Vernon has a new town administrator, Maggie Tuck-Sauer, who started the job on Monday, July 13. Maggie succeeds Michelle Pong, who resigned in January, and Tom Guerino, who served as interim administrator since then.

Maggie was born in Missouri, most recently in Springfield, and will be turning 45 next week. She has lived in Missouri nearly all of her life, except for brief periods in Colorado, Delaware and Maryland.

She served in the military for 18 years, and then launched a “boutique” marketing company, working with small businesses on creating their strategic plans, designing their websites, and developing their social media plans.

Then, she segued for six years into a non-profit organization she founded, called Hear Our Voice, which aimed to encourage people getting more involved in their communities by understanding how government works, voting and participating.

Meanwhile, from 2017 to 2020 she pursued a Master’s in Public Administration degree from Villanova University, which she received in the spring of this year. (Earlier she had earned a bachelor’s degree in Socio-Political Communication from Missouri State University.) Also during this time, in 2018 she ran for clerk of Greene County, Missouri, but did not win.  

Her husband, Scott, retired recently from Bass Pro Shops, and is freelancing as a web designer and programmer. They have four sons, all grown, and one grandson, who all live in Missouri.

All her life, she has loved New England, especially the history and beauty of Vermont, and has wanted to live here someday. With her Master’s degree achieved, and Scott’s retirement and ability to work from anywhere, pursuing her New England dream became possible, and in January she began looking for a position in public administration, which led her to Vernon.

“It is important to me that the citizens of Vernon understand how much I love and respect the history  of this community and the generations that have lived here,” Maggie said. “I think it is possible to look forward while embracing the past. Shared values can bring a community together, and I am confident that the people of Vernon share many of my values. I knew that the first time I spoke with the Select Board. I was certain after spending just one day here. I knew this is where I wanted my grandkids to spend their summers.”

At the moment, Maggie and Scott are living in an RV at a campground, but they are hoping to acquire land and build a home in Vernon. As town administrator, Maggie feels it’s important to live here — “not just to talk the talk, but to walk the walk,” she says.

Maggie looks forward to meeting more people in Vernon, and to working with residents on anything that helps build the community while maintaining Vernon’s rich history.