Madeleine May Kunin

Madeleine May Kunin, the first woman to be elected governor of Vermont (three terms), was also the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and U.S. deputy secretary of education. She is the author of two books of poetry, Red Kite, Blue Sky and her new collection Walk With Me. Her previous books include: Living a Political Life, The New Feminist Agenda: Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work, and Family (New York Times Editor’s Choice), Pearls Politics and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead, and Coming of Age: My Journey to the Eighties. She is currently James Marsh Professor-at-Large at the University of Vermont, where she gives guest lectures on feminism and women, and politics. She also served on the board of the Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC), a nongovernmental organization that she founded in 1991, and she recently launched Emerge Vermont to encourage and support women in politics. She lives in Shelburne, Vermont.