Teamwork
By Susan Fowler, Esq., Vice President
What do a horse, a donkey, and a goat have to do with Trust Company of Vermont? Nothing really, but they offer an interesting analogy. Years ago, I retired a show horse and brought her home from the barn where she had been stabled for training and access to an indoor ring during the long, cold Vermont winters. I found a raggedly donkey at an auction and bought him as a companion for the mare. Strange as the partnership may have been, Jazz and Marley lived comfortably together for fourteen years, the donkey’s solid implacability a welcome counter to the mare’s nervous energy. They were wildly different, yet a perfect pair. Three years ago, I accepted a goat into the fold. He had been living in a UVM fraternity and kept in a dark closet between parties. He could handle his beer with the best of them, but UVM did not present the ideal life for a goat, and he was a nervous wreck. I never intended to keep him because, well, who really needs a goat, but the day the fraternity boys dropped him off he ran frantically into the mare’s stall and she immediately accepted him as her own. His strengths included eating my garden, refusing to be corralled, butting the nice stall doors until they were bent and battered, and coming into the house through the dog door for daily visits. These are strengths in only the most forgiving of terms. Yet, having him as part of the family strengthened the whole herd; donkey, goat, and show horse soon became a solid trio, each different and offering something of their own to the mix.
Working at Trust Company of Vermont has reinforced my belief in the power of differences.
The investment managers, with their quiet competence and knowledge of the financial world; the detail-oriented operations folks, who keep our systems in perfect order and update everything on what seems to be a daily basis; the relationship managers, who bring in clients and handle complex and delicate communications; trust administrators, who move funds and handle innumerable personal and financial requests graciously and expeditiously every day; technical support people, who strive to keep us safe from cyber-attacks and scare us frequently with trainings and fake hackings to keep us alert; the tax experts, with their intimidating knowledge; our internal auditor, who keeps us following proper procedures and designs our newsletter; and the lawyers, like me, looking to be useful when needed. Our personalities and strengths could not be more different, yet together we make a strong team. It is precisely our differences that make us invaluable to one another. I feel fortunate to be here, learning every day and working to use my specific strengths for the good of the company. My beloved mare died three years ago, and we all grieved. The good news is that the donkey is not alone. He has his goat. The TCV team similarly shifts and adjusts to change, including Jack Davidson’s recent retirement as CEO and shift to estate planning and internal training for the company. We adjust and move forward together, learning as we go and grateful for our differences.
A Note on COVID-19
The State of Vermont recently announced that 80% of eligible Vermonters have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Consequently, the Administration declared an end to the pandemic-related restrictions that had been in effect since March of 2020, and the state of emergency order was lifted. This means that mask wearing and social distancing are no longer required. The State is still encouraging any unvaccinated Vermonters to continue wearing masks and practice social distancing.
Due to the lifting of restrictions, many employee-owners of Trust Company of Vermont have been meeting with individuals face-to-face in our offices. If you would like to meet with us, please do not hesitate to contact us. In accordance with the guidelines, we no longer require mask wearing or social distancing. However, we are more than happy to wear a mask during a meeting if requested. The comfort of our clients is a top priority.
Although we are scheduling in-person meetings, we also continue to participate in virtual meetings. Virtual meetings are efficient, and technology has allowed us to meet with people located all across the state, country and world. We are happy to continue to arrange virtual meetings if it is preferred by an individual.
We wish everyone a happy and healthy summer!