2026 Civil Rights Summit: We Have the Tools We Need: Full Schedule

In threatening times, none of our organizations can win alone. As challenges to our civil rights become increasingly broad, we find ourselves working in coalition with other organizations, grassroots groups, state officials, and lawmakers. What makes for a successful coalition? How can we work together to build effective structures of communication, strategy, and mutual accountability so that we can be successful and resilient in the face of austerity? Panelists will share what they have learned (and what they have had to unlearn) in order to build winning coalitions. We will identify tools to help us in various collaborative efforts, from basebuilding to legislative coalitions to implementation of the changes we win.

Speakers

Xusana Davis

Executive Director of Racial Equity, State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity

Xusana Davis [🕪 pronunciation] serves as the State of Vermont’s Executive Director of Racial Equity. She was appointed to the position in June 2019 by Governor Phil Scott. She works with state agencies to identify and address systemic racial disparities, ensure that equity goals and objectives are incorporated... Read More →

Jill Martin Diaz (they/them)

Burlington, VT, Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP)

executive director & managing attorney at vermont asylum assistance project (vaapvt.org)

Falko Schilling (he/him)

Advoacay Director, ACLU of Vermont

Falko Schilling joined the ACLU of Vermont as its first advocacy director in July 2019. He has been working to promote positive social change in Vermont since 2009. A native of Vermont, Falko received his law degree from Vermont Law School after attending Skidmore College. Prior to... Read More →

Friday September 25, 2026 9:35am - 10:45am EDT
6. Zoom Room 1 Virtual

Virtual, Track 2: Tools and Tactics for Community Power

11:00am EDT

Our Bodies, Our Rights: Equitable Healthcare Access in Vermont

LIMITED

Friday September 25, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT

6. Zoom Room 1

Limited Capacity seats available

What are the civil rights of the body? Any answer to this question must surely include the right to healthcare. This panel will explore the right to equitable healthcare access, and our right to expect that our bodies - no matter our class, our ability to pay, our gender identity, whether we use drugs, our ability, our race, our body type, or where in the state we live - will receive equitable care in Vermont. We will identify some of the barriers to access, and how Vermonters can work to bring them down.

Speakers

Cara Sachs

Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL)

Sarah Launderville

Executive Director, Vermont Center for Independent Living

Monica Allard (she/her)

Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Vermont

Jess Kirby

Overdose Prevention Center Director, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform

Friday September 25, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm EDT
6. Zoom Room 1 Virtual

Virtual, Track 1: Civil Rights Themes

1:30pm EDT

Expanding Protections: Equal Rights in Vermont and What We Need to Ensure Them

LIMITED

Friday September 25, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT

6. Zoom Room 1

Limited Capacity seats available

Much of the civil rights enforcement that the Human Rights Commission does in Vermont relies on our expanding list of Legally Protected Categories. These personal characteristics - race, gender identity, immigration status, disability, and many others - are part of the legal framework that makes discriminatory behavior unlawful. What is missing from that framework? Whose identity categories are not yet protected, and at what cost? What tools can we put in place to strengthen the civil rights enforcement we have, and ensure that the protections we're winning will stay strong for many years? This panel will walk us through the protections that exist, the ones that don't, and some of the strategies for bringing new protections to life.

Speakers

Big Hartman

Montpelier, VT, Executive Director and General Counsel

https://hrc.vermont.gov

Cary Brown

Executive Director, Vermont Commission on Women

Cary Brown is the Executive Director of the Vermont Commission on Women, an independent state agency dedicated to advancing rights and opportunities for women in Vermont. She’s worked in the field of gender equity for 30 years, in nonprofits, educational institutions, and government. She... Read More →

Emily Chamberlain Adams

Co-Director, Civil Rights Unit, Assistant Attorney General, Vermont Attorney General's Office

Emily Chamberlain Adams is an Assistant Attorney General and Co-Director of the Civil Rights Unit of the Vermont Attorney General’s Office. Emily’s work in the Civil Rights Unit focuses on employment discrimination enforcement, education, and litigation. In this role, she oversees... Read More →

Brenda Siegel

Executive Director, End Homelessness Vermont

Brenda Siegel is the Executive Director of End Homelessness Vermont, where she leads a lived experience driven approach to ending homelessness in the state. She is also a consultant on human services systems and policy, specializing in homelessness and housing, drug policy, and disability... Read More →

Friday September 25, 2026 1:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
6. Zoom Room 1 Virtual

Virtual, Track 2: Tools and Tactics for Community Power

3:00pm EDT

Regional HRC Directors' Roundtable: State Commissions as an Avenue to Advance Civil Rights

LIMITED

Friday September 25, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT

6. Zoom Room 1

Limited Capacity seats available

Did you know that other states have Human Rights Commissions too? Join us for this exciting roundtable featuring the directors of our HRC counterparts from Maine, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. We'll talk about how other HRCs make their services known to the people who need them; how HRCs can address systemic problems and not only individual cases; and how we can use the Commission as a strategic tool in unprecedented times. Come prepared to ask questions, think creatively, and be inspired by what's possible.

Speakers

Michael Memmolo

Executive Director, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination

Michael Memmolo is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). Mike was hired as Executive Director in July of 2024 having previously served the MCAD in the roles of Interim Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Director... Read More →

Kit Thomson Crossman

Executive Director, Maine Human Rights Commission

Kit Thomson Crossman has worked at the Maine Human Rights Commission for 7 years. They started at the Commission as an investigator in early 2019, moved to Deputy Counsel in 2021, and were appointed Executive Director in 2023. They received their law degree from Northeastern University... Read More →

Tanya Hughes

Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities

Tanya Hughes is an attorney and public administrator serving as Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) since 2013. Beginning her career at CHRO as an investigator and staff attorney, she rose through the ranks to lead the agency's... Read More →

Big Hartman

Montpelier, VT, Executive Director and General Counsel

https://hrc.vermont.gov

Friday September 25, 2026 3:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
6. Zoom Room 1 Virtual

Virtual, Track 2: Tools and Tactics for Community Power

4:30pm EDT

Session Confessions: An Advocate, an Organizer, and a Legislator Reveal What it Really Takes to Pass (or Kill) a Bill

LIMITED

Friday September 25, 2026 4:30pm - 5:45pm EDT

6. Zoom Room 1

Limited Capacity seats available

Whether you are a layperson, a paid organizer, a grassroots activist, or a candidate, the People's House has room for you. This panel will bring together Vermonters from three different positions to walk us through the wild ride of legislative advocacy. Attendees will learn about the annual cycle of the legislative session and the elements needed to successfully intervene in it. We'll talk about the various ways to approach and educate legislators, how to advocate for bills you like and weaken the bills you don't, and how to be strategic in communicating with elected officials. Panelists will discuss the role of decorum and gravitas, when to set them aside, and the weirdest things they have ever done to pass or kill a bill!

Speakers

Conor Casey

Vermont State Representative

Conor Casey is a Vermont State Representative, public affairs professional, nonprofit executive, and award-winning playwright. Since 2023, he has represented Montpelier in the Vermont House of Representatives, serving on the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions and the... Read More →