Emerge Vermont, the organization that has recruited and trained hundreds of Democratic women to run for office, will shut down at the end of the year as its parent organization restructures and eliminates state-based affiliates nationwide.  In an email announcing the change to program alumnae o n December 12, Elaine Haney, executive director of the Vermont organization, wrote that Emerge America made the decision earlier this month to transition from a state-based to regional structure. The shift is intended “to better position the organization to expand its presence across the country,” Haney wrote. Emerge America currently has 27 state affiliates, including Vermont’s. Under the new system, Vermont will be part of a regional territory that includes all of New England and New York. Emerge America will roll out the regional model next month. The change marks a significant shift for the state program that has been credited with helping increase the number of Democratic women in elected office. Since former governor Madeleine Kunin founded Emerge Vermont in 2013, more than 230 Democratic women and nonbinary people have completed the group’s multi-month training program and shorter boot camps.  More than half of the Democratic women currently serving in the Vermont state legislature attended Emerge Vermont training. Prominent alumnae include U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas.  In her message, Haney acknowledged the closure of Emerge Vermont would come as “an unwelcome surprise.” Alumnae and supporters have since inundated Haney with messages expressing sadness. Haney said that state directors did not have input in the restructuring, but the change was not entirely unexpected. “We were aware of some fundraising challenges, which are frankly being experienced by Democratic organizations across the country,” Haney said. “We were anticipating that there might be some kind of action, but we did not know what it would be — and we certainly did not expect it to be the extent that it was.” Haney, Emerge Vermont’s sole employee, has been reassigned to work as the regional deputy training director of the newly created New England region. Emerge America has not publicly detailed how the regional model will operate in practice or when programs, including Emerge’s signature training or campaign bootcamp, may be rescheduled.  Still, Haney emphasized that the alumnae and supporters of Emerge Vermont are committed to continuing the work of recruiting and training Democratic women for public office. “We are 100% dedicated to the women of Vermont,” Haney said. “We don’t know what it will look like in the future just yet, but we will be there for Vermont’s women leaders.” The post Emerge Vermont to Shut Down Amid National Restructuring appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less