JEFFREY Bartley
35 | Champlain Valley Exposition | Sales and Marketing Manager
Residence: Fairfax
Career highlight(s): The career highlight I'm most proud of is working with key stakeholders in merging three separate fire departments with the Town of Colchester.
Community Involvement: My community involvement includes being an elected Chair of the Colchester Selectboard, appointed to the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, Colchester Development Review Board, Chittenden County Solid Waste District Board, Colchester Governance Committee, and as a youth basketball coach. I've also worked on dozens of political campaigns for partisan and non-partisan positions.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? I was born in Vermont and split time between California and Vermont. Vermont's quality of life, four seasons, and proximity to major city hubs like New York City (Go Yankees!) have kept me in Vermont.
Favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is meeting and working with really interesting people. We host dozens of events that attract a wide range of people. This includes the Champlain Valley Fair, which is one of the best opportunities to people watch. CVE and the team here is incredibly entrepreneurial. This affords me the opportunity to leave my mark on the organization.
Most inspiring mentor and why: My most inspiring mentor is an old professor and life long friend, Charlie Nagelschmidt. His can-do attitude and desire to constantly learn inspired me to push myself and commit to a business-centric career path.
What is the best career advice you have received? The best career advice I have received is analyze the options then act. Relying on gut instincts is very risky. It's ok to make mistakes, learn from them.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: Few people know that I'm a video game geek, especially during the winter where I tend to go dormant. I'm not going to hide that I try to catch them all!
What three words best describe you: Three words that best describe me are energetic, loyal, and entrepreneurial.
Favorite Vermont escape: My favorite Vermont escape is Colchester Pond or any campground.
Favorite downtime activity: My favorite downtime activity is watching sports, playing video games or gardening.
Favorite Super Hero and why: My favorite super hero is Batman. His gadgets were cool, he's wealthy, and lacks a cliché "super power." He has to work hard to be successful and he can fail. The bad guys and gals in the series are fascinating.
Person you would most like to share a Vermont beverage with: The person I'd most like to share a Vermont beverage with is my Dad. If he was still around, I'd love to prove to him Labatt can't compare to Vermont's microbrews.
If you had unlimited access to funds, which cause(s) would you support: The cause I would support is starting a non-profit to assist first responders screen for lung cancer or organizations that encourage youth activities, STEM, and financial education.
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.... I have a custom showtunes playlist.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5-10 years? In the next 5-10 years I'd like to continue to be working at the Champlain Valley Exposition and helping grow our capital efforts, whereby expanding event opportunities at the Expo.
What career goal(s) would you like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years? The career goals I'd like to accomplish in the next 5-10 years are, I'd like to have a side business creating garden structures (beds, pots, etc.) and have my flight instructor license.
How has your community service changed since the pandemic? My community service during the pandemic has changed.., Drastically! We haven't been able to hold our typical events that attract thousands over the course of a weekend. The Champlain Valley Fair didn't occur and the 2021 Fair is in doubt. Our team has been shrunk to 20% of our typical size. It has offered the opportunity to take a look at our operations, learn some efficiencies, and plan for when we re-open in the future.
How has your job changed since this pandemic? During the pandemic, my job has changed I'm not marketing a Fair or working on event contracts. I'm learning more about the facilities and what we can do to protect our infrastructure better. We're putting together a fundraising campaign to help keep our doors open, but also provide leverage for future capital improvements.