2026 Annual Conference Materials

Porter Knight, Founder of Productivity Vermont, CPO
Since 1996, Certified Professional Organizer Porter Knight has been teaching audiences and individuals how to get more done with less stress by applying barin-based strategies to maximize focus and performance. Porter’s simple systems and frameworks transform your approach to work and life so you feel lighter during the day and rest with satisfaction at night.  Read more about Porter Knight here: https://porterknight.com/about/

Gary Kirkman, Director of Compliance Training – US Housing Consultants
Gary joined US Housing Consultants after more than 17 years of affordable housing experience as a regional property manager, award-winning community manager, training director for a property management company, and trainer covering multiple funding programs. 
Over his years in the industry, Gary has developed a style that combines the right amount of entertainment and thoughtful communication of often deeply complex information. Gary is an experienced and engaging public speaker. He conducts public and private training and speaks at housing conferences, providing training on all major affordable housing programs.  

Nadine Scibek, Attorney at Law
Nadine is an attorney with a solo private practice in Burlington, Vermont focusing solely on issues involving landlord/tenant matters, representing owners/landlords of residential properties throughout Vermont for over 30 years. Attorney Scibek represents several housing authorities and subsidized housing providers, as well as non-profit, for-profit, large and small landlords, mobile home parks and housing cooperatives. She is a member of the Vermont and Chittenden County Bar Associations as well as The Housing & Development Law Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and a Juris Doctor degree from New England Law in Boston, Massachusetts. She has also testified in the Vermont Legislature on behalf of non-profit landlords and assisted in drafting legislation for the Vermont Legislature resulting in 2008, 2012 & 2015 changes to Vermont’s landlord/tenant statutes affecting apartments and mobile home parks. Attorney Scibek also worked in cooperation with attorneys with the Vermont Landlord Association (Attorney Zaikowski) and Vermont Legal Aid on the eviction moratorium legislation that was passed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Angela Zaikowski, Partner & Attorney at Law – Bennett & Zaikowski, PC
Angela Zaikowski is a partner at Bennett & Zaikowski, PC where she has worked since 2003. She is admitted to practice in Vermont Courts and federal court. Angela is also the Director of the Vermont Landlord Association; a trade association for Vermont Landlords.  Angela received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon in 2000. After college she moved to the Northeast to attend Vermont Law School, where she received her J.D. degree in 2003. She also received her M.S. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in 2003.  Angela is a frequent presenter of Landlord/Tenant law and best management practices seminars for both attorneys and Realtors as continuing legal education and private landlords/property managers.  Angela also serves on legislative study committees and participates in the Legislative process through drafting potential legislation and testifying in legislative committees on issues impacting commercial and residential landlords.

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
CVOEO’s Housing Advocacy Programs (HAP) provide education, support, advocacy, technical assistance, and referrals for people and organizations throughout Vermont. These services are grounded in the belief that housing is a basic human right and that everyone deserves equitable access to securing and maintaining a home, free from discrimination.

The HAP team serves renters, mobile home residents, and people experiencing discrimination, and also partners with housing and service providers, municipal officials, and other organizations to promote inclusive, affordable housing for all. Program services and activities are designed to build individual and community knowledge, confidence, and agency in rental housing and mobile home law, fair housing legal protections, strategies for finding and maintaining rental housing, and community engagement. 

Chittenden County Sherriff’s Department, South Burlington
The Chittenden County Sheriff’s Department plays a critical role in regional safety and community stability across Vermont’s most populous county. Headquartered in South Burlington and led by Sheriff Daniel Gamelin, the agency bridges judicial enforcement with community care, particularly through its execution of civil processes and housing-related orders. In managing these sensitive tasks, the department prioritizes a collaborative approach, coordinating closely with state and local social service organizations to support families in transition. Sheriff Gamelin’s team is dedicated to balancing legal duties with compassion, striving to help tenants navigate complex transitions while maintaining local housing security.