Линдси Керрл станет новым президентом и генеральным директором Vermont Gas Systems

Photo: Lindsay Kurrle will become Vermont Gas Systems' next president and CEO. Photo: Katie Kittell Vermont Gas (VGS) announced July 9 that Lindsay Kurrle will become the company's next president and CEO, succeeding Neale Lunderville, who will step down at the end of 2026 after more than six years leading the company. Kurrle was selected by the VGS Board of Directors following a national search in what they described as an exceptionally strong applicant pool. Kurrle has been a member of Governor Phil Scott’s leadership team since he first took office in 2017. She first was the Labor Commissioner, before becoming the Secretary of the Agency of Commerce & Community Development, with its $125 million budget. In leading the ACCD, her responsibilities included economic development, housing and tourism. Kurrle was a fixture during the governor’s many COVID-19 response press conferences. She has also been the face of state’s many development projects and has been a tireless advocate for Vermont businesses, traveling the state to meet with businesses and local leaders. Photo: Lindsay Kurrle was a fixture during the governor’s many COVID-19 response press conferences. Courtesy photo She also helped guide the state through the recovery from catastrophic floods in recent years, particularly in 2023 and 2024. She oversaw more than $400 million in federal recovery funds and the launch of a $20 million flood recovery initiative within 30 days, helping Vermont communities rebuild and strengthen their resilience to a changing climate. "Lindsay is the right leader to move VGS into its next chapter," said Theresa Alberghini DiPalma, Chair of the VGS Board of Directors. "She knows Vermont, has steered organizations through real complexity, is skilled at building strong partnerships, and leads people with clarity, compassion and optimism. The Board is confident she will build on the company’s strong foundation and inspire the VGS team to continue innovating and partnering to lead Vermont’s energy transition.” Kurrle previously co-owned Kurrle Fuels and Kurrle Transport with her husband Jim, an energy distribution and transportation business. There she managed supply logistics, infrastructure assets, worker safety, and day-to-day operations. That experience gave her direct insight into energy supply dynamics, rate sensitivity, infrastructure reliability, customer service expectations, and the importance of a strong safety culture. "I am honored to join Vermont Gas and proud to lead a company so deeply committed to its customers and communities," said Kurrle. "VGS has earned a reputation for financial discipline, reliability, and exceptional service. I am committed to preserving that trust while advancing clean energy solutions that stay affordable for Vermonters. I look forward to working with the talented and caring VGS team to serve Vermont well for years to come." Lunderville expressed strong support for the appointment. "Lindsay is an outstanding choice to lead VGS forward," said Lunderville. "She has the experience, the judgment, and the commitment to Vermont that this role demands. I look forward to working closely with her over the coming months to ensure a seamless transition. I am confident the company is in excellent hands." After earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Saint Michael's College, Kurrle began her career at KPMG, where she became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She serves on the boards of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency and the Saint Michael's College Board of Trustees, among others. Kurrle will join VGS on August 31, 2026, and will work alongside Lunderville through the end of the year. Lunderville will remain with the company through December 31, 2026, to support a seamless transition, and Kurrle will assume the role of president and CEO at the start of 2027. Tayt Brooks to Takeover ACCD Secretary Kurrle was first appointed by Governor Scott as commissioner of the Department of Labor in 2017. In August 2019, he named Kurrle secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “Lindsay has been a valuable member of my Cabinet from the start,” Scott. “She’s been a thoughtful leader and helped businesses navigate multiple floods as well as the pandemic. We’ll miss her loyalty and can-do attitude and wish her all the best in her new role.” “Serving as an executive Cabinet member for this Administration has been an honor and a privilege. I am grateful to the Governor for his trust, confidence, and steady leadership over the past decade,” Kurrle said. “Working alongside an extraordinary team of dedicated public servants, and with the support of public and private sector partners across the state, we helped guide Vermont through the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple flood disasters while advancing policies and programs to strengthen our workforce, expand housing opportunities, support businesses and communities, and position our state for long-term economic success. While there is still much work to do, I am proud of the progress we made together and grateful for the partnerships that made it possible.” To succeed Kurrle, who stepped down July 24, Governor Scott announced Tayt Brooks will serve as the secretary of ACCD. Brooks has served in the Scott administration since 2017, first as the director of affordability and economic initiatives before being appointed deputy secretary of ACCD in 2021. His appointment was effective July 27. “Tayt’s strong experience in economic development will continue to be