The Declaration of Inclusion Initiative is made up of five Rutland County residents all of whom are volunteers. It was started by Bob Harnish of Pittsford and Al Wakefield of Mendon in 2020. Norm Cohen of Rutland was recruited shortly afterwards, Barbara Noyes Pulling of Rutland Town came on board at the end of year two. In 2023, Patti Lancaster of Mendon, a retired public defender and prisoner rights attorney, joined the Initiative to lead its Implementation efforts. She will help those municipalities that adopt the Declaration to put it into action. In 2025, Karimah Edwards of Brattleboro, the Senior Planner for the Rutland Regional Planning Commission joined the initiative, as did Marsha Cassel of Rutland Town, a retired public school teacher and an active member of the Vermont Family Mediators.
Al Wakefield has been a resident of Vermont for over 35 years, most of that in Mendon. As many others have done, Al and his family came to the community to ski, enjoy the great outdoors, and the more relaxed life that Vermont affords.
During their first visit here, the Wakefield's dined at Royal’s Hearthside Restaurant, met Ernie and Willa Royal, and subsequently acquired both the restaurant as well as the newly established Royal’s Gourmet Food Market.
Al’s visits with the Royals and, subsequently, with Preston Smith, Frank Punderson, and Otto Lannanatuoni – all long-time residents and successful business owners – convinced the Wakefield's that they would be accepted and could continue to build their dreams here.
After two years, the Wakefield's sold the enterprises and Al went on to build an international executive search firm, operating from Mendon and New York City.
Bob Harnish moved to Vermont in 1964 in response to the lure of skiing after college and a three-year tour in the Air Force. He and his wife, Breda, purchased Summit Lodge, which they later sold to buy the Cortina Inn.
The couple had no children of their own, but over the years they took “under their wing” four children: Eric Matthews, a runaway; George Valentin, a Puerto Rican; and two Hmong (Laotian) kids, Sheng and Maisian Vang. All four have moved on to get college degrees, have families, and find impressive careers. These relationships have made clear to Bob the struggles faced by people in the BIPOC and AAPI communities in Vermont as well as other states.
Hospitality is in Bob’s DNA. This goes beyond innkeeping to the whole of Vermont as a state that will benefit enormously in terms of diversity, culture, vibrancy, tax dollars, and much more by letting the world know that people of all backgrounds are welcome. Bob resides in Pittsford.
Norman Cohen, a Washington DC native, has lived in Rutland County since 1969 when he joined the Office of the United States Attorney. He lives in Rutland as does one of his daughters. He entered private practice in 1973, formed the firm of Cohen and Rice in 1985 and retired in 2019.
Norman has served on several public and non-profit boards: Rutland Town School Board, Vermont Achievement Center, PEG-TV and Mentor Connector. Currently, he serves on the Rutland Town Planning Commission. He is building his second home since retirement with Rutland County Habitat for Humanity.
His legal experience and “word crafting” acquired from six years of sports writing adds depth to our team.
Barbara Noyes Pulling has been employed by the Rutland Regional Planning Commission since 2013 as a Senior Planner. As a native Vermonter, her roots extend to the 1790s. She attended St. Johnsbury Academy and graduated from the University of Vermont in 1976 with a degree in Political Science. She spent the next 35 years in public radio and television broadcasting as a reporter and producer. Her career took her to public radio and television stations in Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Maine and the Metropolitan Washington DC area, garnering awards for programs on such diverse topics as Aquaculture, the Idaho outdoors and financial irregularities in religious organizations.
After 35 years in public broadcasting, she obtained a master's degree in public policy from George Mason University in 2013 and returned to Vermont. She brings her exceptional communications skills and her intimate familiarity with public affairs and public issues to our Initiative. Barbara lives in Rutland Town with her spouse Jeannine and their two German Shepherds. She has served as Chair of the Rutland Town Planning Commission for seven years.
Patti Lancaster is a retired attorney. Her entire career was dedicated to public service. She served as a Public Defender in New Jersey from 1980-1987 and in Rutland from 1987-2010 where in addition to representing both juvenile and adult defendants unable to afford private counsel, she was involved in the creation and development of the Rutland Treatment Court, Vermont’s first drug court. She moved to the Prisoners Rights Office in Rutland in 2010 and remained there until she retired in 2021.
Patti has been a tireless community volunteer. While raising her three children, she has served on the boards of Dismas House, Friends of the Rutland Free Library, Rutland Area Visiting Nurses, Family Unity Support Systems, and the Rutland County Parent Child Center. She also is a member of Project Vision’s Community Policing Committee, works with Companions in Wholeness which feeds homeless people, and assists with Refugee Resettlement.
Patti brings expertise, passion, and an extensive familiarity with marginalized people and communities to our initiative. She will concentrate on helping cities and towns establish and update policies and procedures that implement the Declaration of Inclusion they adopted. Patti is a graduate of Rider University and Rutgers Law School. She and her husband Rutland Attorney Jack Kennelly live in Mendon.
Karimah Edwards, MS, JD (She/Her)
Karimah approaches all her projects using a racial equity lens and is committed to elevating the voices, capabilities and needs of community members who often fall outside the circle of human concern.
She brings more than a combined 20 years of experience in research, training, facilitation, policy and planning. Throughout her public sector career, Karimah was responsible for planning and design development, program development, managing capital projects and providing equitable and inclusive community engagement in partnership with government agencies, community-based organizations and non-profits including faith-based organizations.
Skilled at navigating critical matters, Karimah has provided racial equity assessments and trainings for multiple jurisdictions across the country, served as a transition facilitator for federal employees following the 2019 government shutdown and has served as a member of multiple public and private committees dedicated to eradicating racism and supporting social justice. Karimah resides in Brattleboro.
Marsha was born in Oklahoma, raised in Pennsylvania, and enjoyed a couple of stretches in Virginia and France, before moving full time to Vermont in 1983. While not originally from the area, she was shaped and influenced by Vermont institutions, as she completed her undergraduate degree (in French and International Relations) at Middlebury College, her teacher training and certification at the University of Vermont, and a master’s degree (in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies) at Champlain College.
During her 25-year career as a public-school teacher, Marsha taught French, Spanish, Civics and Economics, a Capstone research class, Global Studies, and English to non-native speakers. She also advised the National Honor Society, the Amnesty International club, Speech & Debate, Mock Trial, Justice for All club, and the French Club. She planned and/or chaperoned educational trips with students to Japan, France, Spain, Peru, Ecuador, India, and Canada and produced ten annual Global Issues Network (GIN) Conferences in Rutland, VT, which were supported by the funding that came with her recognition and award of a Rowland Foundation Fellowship. In 2017 she was also recognized as the Vermont Humanities Educator of Year.
Marsha is an active member of the Vermont Family Mediators, facilitates the UVM & the Vermont Family Court’s “Coping with Separation & Divorce” class, and co-produces a public service show on PEGTV called “The Relationship Toolbox.”
In all her endeavors, she aims to promote understanding, belonging, social and environmental justice, wellness and prosperity for all. Marsha resides in Rutland Town.