Essex Junction appoints Wendy Pringle to Tree Farm Management Group; interview held at meeting

The Essex Junction City Council interviewed Wendy Pringle for a seat on the Tree Farm Management Group and later appointed her to the board with a term expiring June 30, 2027.

Wendy Pringle told the council she has lived in Essex Junction her whole life, grew up on Winona Avenue and has four children ages 10 to 20. "I grew up in Essex Junction my whole life... I want to start doing my Sheriff's Civic duty and I thought this was like a really good, easy, maybe first duty that I could perform," Pringle said during her interview. She said her family has used the tree farm for recreation and youth soccer for many years and described the facility as "an amazing facility" though she noted potholes and dust at times.

Councilors and staff described the role as a community representative to a regional management group that meets monthly. Mark Breslin of Essex Junction Parks and Rec will attend meetings alongside the city representative to provide the city's operational perspective, council members said. Councilors advised Pringle to "approach this from the angle of being a responsible steward of that property," and told her she could consult with the city manager if questions arose while serving on the management group.

The council discussed Pringle's finance background during the interview; she said she has an MBA and has done budgeting and forecasting work previously, and that she currently assists with tax preparation seasonally and substitutes in local schools.

The council said the appointment would be discussed in executive session later in the meeting and that staff would contact Pringle after that session. Near the end of the meeting the council returned to public minutes and approved a motion to appoint Wendy Pringle to the Tree Farm Management Group Board with a term expiring June 30, 2027. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; minutes show no nays.