Michael Pieciak

Mike Pieciak earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from Union College in 2006 and a law degree from the University of Miami in 2009.[1][2][3] Pieciak's career experience includes working as a corporate attorney; as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida; and for the Burlington, Vermont, law office of Downs Rachlin Martin.[4][5] In 2012 he managed the re-election campaign of former Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell. In 2008, Pieciak was a Vermont delegate to the Democratic National Convention.[6][7][8] He served on the board of trustees of Vermont State College and the Advisory Committee on Small and Emerging Growth Companies of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.[1]

From 2016 to 2022, Pieciak was Vermont’s Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation. Between 2014 and 2016, he was the deputy commissioner of the securities division of the same department.[9][10]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Mike grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont.

He returned to Vermont after law school and served as the Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, where he recouped millions of dollars for taxpayers and worked to protect consumers from financial harm.

With the outbreak of the pandemic, Gov. Phil Scott asked Mike to help lead Vermont’s COVID-19 response as the state’s chief data and modeling expert.

Mike lives in Winooski with his partner, Will, and their English Setter, Jetty.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Strong PensionsSustainable EconomyFinancial Literacy

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Mike believes in supporting our teachers and public sector workers—including in retirement. This means working to fully fund the state’s pension system and drive down unfunded liabilities.

Appointed to Vermont’s Pension Task Force by the Legislature, Mike spent months working alongside lawmakers and union representatives to forge a compromise that strengthens VT’s pension system and reduces its unfunded liabilities by $2 billion. Passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, this proposal is now law.

As Treasurer, Mike would continue to advocate for public sector workers in retirement. He would also regularly update the public on the status of the pension system and its investments to create accountability and transparency in the Treasurer’s Office.

The fear of outliving savings in retirement is real and frightening. We must ensure Vermonters have the necessary financial and investment skills to save, invest, plan and enjoy retirement. The Office of the Treasurer plays a critical role ensuring all Vermonters have the chance to learn these important financial lessons through workshops, partnerships, and educational programing.

Mike is also committed to strengthening Vermont’s economy by supporting investments in housing, childcare, and climate action. Addressing these three challenges is essential to attracting new Vermonters to our state, preserving the Vermont we love, and ensuring all Vermonters have the resources to thrive, regardless of where they live.

Campaign website

Pieciak’s campaign website stated the following:

Pensions

Mike believes in supporting our teachers, state employees, and public sector workers—including in retirement. This means working to fully fund the state’s pension system and drive down unfunded liabilities.

Appointed to Vermont’s Pension Task Force by the Legislature, Mike spent months working alongside lawmakers and union representatives to forge a compromise that strengthens Vermont’s pension system and reduces its unfunded liabilities by $2 billion. Passed unanimously by both the House and Senate, this proposal is now law.

As Treasurer, Mike would continue to advocate for public sector workers and their dignity in retirement. He would also regularly update the public on the status of the pension system and its investments to create accountability and transparency in the Treasurer’s Office.

Sustainability

Climate change is a fundamental threat to our way of life and economy. As Vermont’s climate continues to grow warmer and wetter, Vermont’s traditional industries—such as maple sugaring, foliage tourism, ski season, and agriculture—will continue to be at risk.

We must continue to take steps to mitigate and reduce the impact of climate change. Mike supports recent efforts by the federal government that would require publicly traded companies to uniformly disclose their carbon impact. This important step would make it considerably easier for individuals to invest in eco-friendly financial portfolios.

As we continue to transition to a lower carbon economy, many high-carbon industries, like fossil fuel production, will make for bad long-term investments.

Mike supports transitioning Vermont’s assets away from fossil fuels and into more environmentally and economically sustainable investments. If done strategically, these steps will ensure strong long-term returns on Vermont’s pension assets and will benefit our climate.

Housing & Workforce

Housing prices in Vermont are more expensive than ever. According to one report, the median sale price of a single-family home increased by more than 16% in 2021 to $382,750.

The pandemic has exacerbated existing housing issues, limiting supply chains, slowing development, and attracting out-of-state buyers. As more housing stock has been converted to investment properties or second homes, prices continue to rise and availability dwindles.

The rising cost of housing has had a profound effect on Vermont’s workforce: with fewer units available, workers have had to commute further and further from their jobs or move out of state completely.

We must continue to make investment in affordable housing across our state and make it easier to build housing in our growing communities.

Financial literacy

Over the last 30 years, there has been a fundamental shift in how Americans save for retirement. Pensions are now largely limited to the public sector, leaving most Vermonters responsible for saving and investing for their own retirements.

The fear of outliving savings in retirement is real and frightening. Accordingly, we must ensure Vermonters have the necessary financial and investment skills to save, invest, plan and enjoy retirement. The Office of the Treasurer plays a critical role ensuring all Vermonters have the opportunities to learn these important financial lessons through workshops, partnerships and educational programing.[11]

—Michael Pieciak’s campaign website (2022)[12]