Thomas Chittenden

Thomas Chittenden was born in Dunedin, Florida, and lives in Vermont. Chittenden earned a B.S. in business administration and management information systems in 1999, and an M.B.A. in 2005, both from the University of Vermont. His career experience includes working as a systems engineer at Competitive Computing and as a senior lecturer at the University of Vermont.[1][2]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a Senior Lecturer at the University of Vermont in the Grossman School of Business. I've been at the University since 2010 and I teach courses focused on the application of Information Technology in the modern enterprise. In 2018, I was elected by the University of Vermont Faculty to serve as their Faculty Senate President, and I can't wait to use that experience as your new Chittenden County State Senator.

This past March, I was re-elected to my third term on the South Burlington City Council, and for the last five years I have served on the Green Mountain Transit Board (previously known as CCTA) representing South Burlington as the Chair and Vice Chair of this 13- member commission.

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?

We need Vermont to start growing again so that there are more opportunities for current and future generations to stay, live, work and thrive here in Vermont.We need to align our small towns and cities to work across boundaries for better outcomes at lower costs through regionalization of public services. We are in an affordability crisis - we need to reduce the tax burden on our residents by growing our grand lists, expanding our economy and regionalizing our services.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We are in a climate emergency and we need our state strategies to support people and our planet by reducing our CO2 emissions through smarter transportation, housing and growth policies.

We need to address the systemic racism that persists in many aspects of our society. We need to understand the affects of yesterdays immoral governance on the people of today and repair these harms.

I am a proud Vermonter but I am not proud of our gun laws. I want to see us adopt the same sensible regulatory lens we have on motorized vehicles to firearms.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Howard Dean and Barack Obama.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the Berlin Wall being dismantled. I was 12 years old at the time and it was the first time I started understanding the geopoltical landscape and how soverign nations choose different economic systems and national policy.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I bagged groceries at Martins (now Hannafords) at the University Mall. I had it for ~2 years (Junior & Senior of High School).

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

Diversity of thought, selection method and composition. Decisions are better when there are different perspectives around the table. Having two legislative chambers ensures that representatives of smaller legislative districts are balanced against the regional and macro-state interests.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Mostly yes. I am running for State Senate because my experience with three terms on the South Burlington City Council and as Chair of the Board of Commissioners for the largest public transporatation municipal entity in the state has exposed me to relevant experience in how the state operates, funds, and elects its leaders. I am only running for State Senate because I have this relevant experience as I believe it will inform my service to best represent our community.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Climate Change. It is an existential threat to our species.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

One that is decided by independent redistricting commissions with hired non-partisan state staff - and NOT by politicians.