Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of David Provost, the executive vice president for finance and administration at Middlebury College, to chair the Vermont Educational Health Benefits Commission.
The Commission was created in the revised budget bill as part of an agreement reached with the Legislature, and will make important recommendations to the General Assembly on the advantages and disadvantages of a statewide health benefit for school employees. Gov. Scott remains committed to ensuring good benefits for school employees across the state and finding savings within education spending. This commission will further examine the opportunities for both these outcomes, as outlined by the Governor during the legislative session.
“I was pleased we were not only able to come to a short-term agreement that will save Vermont taxpayers millions over the next two years, but that we took the sensible step to establish this Commission to introduce greater equity into the system for school employees across the state, and create an opportunity for greater efficiency in the near future,” said Gov. Scott. “David’s strong background and work within the Vermont education system and his leadership experience will be tremendously valuable to help lead the Commission in its important work.”
Prior to his current position at Middlebury, Provost served for more than a decade at Champlain College, including as senior vice president of finance and administration, and as senior vice president of institutional advancement and finance. During his tenure at Champlain, he played a key role in the college’s first comprehensive master plan.
Provost brings considerable board leadership experience to the Commission. In his role as president of the Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium, Provost led the development of a strategy on health care services for the employees of Norwich University, and Champlain, Middlebury and St. Michael’s colleges. He also serves as chairman of the Burlington Telecom Advisory Board and as chair of the audit committee for the Society of St. Edmunds at St. Michael’s College.
“I’m honored to have been asked to serve Vermonters as chair of this commission,” said Provost. “A strong educational system – across the spectrum – is critical to the health of our state, and I believe this commission will serve an important purpose in identifying the best path forward on the matter of school employee benefits – a path that will be most beneficial to our students, school employees, the system and all Vermonters.”
The Vermont Educational Health Benefits Commission is charged with determining the advantages and disadvantages of moving to a single health benefit for all school employees. It will make recommendations to the legislative committees of jurisdiction by November 15, 2017. Among several factors, the Commission will consider the potential savings through avoiding negotiation expenses, and ways to address disparities among bargaining units and across school districts.