Sammis goes to Montpelier

TICONDEROGA | Jarrod E. Sammis smiled for his official portrait at the Vermont State House in Montpelier, his grandfather, Francis Sharrow's, tie clasp securely affixed to his blue, white, and yellow tie. Wearing it in Sharrow's honor and paying homage to his own Ticonderoga roots, Sammis looked every bit the newly sworn-in representative to the Vermont General Assembly that he was on that Jan. 4 afternoon. "I enjoy helping people- I like being able to see things get done that help people in general, and I want to see things run efficiently and wisely while also respecting people's civil liberties," Sammis said of how his newly elected position that will be a two-year term. According to Sammis, who ran on the Republican ticket, he defeated his opponent, Democrat Mary Droege, on Election Day with a 51 percent to 48 percent, 43-vote victory. Though he ran Republican, Sammis considers himself to be Libertarian Republican. Representing the newly designated district of Rutland-3 (Castleton), Sammis intends on hitting the ground running in his new career, part of the House Economic Development Committee. "I would like to make a difference in the future of this state, and hopefully we can at least have some projects going in the meantime that will have things put in a positive direction," he said ardently, identifying major issues in Vermont like the substance abuse epidemic, the mental health and suicide crisis, lack of housing, child care shortages, and a shrinking population due to age as areas he intends to tackle. "The goal while in the state house is to promote legislation that will increase access to treatment for addiction as well as mental health while trying to generate population growth via sustainable development and increase state revenue through economic growth, which will then sustainably help fund social programs ranging from education to childcare," he said. "By growing the population and increasing economic opportunity, the state can continue to fund programs to help those in need without having to create unnecessary tax burdens to working families and simultaneously increasing quality of life for all." Currently making his home in Castleton, Vt., Sammis grew up in a yellow house on Ticonderoga's Shore Airport Road and graduated Castleton State College in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and a concentration in Public Relations and a minor in Political Science. While a student at Ti Hi, Sammis had a natural affinity for history and business, with Bill Morse being his favorite teacher. Members of the community may already be acquainted with Sammis and his gregarious nature thanks to his family business, Century 21 Adirondacks. A third-generation member of the family of realtors, Sammis has been working as the Marketing Coordinator and Sales Agent for the past several years. With his new position in higher office, how will that affect his connections to Ticonderoga? "I will try to be in the office at least a few days a week, it really depends on what we have coming up during the session," Sammis explained. "That's a large factor right now but I can do a lot of work remotely and I am also available on weekends, too." In other words, he doesn't intend to forsake Ticonderoga completely. The journey from a small town to the Capitol of a neighboring state started as one may imagine, a bright young man with an easy smile gravitated towards activities that interested him, with political aspirations finding their way into his mind. In 2016, Sammis worked as a volunteer event coordinator for Vermont's Gary Johnson and his Presidential campaign. Volunteering for the Vermont Republican Party as well as the Vermont Libertarian Party followed, as well as involvement with the organizations the Gunowners of Vermont and the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen. "I encourage everyone to get involved in their local politics, to get involved in their local volunteer groups, and to get to know their neighbors," he said. "Never leave a government in the hands of a few; people need to stop making excuses and get involved. That's how we fix things." Citing the quality of resilience as an attribute of his he intends to use to his advantage, Sammis said that growing up in Ticonderoga also instilled in him a thing or two that prepared him for his position in higher office. "Be tough and don't take crap from anybody," he identified as a lesson his time in Ticonderoga provided. "Growing up in Ticonderoga also gave me a large appreciation for history, as well as caring for the environment." Looking down at his tie clasp, Sammis recalled that he also owns a Fort Ticonderoga tie. "Maybe I'll wear that tomorrow," he said with a laugh as he prepared for the second day on the job.

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Sammis goes to Montpelier

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