CRS Staff Profile: Chip Sawyer

What type of work do you typically do for CRS?
I manage research and outreach projects; everything from our community data workshops and websites to our work on transportation and livability.  I develop outreach content and resources, from websites to curricula.  I maintain connections and networks with various audiences and colleagues across the state and beyond.  I also lend support and leadership to new initiatives like the Food System Research Collaborative.

What are some of your favorite past projects that you’ve worked on? Why?
I have inherited and continue to grow many of the projects that I was initially assigned to.  My fondest memories of past projects normally include the community planning survey work that I’ve done.  My favorite current projects include managing the Vermont State Data Center and participating in the Vermont Land Use Education and Training Collaborative, both of which involve the rewarding task of linking local decision-makers with external resources and information.

Who benefits from the work that you do? 
I consider local decision-makers and entrepreneurs to be the primary target audience of what I do. I see immense value in linking local Vermonters with the information and resources they need to engage in community and economic development and improve their quality of life. I think that it is very important we understand the challenges and innovations of rural life. I also see significance in my ability to advocate for the needs of local Vermont communities to state and federal entities.

What else would you like people to know about you professionally? 
In the past, I have worked in regional and local planning in Vermont, and I continue to remain interested and well-versed in the practice of community planning.  I currently teach two courses here at UVM: a lecture course on Community Organization and Development and a service-learning course that gives UVM students an opportunity to study and engage in local community initiatives in Vermont's Mad River Valley.

What is your favorite thing about Vermont? 
I was born in Vermont, and I continue to enjoy the small scale of the state and the tendency of Vermonters to engage mightily in local, regional and statewide issues.