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Head of Vermont's Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living department to step down

Vermont Public | By Brittany Patterson
Published December 22, 2023 at 3:21 PM EST
A group of older Vermonters listen to a speaker in a conference room.
Nina Keck
/
Vermont Public File
Vermont has one of the oldest populations in the country. Here a group of older residents attend an AARP presentation about how to avoid scams.

The head of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living will step down next month.

Monica White has served as the commissioner of DAIL since March of 2021. In a press release, White said it was "an extraordinary honor" to lead the department, but the move was the best choice for her family at this time.

The agency oversees programs that serve Vermonters with disabilities, including people with autism, blind people and people with low vision, and people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

DAIL also serves older Vermonters — the state has one of the oldest populations in the country.

Deputy Commissioner Megan Tierney-Ward will serve as acting commissioner of DAIL until a new head is appointed. She's been with the agency for more than 25 years.

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Local News Local NewsAging in VermontDisabilityGovernment & Politics
Brittany Patterson
Brittany Patterson joined Vermont Public in December 2020. Previously, she was an energy and environment reporter for West Virginia Public Broadcasting and the Ohio Valley ReSource. Prior to that, she covered public lands, the Interior Department and forests for E&E News' ClimateWire, based in Washington, D.C. Brittany also teaches audio storytelling and has taught classes at West Virginia University, Saint Michael's College and the University of Vermont. She holds degrees in journalism from San Jose State University and U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. A native of California, Brittany has fallen in love with Vermont. She enjoys hiking, skiing, baking and cuddling with her rescues, a 95-pound American Bulldog mix named Cooper, and Mila, the most beautiful calico cat you'll ever meet.
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