Draft:Alex Hilliard

Alex Hilliard (born 14 September 1989) is a Black American social equity advocate, personal trainer, trail runner, and long-time resident of Vermont.

Early life and education
Alex was born Alexandra Hilliard on September 14, 1989, at Goddard Memorial Hospital (now Good Samaritan Medical Hospital). in Stoughton, MA. Alex was the firstborn child of Susan Stephens and Erik Hilliard. Alex spent their formative years in the city of Brockton, MA. At the age of 3, Alex's parents bought a home there on the south side of the city. Alex attended the Davis elementary school for kindergarten, the Huntington elementary school for Grades 1-3, and the Plouffe Elementary School for grades 4-6. Alex attended South junior high school for grades 7 and 8, before attending Brockton High School for grades 9-12.

Alex participated in track and field at Brockton High School, participating in sprinting events such as the 55m dash, 100m dash, 300m dash, and field events such as the long jump. They graduated from Brockton High School in 2008.

College and beyond
After high school, Alex attended the now defunct Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT for both their undergraduate degree and their graduate degree. While attending college, Alex played soccer there .Alex gave birth to 3 children, in the years 2014, 2016, and 2018. Alex opened a personal training studio, VT AthletaFit, in March 2021. In 2022, Alex became more engaged in advocacy beginning with joining board positions in Vermont. Alex was appointed by the Senate Committee on Committee's in May 2022. As a commissioner for Poultney, Alex has engaged in such tasks as promoting gender equity through helping the Commission engage in progressive policy stances. Alex is also a competitive runner.

Political career
Alex unsuccessfully ran for municipal office in Poultney in 2022 earning 136 votes, and again in 2023 and earning 177 votes. Alex received endorsements from Rights and Democracy and Renew U.S. in 2023. Alex has participated political training programs such as Emerge Vermont (Class of 2023), LEAD-VT (Class of 2023) , and Rights and Democracy's Catalyst Leadership Program (2022). Alex has participated on panels hosted by Vermont Audubon, Rights and Democracy , the Vermont Women's Fund and the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.

Community engagement
In addition to the Commission on Women, Alex sits on the Fund Vermont's Future steering committee and the Environmental Justice Network steering committee. Alex contributes political opinion pieces to their local newspaper, the Rutland Herald, alongside other news outlets in the state, such as the Times Argus. Alex has also been mentioned in the Rutland Herald for a successful GoFundMe campaign to replace the town of Ira's share of a defunded library budget after a controversial town budget meeting centering the library's hosting of a Drag Queen Story Hour. Alex was mentioned after publicly speaking out against a school board member's transphobic remarks on his personal Facebook page, at a school board meeting alongside other advocates, including the nursing community