Alex Demoly

26 | Vice President, GBIC: Greater Burlington Industrial Corp.
Residence: Chittenden

Career highlight: Our GBIC team has been fortunate to partner with excellent individuals in Governor Phil Scott’s administration, the State Legislature, our municipalities, and a number of other leading organizations to write and pass laws that make it easier to build housing in Vermont. In particular, we were able to substantially streamline Act 250, Vermont’s state-level land use law, and pass the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), a $2-billion tax increment financing tool that makes it more affordable for municipalities to install the infrastructure necessary for housing development. Taken together, these policies represent Vermont’s biggest-ever investment in housing, and they serve as a model for other states across the country to follow.

Community involvement: Under the leadership of our President Frank Cioffi, our GBIC team has helped create service-supported homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The houses we have helped build provide safe places to live for over 20 people with disabilities, and our work with Governor Phil Scott’s office and the State Legislature will provide housing for hundreds more in the years to come. I also serve on a few different boards, including the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, Special Services Transportation Agency, and the Brownfields and Transportation Advisory Committees with the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. Additionally, I previously served on the Burlington Board for Registration of Voters, as appointed by the Mayor and City Council.

I am most proud of my work as a youth mentor with the King Street Center in Burlington. The aim of being a youth mentor is to serve as a role model, advisor, and friend to a young person, and through the King Street Center, I have had the pleasure of befriending and guiding an exceptionally warm, bright, and talented young man over the past three years. Growing up as an only child, I experienced first-hand how much of a positive impact a trusted adult can have in a young person’s life, so having the chance to honor and continue that legacy has been extremely meaningful. You can read more about my mentee’s and my story in Seven Days, and if you would like to get involved in mentoring, check out the great resources available on Mentor Vermont’s website.

Motivation for living and working in Vermont: One of Vermont’s greatest advantages is that it’s small – And as a consequence, I knew that I could get real, hands-on experience doing meaningful work here in a way that would be difficult to replicate elsewhere. I’d encourage other young people who are starting their careers to consider starting in Vermont, because you can learn so much and develop skills that will serve you for the rest of your life.

Favorite part of your job:  I’m lucky to work with people whom I consider friends and family. No matter where we go in our respective lives, I know that we will always remain connected and invested in each other’s success, happiness, and purpose.

Most inspiring mentor: I look up every day to my colleague and friend Frank Cioffi at GBIC. Frank has a relentless, unshakeable work ethic – And an equally deep-rooted generosity and kindness. He is probably the most interesting person I know, and his example continues to guide and shape my character and ambitions more than he’ll probably ever know.

Best career advice: “Just do stuff!” This was the advice offered by Jay Parini, a poet and writer who was my professor at Middlebury College and remains one of my closest mentors. His words have applied to both my career and life as a whole – Just do interesting things as much as possible, and you’ll learn so much and make great friends along the way.

Favorite Vermont season: Summer, of course! There are so many great places to go running, biking, and swimming across Vermont all summer long.

Favorite downtime activity: I really enjoy reading. I tend to gravitate towards nonfiction, especially biographies, but I also read a lot of poetry and literature.

If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: Youth mentoring and education more broadly are the causes I’d most like to support. I am exceptionally lucky to have benefitted from my parents’ sacrifice to send me to good schools, so I feel extremely motivated to extend those same opportunities to other kids like me.

Drawing on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in community service: Choose causes that hold personal meaning to you. If you choose to invest in something you genuinely care about, you’ll do great work.