Trenten D. Klingerman is the Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel at the University of Vermont, joining UVM's Office of the General Counsel in September 2022. Prior to beginning in this position, Trent served as the Deputy General Counsel at Purdue University for six years. In that role, Trent handled a wide variety of matters involving faculty, staff and student issues as well as overseeing litigation and agency matters.

Trent is a 1994 graduate of Purdue, and a 2001 graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana.  While in law school, Trent was named a Managing Editor of The Indiana Law Journal, and worked as the Student Director of the Protective Order Project, a group dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence.  He also was his class representative in the Student Law Association.

Prior to law school, Trent worked as a teacher and then worked in human resources, including working as a Human Resources Manager for a national engineering services firm.  Following law school, Trent practiced law with a prominent Indiana law firm where he successfully represented employers of all sizes in federal and state trial and appellate courts. Trent then worked in Human Resources at Purdue, including serving as the University's director of employee relations and its vice president for human resources prior to being appointed Deputy General Counsel to the university.

John J. Collins joined the UVM General Counsel’s Office in October 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he was a member of the Loyola Law Review. Mr. Collins has been practicing law in the State of Vermont since 1983, advising a broad clientele, including the University of Vermont and other Vermont Colleges. Mr. Collins chaired the State of Vermont District #4, Act 250 Commission for several years and has been a highly active volunteer member of several not-for-profit boards and committees. He served as chair of the Vermont Heart Association Board of Directors and as a member of the American Heart Association’s Board of Directors. Mr. Collins has taught law related courses at the college level and is a nationally certified snowboard instructor.

Jennifer L. Papillo, a native Vermonter, joined the Office of the General Counsel in August 2010, and was promoted to Associate General Counsel in 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Elon University, a Juris Doctor degree from Stetson University College of Law, as well as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, with a focus on tax exempt organizations. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and author at the national and regional level on issues related to student conduct, managing distressed and disruptive students, admissions practices, campus disruption, the First Amendment, political activities, taxation, Title IX, the Clery Act, FERPA, and the ADA. Jennifer is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), a member of the UVM Legal Issues Board of Directors, and a contributor to the SUNY Title IX Joint Guidance Initiative. Jennifer also serves as President of the Junior League of Champlain Valley (JLCV) and JLCV Diaper Bank, a fully volunteer run organization with statewide reach distributing diapers and wipes to low income Vermonters. Before coming to UVM, Jennifer served as a law clerk for the American Cancer Society, Inc.’s Office of Corporation Counsel in Washington, DC, and a research assistant to Peter F. Lake in the writing of Beyond Discipline: Managing the Modern Higher Education Environment (Hierophant Enterprises, Inc., 2009).

Meghan E. Siket joined the UVM General Counsel’s Office in June 2018 and currently serves as Associate General Counsel. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations from Connecticut College and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia University.  Ms. Siket was born and raised across Lake Champlain in Clinton County, NY.  Before coming to UVM, Ms. Siket was a partner at Whelan, Corrente, Flanders, Kinder & Siket, LLP, a law firm in Providence, Rhode Island specializing in labor and employment law, education law and related litigation.  Ms. Siket also taught employment law and employment discrimination as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University School of Law, and served on the Executive Board of the Roger Williams University School of Law Pro Bono Collaborative.

Andrew G. Zehner joined the Office of the General Counsel in August 2021, and currently serves as Associate General Counsel. He received a B.A. degree in American Civilization from Middlebury College, an M.A. degree in History from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Juris Doctor with Honors from the University of Maryland, School of Law where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Maryland Journal of International Law and Trade. Andrew has almost twenty-nine years of experience providing counsel to a wide variety of clients, including universities, life sciences companies, and telecommunications and information technology businesses. Prior to his work at UVM, Andrew was Associate General Counsel at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Vice President and Counsel at the University of Connecticut.

Katie Beneke, Paralegal

Katie Beneke joined the Office of the General Counsel in January of 2018. Ms. Beneke began her career as a staff assistant at Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C. in Burlington, before being promoted to legal assistant then paralegal in the Real Estate department. In 2014, Ms. Beneke shifted her area of concentration to Family Law, where she worked as the head paralegal at a top law firm in Old Greenwich, Connecticut. Upon moving back to Vermont, Ms. Beneke worked as a litigation paralegal at Sheehey, Furlong & Behm, P.C., another Burlington law firm.

Ms. Beneke received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Vermont in 2009 and her Paralegal Certification from Champlain College in 2012.

Jen Dooley, Office Manager

Jen Dooley joined the Office of the General Counsel in May of 2019. She came to the office from the First Congregational Church of Essex Junction where she was the Administrator for seven years. Previous to that, she worked as a Librarian, Public and School in Essex and Milton. Ms. Dooley received her Bachelor’s Degree from St. Michael’s College in 1990 and her Librarian Certificate in 2008. She loves to read, camp and watch soccer with her husband and has three sons who have provided many adventures over the years.