This month’s member spotlight is a feature on Jessica Brown (she/her)! Jessica has been a resident of Vermont for 14 years and is based in Waterbury Center. A lawyer by profession, she currently serves as a volunteer on the Board of Directors for The Root Social Justice Center in Brattleboro, a BIPOC-led organization dedicated to racial justice and community empowerment.
The Root is actively seeking new volunteer Board Members! To learn more, visit therootsjc.org.
Tell us a bit about your background before arriving in VT and what brought you to the state!
I’ve been a practicing lawyer since 1998. Prior to moving to Vermont in 2011, I had been living and working in New Hampshire for 14 years. My (now) husband lived in Vermont when we met so I moved to Vermont to join him.
How did you get into your career?
I spent a couple of years after college working for community service organizations and then decided to go to law school. My law school path brought me to Public Defender work, which I did for twenty-four years. Recently, I taught law for a few years and I’m now working in a government position.
What aspects of life in VT do you find most fulfilling? What about your professional life here stands out to you?
From a professional perspective, I think Vermont’s size can be a benefit, in that, you’re only ever a few degrees of separation from someone. It’s fairly easy to make helpful connections. That’s how I met The Root ED, Shela Linton, and ended up volunteering to become a Board member.
Are there other things (events/opportunities/jobs/etc) you’d like to share with the VT BIPOC community?
The Root is looking for new volunteer Board Members. Actively participating in an organization like The Root is a direct way to better support BIPOC residents in Vermont. Board Members do not need to live in Brattleboro (or even Vermont), as most of the Board’s meetings are virtual. Of course, in-person participation in events at The Root is encouraged for those Board Members who are able to attend – which is a great opportunity to meet and get to know The Root staff and community members they serve.
