Castleton is pleased to welcome Governor Phil Scott to give the address at the University’s 2017 Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13 at 11 a.m. in the Castleton Pavilion.
Governor Phil Scott is a native Vermonter who grew up in Barre, and is a graduate of Spaulding High School and the University of Vermont. In 2000, he was elected to the Vermont Senate, where he represented Washington County for five terms. During his 10-year service in the Senate, he was Vice Chair of the Transportation Committee and Chair of the Institutions Committee. Scott was elected Vermont’s 79th Lieutenant Governor in 2010, serving until January, 2017. The American politician is now serving as the 82nd Governor of the state of Vermont as of January 2017.
“I always look forward to speaking with a graduating class as they look toward a bright and exciting future,” said Scott. “The Castleton University class of 2017 will have tremendous opportunity to do great things here in Vermont and out in the world, and I look forward to having a role in this important milestone."
Throughout his years of public service, Scott has listened to, and learned from Vermonters, and is always willing to roll up his sleeves to help make a difference in people’s lives. As Lt. Governor, he launched the Everyday Jobs Initiative, and Vermont Economy Pitch sessions, for the opportunity to learn from Vermont’s employers and workers. And in 2011, in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, he organized the removal and disposal of mobile homes around the state, which were destroyed by the flood, all at no cost to homeowners and without spending any taxpayer dollars.
Through the Everyday Jobs Initiative, Scott has worked in 35 different professions around the state – working alongside a host of professionals and business owners, from manufacturing floor technicians and beekeepers to emergency room workers and second grade teachers. The Vermont Economy Pitch sessions, started in January 2015, provided businesspeople the platform to pitch ideas directly to legislators on how to improve Vermont’s business climate. Many ideas from those sessions were introduced into the 2015 legislative session, several of them passed into law.
Scott is also active in community service projects. In 2005, he founded the Wheels for Warmth program, through which Vermonters donate tires they no longer need. The tires that meet state inspection standards are offered for resale at affordable prices, with all proceeds benefiting heating fuel assistance programs. More than $ $367,000 has been raised in total, and tires that are not reusable are recycled.
For more than thirty years, Scott was a co-owner of his family construction business, and raced the #14 car at Barre’s Thunder Road for more than two decades. He has the most career wins as a Late Model driver at the track. He’s also an avid cyclist, logging more than 4,000 miles in the last year alone.
Scott currently lives in Berlin with his wife Diana McTeague Scott and their two dogs, a spoiled golden retriever and a loving black lab. He has two grown daughters, Erica and Rachael.
This year’s event will mark Castleton’s 230th Commencement ceremony.
More information is available on Castleton’s 2017 Commencement Ceremony site.