October 7, 2024 • 6:00-7:30 PM
The Rutland Area NAACP and the Windham County NAACP are honored to host a critical panel discussion that aims to amplify the voices of BIPOC leaders running for state office in Vermont. This is a non-partisan platform for these candidates to discuss their policy positions, their goals and dreams for Vermont, and the unique experiences that led them to seek office.
Participants will include:
- Emily Carris Duncan
- Esther Charlestin
- Kevin “Coach” Christie
- Bobby Farlice-Rubio
- Saudia LaMont
- Joe Major
Emily Carris Duncan
Windham-6 Representative • Campaign Website
“I am an award winning textile artist and small business owner. Over the past ten years I have worked as a gallery owner and arts educator in Philadelphia. I have taught in schools and worked with community-based arts organizations and larger institutions like the University of Pennsylvania, the Clark Institute, and the International Center for Photography in New York. I was an active member in Philadelphia, sitting on boards of local non-profit arts organizations, advising and mentoring young artists and emerging business owners.
Through my work as a community arts leader, small business owner and educator I have had the pleasure of creating inclusive community spaces and teaching thousands of people creative practices that enhance their lives and bring people together while contributing to community development.
My work has also meant dealing with many challenges including rising costs, insecure housing, establishing emerging businesses, crumbling education systems, the squeeze of caregiving, and food insecurity.
I am passionate about improving our lives in the Windham-6 district—finding solutions within our community to bridge gaps for improving our local quality of life. I am invested in my community and deeply invested in Vermont.”
Esther Charlestin
Governor • Campaign Website
A dedicated educator, a devoted working mom, and a Vermonter by choice, Esther embodies the values of persistence, resilience, and advocacy. The eldest child of immigrant parents, she witnessed firsthand the virtues of hard work and the American dream, manifested by a mother who worked 80-hour weeks to provide for Esther and her siblings. Through her mother’s example, Esther absorbed the lesson that meaningful achievements require effort. Her parents also impressed on her the importance of education, urging her to succeed academically. This Esther did, achieving an undergraduate degree in History and Communication, a Master of Science in Corporate Communication and Public Relations, and a Master of Arts in Teaching. While pursuing her degrees, Esther welcomed two beautiful children, who each day teach her empathy, patience, and compassion.
Esther chose to move to Vermont, where her children receive a quality education while enjoying a peaceful country lifestyle, filled with fun, outdoor adventures, visits to the local library, and Saturday trips to the farmers market. She immediately embraced the opportunities for fellowship Vermont affords. As she pursued her career, taking on diverse roles in higher ed and in the public school system, she ran a successful campaign for the Middlebury Selectboard. In 2023, she received a Leahy Award for exceptional leadership in the community. She currently co-chairs the State of Vermont’s Commission on Women, a role that reflects Esther’s dedication to creating a just and equitable world, where every voice is heard and respected.
Kevin “Coach” Christie
Windsor-6 Representative • Campaign Website
Born in Hartford, Connecticut and raised with his seven siblings and twenty plus wards of the State by their working mother and father, “Coach” learned early on the value of hard work, teamwork, and perseverance. While working a part-time job at a local service station, he graduated from high school with a commission to West Point, but a knee injury in his senior year kept him from attending the US Military Academy.
Coach’s academic prowess and leadership abilities aided him in college at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he graduated as class president with a degree in Fine Arts Music Education, with minors in English and Theater. He spent a year in public service (Hartford, CT Model Cities Program) and then moved to Vermont in 1973, at age 23, to start a business: Christie’s Quechee Exxon.
In Vermont he began coaching in 1980, and teaching in 1986, which coincided with a Master’s in Education Administration from Plymouth State University. Coach’s achievements culminated with a principal/directorship in Randolph, VT, and a doctoral program with all but dissertation in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Coach has also volunteered for a variety of charitable causes.
Bobby Farlice-Rubio
Caledonia-1 Representative • Campaign Website
Bobby Farlice-Rubio has been a resident of Barnet, VT since 1999. For nearly all of that time, Bobby has been employed by serving and educating the people of the Northeast Kingdom. For 18 years, Bobby was a science educator at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. There he gave planetarium presentations, led outdoor explorations, and taught countless lessons on nature, science, and history to people of all ages.
From 2014 until its dissolution in 2018, Bobby served on the Barnet School Board of Directors.
Bobby was born in the Mission District of San Francisco, California. He spent most of his childhood in the working class Cuban-American community of Hialeah, Florida. While a student at Amherst College in Massachusetts, Bobby met his partner Dylan Ford: a native of Ryegate, Vermont. Together, Bobby and Dylan built a timber-frame straw-bale house in Barnet where they continue to raise their children.
Saudia LaMont
Lamoille-Washington Representative • Campaign Website
I am a mother, organizer, advocate, facilitator, equity consultant, and writer who lives in Morrisville. As a graduate of People’s Academy and parent to two students in our school district, I am deeply embedded in our community.
I am committed to working closely with community partners in order to identify resources and build connections that strengthen our towns. It has been my honor to serve on multiple committees and boards, including Lamoille County Mental Health and the LSUU School Board Equity Committee. As a former early childhood educator, founder of the youth program “Developing D.I.I.V.A.S. (Dignity, Integrity, Independence, Virtue and Self-esteem), and a trained trainer of Prevent Child Abuse VT’s curricula, I have dedicated much of my professional work to supporting youth growth and development.
I am a graduate of Cornell University’s- Diversity and Inclusion program, Leadership Lamoille, Bright Leadership Institute, Recovery Coach Academy, and hold a host of other certifications and skills that I incorporate into my transformative justice work. This spring I graduated from Emerge Vermont’s Signature Training Program, an intensive political training program for Democratic women.
Joe Major
Windsor County Senate • Campaign Website
A proud graduate of Howard University and a former officer in the US Army, Major’s roots in service run deep. Hailing from Buffalo, New York, Major comes from a family of servicemen, instilling in him a strong sense of duty and dedication to community betterment. Since making his home in Vermont, Major has been actively involved in public service, including serving as the former vice chair of the Hartford selectboard.
Joe’s dedication to service extends beyond his professional roles in Hartford. He is involved in numerous boards and organizations dedicated to the public welfare in Windsor County and beyond. He currently serves as the president of the White River Rotary and sits on the boards of the Upper Valley Haven, Northern Stage Theater, Headrest, Junction Arts and Media, and the Governor’s Committee of the Employment of People with Disabilities. Additionally, Major is a board member of Vermont’s League of Cities and Towns, allowing him to stay abreast of state politics and its impact on municipalities across the state.
Rutland Area Branch of the NAACP 