Roger Allbee of Townshend is the newest member of the Otis Health Care Center Board of Trustees. An or- ganizer of "Valley Cares", a senior housing initiative in the West River Valley, Allbee has demonstrated his commitment to eldercare issues. He is the co-owner of Allbee & Allbee, which advises businesses on international trade and agribusiness. His background includes helping companies develop markets for specialty food products in Europe and Asia. Roger was also a vice president at Farm Credit Banks of Springfield, MA and, prior to this, a professional staff member of the U.S. Congress Committee on Agriculture in Washington, D.C. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Vermont, and his Master of Science degree is from the University of Massachusetts.

Roger and his wife, Ann, who teaches at Wardsboro Elementary School, have three grown children. Roger's favorite hobby is flyfishing (catch and release), and in his free time you're likely to find him anywhere he can find trout! Interestingly, Roger and his brother, Ronald, were the first twins ever delivered by Dr. Carlos Otis. They arrived a few years before Grace Cottage opened, however, so they weren't delivered here.

Roger fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Grigs Markham, the former owner of the Windham Hill Inn, whose sale of the Inn and his move to Brattleboro have taken him in a new direction. According to Grigs, "Perhaps the most fulfilling part of serving on the Board has been being around folks who care so much. That includes everyone who has anything to do with the organization…doctors, patients, board members, employees, the community at large. I will miss the incredible positive energy this community generates."

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