an asset to the agency in this new role,” Scott said. “He’s been an important member of my team since day one, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in this new role.” “I’d like to thank Governor Scott for the appointment, and I also want to recognize Secretary Kurrle for her strong leadership over the last seven-plus years,” said Brooks. “I look forward to continuing the Agency’s advocacy for Vermont’s residents, visitors, businesses, and downtowns.” The Agency of Commerce and Community Development is made up of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Department of Economic Development, and the Department of Marketing and Tourism. Together, they work to grow Vermont’s economy, help businesses create jobs, increase the number of housing units, and support vibrant and resilient communities through tourism, marketing, and community development. Lindsay Kurrle told VermontBiz: “I'm grateful for this opportunity and the trust that's been placed in me to lead this important work. What's next for VGS? “I don't think the company needs to reinvent itself. In fact, it's the opposite. Vermont Gas has spent decades earning the trust of its customers by prioritizing safety, reliability, its employees, and the communities it serves. My job is to build on those strengths while helping guide the company through a rapidly changing energy landscape that includes technology innovation, affordability, workforce, and evolving customer expectations. “Technology is changing quickly, customer expectations continue to evolve, and federal and state policies have established emissions goals, but we lack consensus on how to achieve those goals. This is why leadership matters. It's about listening, building consensus, making decisions informed by facts, and never losing sight of customer expectations: providing safe, reliable, and affordable service. “Throughout my career in both the public and private sectors, I've worked in complex settings, at times navigating uncertainty and competing priorities, differing opinions, and often no single right direction forward. I've learned that good decisions come from strong teams, strong relationships, and taking the time to listen before acting. That's the leadership style I intend to bring to Vermont Gas. Photo: Lindsay Kurrle. Courtesy photo “One of the things that convinced me this was the right opportunity was realizing how closely the company's values align with mine. During the interview process, I learned how much the employees value the culture that exists today. If there is one thing I learned from running my own business (she and her husband Jim previously owned and operated Kurrle Fuels and Kurrle Transport) and leading Vermont’s Occupational Health and Safety Program (VOSHA), it is that when employee culture is strong and employees buy into safety and values, safety and operational outcomes are better. As VGS’s next president and CEO, I will be joining something special. My role is to support that team, learn from them, and help position the company for what's ahead while continuing to earn the confidence of our customers. “I also see the relationship with Énergir (the Canadian parent company of VGS and Green Mountain Power) as a strength. Vermont Gas operates as a Vermont company serving Vermont customers, with employees who live in the communities they serve. Being part of Énergir gives us access to global expertise, resources, and experience that make us even stronger. My job is to make sure we take full advantage of those strengths while never losing sight of who we are and who we serve. That means staying focused on Vermonters, working constructively with our regulators and stakeholders, and continuing to deliver the safe, reliable, and affordable service our customers expect. “Looking back on the last seven years at ACCD and serving in Governor Scott's Cabinet for 10 years, I'm incredibly proud of where the agency is today. We've made substantial progress on issues that matter to Vermonters, and while there's always more work to do, I believe ACCD is positioned to continue moving that work forward. “Deputy Secretary Tayt Brooks is an exceptional leader with decades of experience in housing and economic development and a real understanding of Vermont's communities and businesses. He knows how to build strong teams, and I'm confident he'll lead the agency well. “What I'm proudest of isn't any one initiative. It's the teams we've built. Whether it was responding to COVID-19, recovering from floods, tackling housing, or strengthening Vermont's economy and workforce, those successes happened because talented people came together around shared goals and worked incredibly hard. “As for why I made this move now. It came down to the right opportunity at the right time. Serving Vermonters has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and I'll always be grateful to Governor Scott for the confidence he placed in me over the past decade. But opportunities like this don't come along very often. It gives me the chance to apply everything I've learned over the past 30 years in both the public and private sectors to an organization that plays such an important role in Vermont. That was an opportunity worth pursuing.”   VGS, based in South Burlington (www.vgsvt.com), is an integrated energy services company with 140 employees. It provides natural gas services to more than 56,000 families and businesses in Franklin, Chittenden, and Addison counties. In addition to gas service, customers can access energy efficiency programs, equipment service and maintenance, and a growing portfolio of electric heating and cooling options.