spoke to what the Sierra Club brings to the table and why we need to be here. The co-sponsorship by the Vermont Natural Resources Council, along with sponsorships and donations from individuals and businesses, showed that we are building ever stronger support.
We also saw the strength of our national staff. Alex Craven’s work conserving forested and public lands, Nat Shoaf’s work suing coal, oil, and gas interests, and Jonathan Bond’s work strengthening chapters reinforced that together we can defeat powerful interests. We had enormous support from the Sierra Club Digital Team, Seth Long, and Kate Webb to get the word out. Thanks as well to Aimee Goldstein for coordinating Loren’s role, and to my boss Amanda Sheperd for advising us throughout the process.
Finally, Loren Blackford, our national director, modelled how the Sierra Club is a true community and well suited for this moment. What we do here in Vermont matters to our colleagues across the country, from Minnesota to Indiana to California. Loren showed us that we all matter and that even as a small chapter, we make a real difference.
My gratitude to every one of you who participated in this event and are part of our community. Together we will explore, enjoy, and protect the planet, and we will defeat Trumpism and the MAGA rhetoric of hate and corruption of the land we love.
My best and love to you all,
Robb