MONTPELIER – Gov. Peter Shumlin appointed Tommy Walz of Barre to fill the seat in the Vermont House that had been held by Rep. Tess Taylor, a Democrat.
Taylor, former majority whip, announced March 21 that she would be leaving the Legislature to become executive director of Vermont CURE, a pro-single payer 501(c)(4) organization funded by the American Federation of Teachers.
“I am pleased to appoint Tommy Walz to fill this opening,” Gov. Shumlin said. “His long-term commitment and service to the Barre community will make him an excellent voice for his constituents in the Vermont House of Representatives.”
“I am proud to be joining the Barre contingent in the Vermont House of Representatives,” Walz said in the release. “Barre has given us much and Leslie and I have had the chance to return some small measure through volunteering and serving on local school boards. Representing the people of Barre City in the Vermont House provides yet one more way for me to serve my community.”
Walz is a former teacher at Spaulding High School in Barre. He serves on the Barre Supervisory Union Board and the Spaulding High School Board. He also volunteers as a judge for the Vermont High School Debate Tournament, according to the news release.
Walz is expected to be sworn in for service promptly.
