After his first attempt at going to college, as Rob explained, “was unsuccessful”, Vermont Technical College became Robert’s first choice when looking at higher education again. Interested in working in the dairy farming industry, Rob received his associate in Agriculture in 1972, stating, “Vermont Tech proved I was more mature and capable of being successful.” Now, Vermont Tech is revamping the Agriculture program and you can find more about the changes under the Center for Food and Agriculture Entrepreneurship on our website.
Rob enjoyed his time at Vermont Tech and noted that one of his favorite professors was Winston Pierce, Department of Agriculture Professor. He explained, “Mr. Pierce was a steady mentor, and we stayed in contact for many years.” You can find out more about our current Faculty at Vermont Tech under We Are Vermont Tech. After receiving his degree at Vermont Tech, Rob went onto the University of Vermont (UVM).
Rob had a multiple careers and experiences after graduating from Vermont Tech. In his early career, Rob mentioned, “I was within the agricultural community, engaged with our family feed business in St. Johnsbury.” Rob worked for the family business during summers, weekends and school vacations, so for him it was an easy transition out of college. After 20 years of dairy farm management, Rob was involved in many opportunities, as he explained, “My journey included our family business, six terms in the Vermont Senate, Director of Energy Efficiency, Rail Director and 8+ years as Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.” During his position as the Vermont’s Commissioner of Motor Vehicles Rob included, “I served in that capacity at the pleasure of three governors. It was a complex environment, but the one thing I liked the most were the people. Both the citizens we served, and the employees and their individual challenges.” At one point, Rob even served as the Trustee of the State College System, as he mentioned, “which was chaired by my Vermont Tech classmate, Michael Audet. I think we were the only two Vermont Tech classmates to serve together on this Board.” Now, Rob is retired, but still working part-time consulting within the Motor Vehicle world, serving clients with interests in the North American DMV industry.
Rob stays connected with Vermont Tech by being involved with the latest 2022 Homecoming Weekend/Alumni Day event, writing a letter to his 50th reunion class! Rob also donates to Vermont Tech, as he explains, “I donate to Vermont Tech because I appreciate the contribution Vermont Tech has made to the quality of my life.” If you would like to support Rob’s efforts, visit our Make-A-Gift page to learn more.
Rob included advice to current/potential students of Vermont Tech stating, “Always be open to the next opportunity and changing career paths…my path was rich with interesting people, new challenges, and current issues.”