WEC Community Remembers Board Vice President Mary Just Skinner
“She was totally dedicated to cooperative principles. She was a lot of fun, she had a good sense of humor, and she was engaged in life and the community—in all aspects of it.” – Richard Rubin
In early January 2026, WEC Board Vice President Mary Just Skinner passed away unexpectedly while visiting family in California. She served on WEC’s Board for nearly 14 years, and was near the end of her fourth term.
Skinner was elected to the Board of Directors in May 2012. She served both as Board Secretary and as Vice President, chaired the Power & Operations Committee, and served on multiple other committees, including Community Fund, Finance, Administration & Power Planning, and Policy & Governance.
“She seemed to know everybody,” said Board President Stephen Knowlton. “She brought her experience as a lawyer, legislator, and community board member to our work, and the Board will be different with her loss.”
WEC General Manager Louis Porter said that as a long-serving Board member and one well-connected throughout WEC’s communities, most staff knew Skinner well and worked with her over the years. “Mary was a fixture and a thread through WEC staff’s work lives and engagement with the Board,” he said. Her outgoing nature and active participation in civic life meant that she was able to share updates with members during her travels through WEC’s communities, and bring a variety of member perspectives to staff, Porter elaborated.
Skinner moved to Vermont with her late husband, Scott Skinner—who also served on WEC’s Board—in the early 1970s after graduating from Columbia University Law School. She worked as an attorney for Vermont Legal Aid before opening her own practice in 1978. In 1974, she successfully represented a group of low-income Vermonters before the Vermont Supreme Court: the decision ensured that utilities could no longer raise rates without regulatory approval.
Former WEC Director and fellow lawyer Richard Rubin knew Skinner for more than 50 years, and as a colleague long before they both served on WEC’s Board. He said, “She was tough, she was a really good lawyer, and she brought her commitment to justice and fairness to the Board.”
Skinner opened her own law practice in 1978, and the same year became a state senator representing Washington County. She served seven terms and chaired the Senate Committee on Finance. Later, Skinner served 24 years on the Middlesex Selectboard. Porter noted that her insights as a former legislator, along with her legal acumen, were valuable to the Co-op.
Barry Bernstein, former WEC Director and Board President, said after Skinner was elected to the Board, “we used to laugh because we knew we could call each other after 10 o’clock, because we were both night owls.” He said they talked late at night about politics, community issues, and her children and grandchildren, as well as Co-op issues. Skinner was particularly proud of breaking ground as a woman in her legal and political careers, he said. “Mary was known for her quirkiness, stubbornness, being very bright, and making a point of knowing the history and facts on critical issues.”
Both Bernstein and Rubin spoke of Skinner’s commitment to cooperative values, and policies that benefit all. Bernstein described her as a voice for the ratepayer, the person who would feel the cost impact of a policy change.
“She was totally dedicated to cooperative principles,” said Rubin. “She was a lot of fun, she had a good sense of humor, and she was engaged in life and the community—in all aspects of it.”
WEC Board President Steve Knowlton said Skinner’s seat will remain open until May 7, WEC’s Annual Meeting, when the three members elected to the Board of Directors are confirmed. Board member Susan Alexander has been appointed as interim Vice President until after Annual Meeting, when the Board elects officers for the coming year.
An obituary of Mary Just Skinner is available in the Times Argus and Seven Days: sevendaysvt.com/life-lines/obituary-mary-just-skinner-1946-2026