Deborah Markowitz

Deborah "Deb" Markowitz is the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.^[1] She was appointed by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. She was the Secretary of State of Vermont. She is a member of the Democratic Party.^[2]

Early life, education and career

Markowitz was born in Tarrytown, New York, on September 14, 1961. She attended Edgemont High School in Scarsdale, New York and graduated with honors from the University of Vermont, with a degree in philosophy and political science in 1983, and earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1987, magna cum laude. After law school she returned to Vermont to clerk with Justice Louis Peck of the Vermont Supreme Court. Following this clerkship she joined the law firm Langrock, Sperry & Wool.^[3] In 1990, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) established its Municipal Law Center, for which Markowitz was hired as its first director.^[4] She has been a member of the adjunct faculty at the Vermont Law School and Woodbury College.

Markowitz was President of the National Association of Secretaries of State, she served on the Board of Advisors of the Federal Election Assistance Commission and she has been awarded an Aspen-Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership.^[5] Markowitz serves on the boards of the Central Vermont Community Action Agency, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the Vermont Council on Rural Development. She is the founder of the Vermont Women’s Leadership Initiative.

She was first elected in 1998, defeating a two-term incumbent and becoming the first woman elected Secretary of State in the state. As Secretary of State Markowitz enacted election reform enacted by the legislature. These included increasing early voting opportunities, making it easier to register to vote,^{[citation needed]} implementing a statewide voter registration database,^{[citation needed]} and by upgrading voting equipment.^{[citation needed]} Markowitz also established the Safe at Home program; an address confidentiality program to protect victims of rape, abuse and stalking from being tracked down through the state's public records.^{[citation needed]} She consolidated the state Archives with the state records department.^{[citation needed]} She built a State Archive and Record Center facility.^{[citation needed]} Markowitz published the Opinions Newsletter for Vermont's local officials wherein she issued opinions on municipal law and practice.^{[citation needed]} She wrote a dozen handbooks on topics of municipal law and practice.^{[citation needed]} Markowitz established the Vermont Public Service Award program to recognize local officials who served for 20 years or more.^{[citation needed]} She founded Vermont Votes for Kids, and organization devoted to engage Vermont's youth in civic activity.^{[citation needed]}

2010 Vermont gubernatorial election

Markowitz was a candidate in the 2010 Democratic primary for Vermont Governor. She placed third with 17,503 votes, behind the winner, Peter Shumlin, with 18,276 votes, and second-place Doug Racine, with 18,079 votes.^{[6] [7]} Markowitz was appointed by Governor Shumlin to serve as his Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources.

Agency of Natural Resources

As Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, Markowitz has primary responsibility for protecting Vermont’s environment, natural resources and wildlife and for maintaining Vermont’s forests and state parks. In this role she has shaped the environmental agenda of the state, focusing on the challenges of climate change, habitat fragmentation and the need to make Vermont more resilient to flooding.

Personal life

Markowitz resides in Montpelier, Vermont, with her husband and three children.

References

External links

• Vermont Secretary of State official state government site