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Robert's Resume

Robert Dostis Represents Waterbury, Waterbury Center, Duxbury, Huntington, and Buels Gore, Vermont

Robert Dostis of Waterbury Center, a Democrat, was first elected on November 7, 2000 to one of the two House of Representative seats to serve Waterbury, Duxbury, Huntington, and Buels Gore.

"We elect our legislators to represent us on issues that are important to all of us, like education, health care and the environment" says Dostis. "My interest in public service has guided my career path, and in seeking the job of representative. My work in business, health care, and non-profit organizations, and my dealings with the Vermont Legislature, have given me experience and broad perspective on the issues affecting our community. I know the importance of bringing people with different needs and perspectives together around issues that affect us all. We must reverse the growing disconnect between our government and the general public. As a legislator I will meet with constituents and listen to and consider their viewpoints before making decisions."

Dostis is currently executive director of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger (VTCECH), a post he has held for five years. He wants to work to address the needs of children, seniors, and the environment. "I believe children deserve equal access to quality education, child care and health care. We also need to focus on supervised out-of-school activities for children. I've seen too many children left on their own while waiting for their parents to return home from work. Seniors must not be put in a position of choosing between prescription drugs and putting food on the table. I want to protect Vermont's landscape from pollution, land degradation, and sprawl. We must have responsible development and a vision for the future if we are going to maintain Vermont's beauty for our children."

"I know firsthand that people who are born into truly disadvantaged environments need help getting out," says Dostis, whose own childhood was marked by poverty and long stretches in the foster care system. "I know the struggles that low-income families face in trying to meet basic needs, and how hunger can be only one unexpected bill away. I understand the power of education in breaking the cycle of poverty, and helping children reach their full potential.

During his tenure with VTCECH, Dostis has become a familiar figure in Montpelier. "Robert has worked successfully with communities to establish meal programs for children, and with the legislature to fund and support those very programs," says Speaker of the House Michael Obuchowski. He sites the School Lunch, School Breakfast and Summer Food Service Programs, as among the programs that the Campaign is instrumental in bringing to communities across the state.

"The common thread in all my work is service," says Dostis, "and an underlying foundation for providing service is fiscal responsibility and accountability. It is the same in government. We must not spend money we don't have, and the money we do have, collected from hard-working Vermonters, must be spent wisely."

In his current post, Dostis oversees the work of an organization that addresses the nutritional needs of Vermont's children. As a Clinical Nutritionist he served the chronically ill on the medical and intensive care units in various hospitals, worked with seniors through the Meals on Wheels Program, and helped people struggling with weight control at a weight-loss clinic. In business, he opened and operated five successful fast food restaurants.

Dostis is also Chair of the Northeast Regional Anti-Hunger Network; Chair of the Stewardship Committee and Vestry Member of St. John's in the Mountain Episcopal Church; and a member of the SAMARA Foundation Board of Directors. He volunteers with the Waterbury Children's Partnership and Revitalizing Waterbury. As foster parents, Robert, with his partner of 16 years, provide respite care to foster and adopted children. They raise goats and enjoy gardening. Their home was selected as one of the stops for the July 22, Waterbury Garden Tour.

"I am excited by this opportunity to continue to make a difference in the lives of Vermonters, says Dostis. I am confident that my experiences have prepared me to effectively represent residents of this district."