Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale Named 2024 VBSR Legislator of the Year
Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale Named 2024 VBSR Legislator of the Year
To Be Honored at the VBSR Legislative Breakfast, Wednesday, December 11
Burlington, Vt. (November 18, 2024) – Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) has recognized Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale from Shelburne (Chittenden-Southeast District) with their 2024 VBSR Legislator of the Year Award. Senator Ram Hinsdale will be honored as VBSR’s Legislator of the Year during the 2024 VBSR Legislative Breakfast on Wednesday, December 11 when VBSR will also announce its 2025 Advocacy Agenda.
VBSR is a statewide, nonprofit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. VBSR advocates on behalf of Vermont’s businesses, people, and environment toward sustainable economic development, social equity, and environmental stewardship – policies that support a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet.
“VBSR has led the way in finding the light at the crossroads between the economy and the environment,” said Senator Ram Hinsdale. “Now, more than ever, we need their innovative approaches and collaborative spirit to solve our most intractable problems. That is why I have always been proud to be their partner and am honored to receive the VBSR Legislator of the Year Award for 2024.”
Senator Ram Hinsdale is the first woman of color to serve in the State Senate, and is chair of the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee. She also sits on the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Justice Oversight Committee.
She received a BS in natural resource planning and a BA in political science from the University of Vermont in 2008. She served in the Vermont House of Representatives on behalf of Burlington, Chittenden District 6-4, from 2008 to 2016, where she sat on the House General, Housing and Military Affairs, and Ways and Means Committees, and served as vice chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. Senator Ram Hinsdale earned her Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2018.
“Senator Ram Hinsdale is a leader in building equity in Vermont. She not only champions climate justice but works to ensure all Vermonters can thrive in the Green Mountain State,” said VBSR’s Public Policy Manager, Johanna de Graffenreid. “Her ability to pull together a wide range of under-heard voices, center these conversations in our policy decisions, and raise up the needs of those most impacted by environmental and economic injustice is why we are pleased to present her with the 2024 VBSR Legislator of the Year Award.”
When not in the legislature, Senator Ram Hinsdale has taught Structural Inequality and Environmental Justice at Vermont Law & Graduate School. She has also served as co-chair of the Vermont Attorney General’s Immigration Task Force and as a member of the boards of Emerge Vermont, the Main Street Alliance of Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the Regenerative Food Network, and the Vermont Natural Resources Council.
She lives with her husband, Jacob Hinsdale, and their two children, Mira and Wesley, in Shelburne, Vermont.
Registration for the 2024 VBSR Legislative Breakfast is open and the popular gathering of VBSR members, policymakers, advocates, and state officials is expected to sell out. The annual event takes place on Wednesday, December 11, from 8:00-10:00 a.m. at The Main Street Landing Film House, The Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center’s world class cinema hall, 60 Lake Street, Burlington.
Host Sponsor: The Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center; Lead Sponsor: Paul Frank + Collins; Supporting Sponsors: Green Mountain Power, University of Vermont Health Network; Beverage Sponsor: Kestrel Coffee Roasters.
About VBSR
VBSR is a statewide, non-profit business association with a mission to leverage the power of business for positive social and environmental impact. VBSR’s 700 member businesses and organizations strive toward a just, thriving, and transformative economy that works for all people and the planet through shared learning, community building, and collective action. Learn more or join the cause at www.vbsr.org.
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