SHELBURNE, Vermont — On June 4, Orton Family Foundation Founder and Board chairman Lyman Orton announced the hiring of Jane Lafleur as senior director.

Lafleur has worked with Community Heart & Soul for more than a decade, initiating the pilot communities of Damariscotta and Gardiner in Maine, a state that now has 13 Heart & Soul towns because of her leadership, according to Heart and Soul, in a news release.

“I recruited Jane because she has seen first-hand the positive transformation in these Maine towns and wants to lead the expansion of Community Heart & Soul across the country,” said Orton. “One silver bullet to the pandemic is that Heart & Soul towns are better prepared and more confident in their ability to recover from it.”

Lafleur, owner of JB Lafleur Consultants, has 30+ years in the public, private and nonprofit sectors in Maine and northern New England. JB Lafleur Consultants provides community development, planning, citizen engagement and civic leadership training and educational programs throughout Maine and the US. Her work includes community facilitation, town planning, walkability and place-making training and audits and other community assessments, as well as coaching Community Heart & Soul teams through the two-year community development process.

Lafleur has worked with communities, community organizations and the public as a facilitator, teacher, coach, and leader. She has received the Professional Planner of the Year Award from both the Maine Association of Planners and the Northern New England Chapter of the American Planning Association, as well as other honors.

“I am excited to join this team of talented professionals at the Foundation and the Champions, Coaches and community leaders who are working together to strengthen communities through the Community Heart & Soul model,” said Lafleur.

Lafleur will be working from her home office in Camden with frequent travel to the Shelburne Heart & Soul headquarters.

About Community Heart & Soul

Community Heart & Soul, from The Orton Family Foundation, assists residents in shaping the future of their communities by improving local decision-making, creating a shared sense of belonging, and ultimately strengthening the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of each place. Founded in Vermont in 1995, Community Heart & Soul is a barn-raising approach to community planning and development designed to increase participation in local decision-making and empower residents to shape the future of their communities in a way that upholds the unique character of each place. Community Heart & Soul projects are underway across the country creating positive change that is resident-driven and recognizes the value in the unique character of each place and the deep emotional connection of the people who live there.