Our Thoughts on Equity & Inclusion

Rutland Young Professionals is an all-inclusive organization focused on creating a vibrant Rutland Region. We engage with our community, create social and professional networking opportunities, and work to build a region that attracts and retains young professionals – young professionals of different races, ethnicities, genders, religions, sexual orientations, political affiliations, and more.

There is no room for hate within our organization, in our region, or anywhere in our world.

Since its founding in 2013, Rutland Young Professionals has stood tall on the roots our founding members planted for us and has remained steadfastly non-partisan, avoiding political and other divisive issues in an effort to maintain a welcoming environment for all. We continue to do so today. But, in light of national events and challenges in our own community, we feel it is important to speak up. Unequivocally, we believe that black lives do matter. 

Our nation is facing significant challenges with prejudice, privilege, and other inequalities. We believe that acts of kindness and respect can go a long way. Rutland Young Professionals is committed to making the Rutland Region a great place to work, live, learn, and play. We are also committed to doing our part to ensure that everyone – especially our BIPOC friends, colleagues, and members – feels comfortable and safe in our community. 

So, what are we doing?

  • We have committed to greater representation of diversity on our website, social media, and other outreach materials.

  • We are forming a committee to explore future initiatives and events that support diversity, equity, and inclusion within our community. 

  • Creating a safe space for community members to express the challenges and obstacles they face through open, honest dialogue, discussion, and feedback.

  •  We are planning a free virtual event focusing on equality in our community. Our hope is this event will spark a candid conversation about what can be done to support cultural change in our communities. 

  •  We encourage our members to engage and develop meaningful friendships with people in our community who look different than themselves. We hope that our mixes, both virtually and in-person, provide opportunities to do just that.

We know there are no easy answers, but we are committed to engaging with our members to continue to learn more in order to address this issue. Rutland Young Professionals – and our community as a whole – must be part of the solution, and so we will continue to address this head-on. The action items listed above are what we can do now, and we are proud to take these first steps. We know there is more work to do. We invite you to share your ideas and perspective with us through the form below, or by emailing info@rutlandyoungprofessionals.org.

Be safe. Be kind. Be well.

Rutland Young Professionals Board of Directors

Alex Adams
Matt Britt
Amy Laramie
Laura Pierce
Elicia Pinsonault
Jacob Pluta
Vanessa Robertson
Kim Rupe
Drew Smith
Fran Sun
Dan Warnecke

Elicia Pinsonault