Political Quotes

“it is with a mixture of pride and sadness that I recognize the life of a friend, Francis ``Fran'' Voigt, the cofounder of the New England Culinary Institute of Montpelier, VT. Fran passed away in May, leaving a strong legacy and many family and friends. Fran Voigt was an innovator, who originally came to Vermont to teach at Goddard College. In 1969, he came to Vermont with his wife, poet Ellen Bryant Voigt, who would later serve as Vermont's poet laureate. He was part of a faculty and staff at Goddard that changed the culture of central Vermont. While at Goddard, Fran developed programs in many fields, including social ecology and art therapy. Fran believed in hands-on education, both at Goddard and later at the New England Culinary Institute, known locally as NECI, which he cofounded in 1980. The New England Culinary Institute, which began in the basement of Montpelier's Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center, grew quickly and garnered national attention. Fran and NECI were soon at the forefront of our country's progressive culinary education movement and were recognized by President Bill Clinton as first runner-up for the Nation's small business of the year in 1994. In 2000, Fran was named Vermont Citizen of the Year by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Vermont's culinary landscape was forever changed by the New England Culinary Institute, as its students opened and worked at restaurants throughout the State.…”