The Town of Woodstock is seeking a full-time economic development director.
“Woodstock is entering a transformative new chapter,” town officials stated in a job posting on the town website and via multiple employment websites in mid-May. “With the recent successful acquisition of our local water company, we’ve secured a vital resource for long-term sustainability and growth. Now we’re moving quickly to expand housing and unlock new opportunities for residents and businesses,” the posting continued.
The establishment of the full-time economic development director position is an outgrowth of year-long joint discussions between the Woodstock Town Selectboard, Village Trustees, and municipal manager Eric Duffy about short- and long-term strategic planning for the community. Selectperson Laura Powell, in particular, has spearheaded discussions about economic development priorities and goals in the municipality in recent months. She and Duffy teamed up to craft the job description for the new position in collaboration with the selectboard, trustees, and representatives of the Woodstock Economic Development Commission (EDC) and the area Chamber of Commerce.
“We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Economic Development Director to help shape [the] future,” Powell and Duffy wrote in the introduction to the job description that was posted on municipal administration and planning employment websites throughout New England and on online employment listings such as Indeed. “This is a pivotal role — one that will directly influence the economic resilience and prosperity of our community,” the employment posting added. “If you’re passionate about building stronger, more vibrant towns through smart planning, bold partnerships, and inclusive development, we invite you to be part of this exciting journey.”
The deadline for applying for the newly created post is Friday, June 6. Woodstock chief of staff Stephanie Appelfeller, who is also the town’s zoning administrator, said that as of Monday, she had preliminarily screened numerous applications for the position, “about 10” of which merited consideration for first-round interviews with a selection committee. While the application deadline is the end of this week, Appelfeller said the job posting will remain open through the end of the interview process “just in case there are any late comers.”
For more on this, please see our June 5 edition of the Vermont Standard.
