A Waterbury lawmaker is leaving the Legislature to take a post in state government.
Rep. Rebecca Ellis resigned her seat in the House this week and will be starting a job with the Agency of Natural Resources, Gov. Peter Shumlin’s office announced Wednesday.
Ellis, a Democrat, was appointed to the Legislature five years ago, filling a vacant seat left by current Transportation Secretary Sue Minter. She won two elections after being appointed.
In the first session of the current biennium, Ellis was vice chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. In her new post, she’ll serve as senior counsel for government affairs in the Department of Environmental Conservation.
“I’m really excited to be working full time on issues that I love,” Ellis said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.
She expects that her experience with policy-making in the Legislature, along with her background working as an assistant attorney general, will inform her work with ANR.
Ellis grew up in Burlington, before going on to study for her bachelor’s degree at Harvard University. She received a master’s of public administration at Princeton University, and attended law school at Georgetown University.
Following severe flood damage to Waterbury during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, Ellis chaired a committee on long-term recovery.
In a statement from the governor’s office, ANR Secretary Deb Markowitz celebrated Ellis’ background.
“Her legal background combined with her legislative experience on environmental and energy issues will strengthen the Agency of Natural Resources’ core mission to protect Vermont’s environment,” Markowitz said.
Shumlin will appoint a representative to fill Ellis’ House seat before the next legislative session begins in January.
