Burlington – In furtherance of what might be considered a slightly early New Year’s resolution, Vermont CARES director Kendall Farrell sent a letter to her colleagues on December 29 announcing her intention to resign from the non-profit AIDS services and prevention agency. Her resignation will become effective in May.
      Farrell has been working with Vermont CARES for about nine years, the last three as director. "It is just time for me to see what other potential opportunities there might be," said Farrell in a phone interview. Asked if she had something else in mind, she laughed and said, "No, actually I plan to take the summer off."
      Farrell said she knew when she signed on that it was a commitment to stay through the financial decision-making that resulted in the agency's opting out of state-administered federal prevention funding.
      "The agency's funding is stable, our programs are in a good place, it just seemed like this was a good time to leave," Farrell said. In connection to the prevention-funding controversy, Farrell said that one staff member's position had been cut that would have been funded through the CDC, but the staff member had decided to leave even before the decision was made.
      The director denied that her decision to resign was related to the agency's opting out of federal funding through the Vermont Department of Health for prevention services. In mid-September, Farrell announced in press releases and a full-page ad in the local weekly that the agency would not apply for AIDS prevention funding from the CDC through the Vermont Department of Health. The decision reflected the agency's concerns about restrictive programmatic requirements normed on big-city populations and intrusive data-gathering attached as "strings" to the funding, as well as the substitution of abstinence materials for prevention education and undermining the message that condoms are effective. Vermont CARES' announcement was timed to immediately precede the agency's AIDS Walk annual fundraiser and to encourage wider participation and additional donations.
     "The income from the AIDS Walk was not what we had hoped for," Farrell admitted. "But the turnout was incredible. The AIDS Walk has become more of an awareness-raising event than a fundraiser. We are prepared for a decline in funds from this activity."
     Farrell added, "The Champ Ride has actually become our biggest fundraiser. A couple of riders raise a huge amount, which is incredibly helpful. But the average amount raised per rider is about $200." The one-day June Champ Ride receives significant corporate support in the form of in-kind donations, Farrell indicated.
     At the time of our interview, the Vermont CARES board of directors had not yet met to plan their recruitment search, but it is likely to be national in scope.
     "It sounds pat, but I have mixed emotions about leaving," Farrell said. "I love Vermont CARES and the volunteers. I will remain involved."