Community
By Lisa Counsell, CTFA
I had the honor, recently, of being asked to join a panel of professionals for an estate planning workshop hosted by the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Women’s Fund. The workshop was specifically designed for women to learn
about and to discuss estate, investment, and planned giving strategies. We gathered at a beautiful church in the small town of Peru, Vermont, only a short distance from our TCV office in Manchester.
Several of my illustrious TCV colleagues have joined this type of panel before me and the event organizer sang their praises, highlighting, especially, their sense of humor. I am a lot of things, but I do not consider myself particularly funny! This left me a bit anxious as I took my microphone, but I was soon completely engaged in the day. The turnout was great, and the attendees came prepared with fantastic questions and an eagerness to participate in what turned out to be a very lively and informative discussion on a wide range of topics.
Here at TCV we often discuss and ponder our core values. One that has always meant a great deal to me is our core value of Community. A commitment to our Vermont communities was a key component of our founders’ vision back in 1999. Not only Trust Company of Vermont as an entity, but our employee-owners individually and collectively invest time and resources in support of our local communities.
I have been inspired, therefore, to learn more about my fellow employee-owners’ community endeavors. An article on all of us all at once would likely read more as a novella, so it seems appropriate to highlight a few at a time.
Livia DeMarchis, one of our in-house counsel working in our Burlington office, has been very involved in the state legislative process. She participated in the development of the Uniform Acts for Power of Attorney, Directed Trusts, and Decanting in Vermont. She is also on the boards of both the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival and Burlington City Arts, welcoming musicians from far and wide to Burlington each August and promoting art appreciation and education in the wider Burlington community. Livia enjoys art personally as well, most recently taking classes in jewelry making and wood block printing.
Chris Lafayette, a portfolio manager in our Burlington office, participated in a recent Business to Business Conference (along with our colleague Jill Ravey-Dolan). The opportunity to spend time with our peers and educate about what we do is critical to strengthening the resources we have to offer our clients and our communities. Chris takes educational outreach further in currently teaching “Financial Statement Analysis” at UVM. The obvious benefit is to the students, but Chris is quick to point out that he is learning as well. Younger people have a different perspective on finance and investing. Observing and understanding their habits and preferences is eye-opening! Outside of the office and classroom, Chris coaches 3rd and 4th grade basketball.
I caught up with Jeanne Blackmore, another of our in-house counsel, after a tennis session! Jeanne is a skilled tennis player and has also written numerous legal articles and given many presentations in her career. She now acts as a mentor for others building their professional resumes. She supports them in identifying opportunities, defining themes and outlining an article or speaking topic.
Jeanne, as do several of our employee-owners, works closely with our clients’ estate planning attorneys. We collectively manage hundreds of trusts and are eager to share our administrative experience. Jeanne, especially, has a wealth of estate and tax planning knowledge that she is happy to share with fellow attorneys, a collaboration that strengthens the estate planning skill available in the wider Vermont community.
I have thought a lot about one of Jeanne’s final comments when we were talking about this article. She was elaborating on the view of another colleague, Nanette Stevens. “We help people.” When we sit down with a client or a prospective client, our goal is to help, to orient, to prepare them to work with their team – their attorney, their accountant. Of all the elements that go into building a healthy community, one of the first is helping people be prepared. Managing your personal affairs is a big part of being prepared.
Community means a lot of things. There is no doubt that we live in uncertain times. Great stability comes from a strong community, and I am proud to be part of a company that embraces this core value. I am prouder still to be included among my fellow employee-owners in experiencing the joy of participation. I hope to have more opportunities, and I hope, from time to time, to be able to share the stories of more of our employee-owners.