New appointee to the city council, Pelin Kohn, Ph.D., recently submitted an application to be on the ballot for the District 2 council seat vacated by Conor Casey after he left to represent Montpelier in the Statehouse. Kohn will be running to keep the seat she currently holds as an appointee.
After moving to Montpelier five years ago from Turkey, Kohn said she was determined to create a home for herself and her family in Montpelier. With no extended family, friends, or professional connections, she decided to get to know her neighbors and fellow parents at the Montpelier Public Schools, where her children are students. Kohn started volunteering by reading books to children at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, served on the city of Montpelier Social and Economic Justice Advisory Committee, and worked as an elections volunteer. As part of these volunteer experiences, Kohn worked to create a more inclusive and just Montpelier community.
Kohn was a fellow of the New Leaders Council (Cohort 2022) and a participant in the Vermont Council on World Affairs Global Leadership Program (Cohort 2023).
“The Montpelier City Council can benefit from my professional experience with the diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts listed in their strategic plan and my motivation to give back to our community,” Kohn said.
As a professor at Norwich University, Kohn has contributed her knowledge, education, and talents to the Norwich community, she said. At Norwich, she started as a part-time instructor and has worked her way up to serving as the chair of the Leadership program and as the founding director of the Leadership Center. Kohn underscores that these professional activities, coupled with years of experience as an educator, have broadened her understanding of the local, national, and international issues our city faces.
For further information, contact Kohn at pelinkohn@yahoo.com.
