(Editor’s note: Greg Sukiennik of the Manchester Journal contributed to this story, which first appeared in that newspaper. It was updated and expanded Oct. 16 at 2:15 p.m.)
[L]ONDONDERRY — With independent Rep. Oliver Olsen stepping down before the end of his term, Londonderry Town Clerk Kelly MacLaury Pajala is seeking appointment to his seat.
“I have been committed to serving our community in a variety of roles. Representing the people of Jamaica, Londonderry, Stratton, Weston and Winhall in the Legislature would take that commitment to the next level,” MacLaury Pajala, a local businesswoman and political independent, said Monday.
Olsen, who was re-elected in 2016, cited business commitments in announcing his decision Sunday not to seek re-election to the Windham-Windsor-Bennington House district.
He said increasing professional responsibilities have made it difficult to balance his job with his family life and the time demands of representing his district. The Londonderry resident said he works for a large multinational software company and has been asked “to take on additional responsibilities over the past year.”
Olsen said he has not set a specific date for when he will step down.
The seat will be filled through an appointment by Gov. Phil Scott.
“We are fortunate to have been served by effective and responsive leaders in the Vermont House for many years, and I want to make sure that our region continues to be well represented,” MacLaury Pajala said.
In a news release Monday, she said she served as the Weston assistant town clerk for three years before being elected town clerk in 2012.
She has operated a small business, Dancing Hands Creations, designing and creating children’s clothing, quilts, aprons and other household textiles. She has been an active vendor at the West River Farmers Market for 10 years and is on its board.
MacLaury Pajala has served on the board of the Little School, as a member of Weston’s Planning Commission and as chairwoman of Londonderry’s parks board for four years.
“The combination of my public service and small business experience make me uniquely qualified to serve in the Vermont House,” she said.
She said she grew up in Weston and graduated from Burr and Burton Academy and Skidmore College with a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies.
She listed economic development, affordability and the protection of school choice as key priorities that she would pursue if appointed.
“As a mother of two boys, I want to ensure that they have the same educational choices that I had, and an opportunity to thrive in our community as they grow up,” she said.
Olsen said that serving the five-town House district “has been the greatest honor of my life, and I will always be grateful to the people of our community who entrusted me with the responsibility of representing their interests in Montpelier. But a vibrant democracy is dependent upon change, and the time has come for someone new to represent us.”
He said his job would keep him from committing the necessary time to the Legislature. “With responsibility at work that is now global in scope, I have already clocked more than 100,000 air miles this year,” he said, “and have come to the realization that it would be a logistical impossibility for me to spend a meaningful amount of time in Montpelier this winter.”
Olsen said he has encouraged community members in his district to serve in his place.
“The critical thing is that our next representative be an independent thinker who understands the unique needs of our region and can work well with others to be an effective advocate for our community,” he said.
Olsen, who is moderator for the newly created Taconic and Green Regional School District, said he will also take on a new role as board chairman of the nonprofit Weston Playhouse Theatre Company.
He said he has stepped down from the board of trustees of Burr and Burton Academy.
Olsen was appointed to fill a vacancy in the district in 2010 and was elected that November to a full term. He left after that term but ran successfully again in 2014 and was re-elected in November.
