Zoe Contros Kearl

33 | Operations & Permitting Specialist, Power Guru LLC
Residence: Bennington

Career Highlights: The career highlight I’m most proud of is leaving corporate America! Maybe quitting a job is an odd response to this question, but it feels right to me. I now work at a small, locally owned solar company. The company’s mission and my role are in keeping with my belief system and allows me time and space to serve my community and focus on my writing practice. I was raised by an architect and builder, so working in the administrative side of the trades feels really right.

Community Involvement: My community involvement is primarily based in municipal affairs. I joined the Town of Shaftsbury’s Development Review Board after being asked by a member of town government to submit a letter of interest. After that I ended up on the Planning Commission, and chairing the Community Center Development Committee. I now serve on Shaftsbury’s Select Board as Chair. I also serve as a Town Delegate to the Bennington County Democratic Committee, and am a member of Shires Young Professionals.

What motivated you to live and work in Vermont: I moved to Vermont to live in a more intentional manner. I’m able to work for a small company that does what I consider to be meaningful work, spend more time in the natural world, and focus on the importance of community. I’ve never lived outside of a major city before, so it was a huge change and I’m very happy to be here.

What is the best career advice: The best career advice I have received is to just let it happen. I know this is not necessarily in keeping with conventional advice that includes five year plans, goal setting, etc. There’s a Rilke line, “Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror./ Just keep going. No feeling is final.” I think about that line a lot and think it applies here as well.

Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escape is spending time at a swimming hole tucked away from the road up in Danby. There’s an incredibly fun (and kind of scary!) natural slide there, and the water is so cold it feels almost holy. It’s a little bit treacherous and immensely beautiful, and I always feel better after being there.

Favorite Vermont season: My favorite Vermont season is winter. There’s no snow where I grew up, and we didn’t really have seasons. Seeing everything covered in snow is peaceful, and seems to offer some promise of renewal. I also like skiing and that happens when it snows.

Favorite downtime activity: I like to spend my downtime reading, usually contemporary fiction or poetry, and spending time with my friends. I’m trying to get more outdoorsy – wish me luck.

What one song is on your playlist that are you embarrassed to tell your best friend: The song on my playlist I would be embarrassed to tell my best friend is Scotty Doesn’t Know by Lustra, but also I’m not really embarrassed and I think she knows it’s on there.

Drawing on your experiences, what advice would you give to someone looking to get involved in community service: I’d say to just go for it, and to keep showing up. Sometimes the work will be fun and easy, and other times you’ll feel uncertain and out of place. The key is to stick around, and to approach every scenario and person with the assumption of good faith.