Representative Katherine Sims is passionate about bringing people together to create positive change for communities. She was born in Massachusetts and moved to Vermont over 20 years ago to work on a dairy farm. A dynamic nonprofit leader with over ten years of experience as a practitioner and consultant, Katherine has worked with leaders in business, government, and nonprofits to develop their organizations.
Katherine is currently an independent consultant to nonprofits, helping to build their organizations through fundraising plans, leadership development, and succession planning. Prior to that, she served as the Director of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, which drives economic and community development by identifying priorities across sectors and taking action. In 2007, she founded the nonprofit Green Mountain Farm-to-School to advocate for childhood nutrition and farm viability. During Katherine’s tenure as director, the organization built school gardens across the region, educated thousands of children about healthy food, and created new markets for farmers. Katherine graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s in history.
Katherine has deepened her understanding of Vermont’s challenges and opportunities as a board member of the Vermont Land Trust, Northeast Kingdom Community Broadband, the Vermont Telecommunications & Connectivity Advisory Board, the Vermont Council on Rural Development, UVM Extension, and Craftsbury Saplings. Most recently, she served as a member of the NVU Strong Committee, which was tasked with developing financially sustainable solutions that will ensure a strong and thriving future for Northern Vermont University for generations to come. She lives in Craftsbury with her husband, Jeff Fellinger, and their two sons.