DAISY BERBECO grew up in a small fishing community off the road system in coastal Alaska, where she developed a deep appreciation for the importance of human connection in building community wellness.

Daisy is an expert in mental health and substance use policy and practice improvement. She has worked with thought leaders in trauma-informed care, peer recovery groups, health care management, leadership, and care integration.

After studying international development at Sussex, Daisy worked in global health and the nonprofit sector in various locations including India and Vanuatu. She then spent seven years at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Washington D.C. before moving to Winooski in 2019.

Prior to her election as a state representative in the Vermont General Assembly, Daisy served as the Senior Advisor for Mental Health Policy at the Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Secretary for the Finance & Policy Division for the National Association of Mental Health Program Directors, a member of Vermont's Substance Misuse Prevention and Oversight Council, and the Vermont Suicide Prevention Coalition. 

She is currently on the advisory board of the Hopi Foundation's peer-run Substance Use Prevention Center and a member of the Vermont Judiciary Commission on Mental Health and the Courts, the Agency of Human Services Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Steering Committee, an Executive Board Member of Urban Institute’s Vermont Prison Reform and Innovation Network and the Conference of Chief Justices State Court Administrators Behavioral Health Committee Funding Workgroup. She is also the Chair of the Winooski Democrats and a Justice of the Peace.

In her free time Daisy enjoys volunteering in her community and with NAMI Vermont, fishing, hiking, and painting.

ENDORSEMENTS

 

  • “Daisy Berbeco is an innovative leader whose breadth and depth of experience is a great asset to our state.

    She possesses the skill, character, and passion for policymaking that I know make a great legislator. Vermont has a brighter future with Daisy in the General Assembly and it is my pleasure to endorse her for State Representative."

  • I’m excited for Daisy Berbeco to join the General Assembly because of her collaborative spirit and innovative policy ideas. Daisy’s incredible professional and personal experiences inform her deep understanding of economic and physical mobility, and I know she has the resolve and the expertise to bring Winooski's needs to the forefront in Montpelier.

  • Daisy has the state policy experience, the national lens, and rich understanding of health systems and practice improvement to bring our legislature the fresh, innovative ideas that we sorely need to address the gaps in Vermont's system of care. Her commitment to improving the lives of people who are underserved is truly inspiring and I am honored to support her.

  • Daisy Berbeco is a leader who will be a great public servant as a State Representative for Winooski. Daisy has the courage to speak truth to power and will always have Winooski's best interests at heart. As I look forward to retirement and vacate my House seat, I cannot think of anyone with more passion and resolve to serve Winooski in the Vermont General Assembly.

  • We will be electing many new leaders in November and I hope Daisy is one of them.

    She knows her way around the legislature, having managed mental health policy for the state throughout the pandemic. She has proven her ability to quickly adapt and collaborate across sectors on policy and budget solutions to stabilize diverse stakeholders. It is promising to me that Daisy acutely grasps the importance of youth mental health and having well coordinated, school-based prevention and supports as a key component of a quality continuum of care. Equipped with a national lens on improving mental health care and substance use disorder treatment systems, her expertise and awareness of other state's models will be a tremendous asset for all of us in the legislature and in Vermont.

  • I know Daisy will tirelessly and effectively represent Winooski's interests in the statehouse while bringing essential experience and expertise to her role as a legislator. She is eager to take initiative and will work hard for the people who most need government to work for them. I have seen her in action as a senior policy advisor for the State of Vermont and I know she understands state agencies, the legislative process, and is exceptionally well qualified to serve Winooski on day one.

  • Daisy shows she cares by listening to understand and then uplifting voices that often go unheard. Her experience as a mental health policy advisor demonstrates her professional commitment to this work. I am excited to see the change she can make in Montpelier and know she will be an advocate for our city.

  • I know when elected, Daisy will represent every single one of us, listen to our concerns, and she will not make decisions without the input of the community, doing research, and deliberating how it may impact the city. Daisy will strive to make us proud and represent us well. Please join me in supporting Daisy. Let's send her to Montpelier!

  • Please join me in supporting Daisy Berbeco. Daisy both appreciates the many contributions of the long-time members of the community and understands the varied talents of our newer residents. Your vote for Daisy Berbeco will keep Winooski moving forward.

  • I’m endorsing Daisy for State Rep. because she is someone who knows how to root public policy in the local realities of our neighbors. She’s done that through her work in mental health and substance use disorders at the national level and also in Vermont. I’d be proud to have her representing us in Winooski.

  • I am thrilled to support Daisy’s candidacy for State Representative. Daisy will not only bring an amazing amount of competency to the job, she will continue Hal’s legacy of making sure the voices of all of Winooski’s residents are heard. It is powerful to have a mother run for this position and I know it will bring a richness to her work and how she will represent Winooski in the Vermont State House.

  • Daisy is invested in our Winooski community is a way we rarely see. She genuinely loves her neighborhood and neighbors, and is motivated to ensure that everyone who lives in our tiny town and state feels welcome and has access to the support and resources they need to thrive. I cannot wait to see what Daisy accomplishes, because I am sure it will be awe- inspiring.

  • Daisy is one of those rare people who balance policy expertise and systems thinking with authenticity. She knows that equity and mobility are central to building healthy and connected neighborhoods in Winooski and across Vermont. We need leadership in Montpelier who understand that complex problems require more than just slogans - they need smart, collaborative solutions with community voice at the center. Daisy is exactly that type of leader and I am so excited for her to represent us in the General Assembly.

  • Daisy has both the policy experience and the passion for service that is so needed in this role. Having worked with Daisy at AHS, I came to know her as a courageous and focused voice for the community she served. She understands the challenges facing so many Vermonters who struggle with poverty, mental health challenges, and other systemic barriers. I have every confidence that Daisy will give her all to representing a resilient and diverse Winooski and her positive energy will help Vermont continue to thrive.

  • It is with pleasure that I offer my hearty endorsement for Daisy Berbeco. I have known Daisy for the past ten years beginning with our work as colleagues in Washington, DC. She has one of the keenest minds I have ever met with the ability to hold space for differing views and bringing people together to accomplish common goals. Building community is one of her greatest gifts. I watched her do this in Washington, DC, during her time on the Hopi Reservation and now in Winooski. Her early life in a tiny Alaska village set the stage for how all of us are interconnected. As a wife and mother, she recognizes how meaningful life and connection in community is by being deeply involved and with the ability to carry out a vision of better living for all.