Governor makes three admin leadership appointments

September 12, 2025 | By Waterbury Roundabout 

Gov. Phil Scott on Friday announced appointments for three key administration leadership roles: Kendal Smith as commissioner of the Department of Labor, Chris Winters as deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor, and Dr. Rick Hildebrant as commissioner of the Department of Health.

Kendal Smith will be Vermont’s next Commissioner of Labor. Courtesy photo

Kendal Smith has served as deputy and interim commissioner of the Department of Labor since January. Prior to that, she served the governor for eight years as director of policy and legislative affairs, responsible for policy and budget development, and advancing gubernatorial priorities. 

“Kendal has been a valued member of my senior executive team since I first became governor. As deputy commissioner at the Department of Labor, she’s proven herself to be a strong leader, and I’m confident she’ll continue to serve Vermonters and the department well in this new role,” the governor said in his announcement. 

Smith thanked Gov. Scott for the opportunity to serve in a new position, which starts for her on Sept. 22. “In this role, I am eager to build on our work connecting Vermonters with critical services—from meaningful employment and training opportunities to ensuring workplace safety and protecting workers’ rights,” she said.  

Also on Sept. 22, Chris Winters will move to work under Smith in his new role as deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor. Winters has served as the commissioner of the Department for Children and Families since 2023, a position that’s had him in the spotlight given his role overseeing the state’s response to house hundreds of homeless Vermonters. 

Winters visited Waterbury multiple times in 2024 to facilitate the state’s plan to repurpose the former Vermont National Guard armory as a shelter for unhoused families with children. That opened last fall through June of this year.  

Chris Winters will move from Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families to Deputy Commissioner of Labor. Courtesy photo

Prior to his time in the Human Services Agency, Winters was deputy secretary of state for nearly a decade, overseeing elections, business registration, corporations, and the state records and archives. His first job in state government was at the Secretary of State’s Office as a staff attorney and later as director of the Office Professional Regulation.

 “Chris’ experiences at DCF, as well as the Secretary of State’s office, working with Vermonters and businesses, makes him a great addition to the Department of Labor,” the governor said in his announcement. “I also want to thank him for the steady leadership he’s provided to DCF over the last two and a half years.”  

Winters said he is excited for what will be a new challenge at the Department of Labor. “I have always been proud to work every day to solve problems for Vermonters and give back to the state that has given so much to me,” Winters said. “My experience at DCF helping Vermonters with complicated lives and economic challenges will serve me well as I focus on labor and workforce issues, as will my years working with other state agencies, businesses, and licensed professions and occupations.”

After Winters departs, Sandi Hoffman, who currently serves as deputy commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, will become interim commissioner of DCF. 

Clarendon internal medicine doctor Rick Hildebrant, M.D., serves as chief medical information officer and medical director of hospital medicine at Rutland Regional Medical Center. In that role, he led initiatives to enhance information-sharing across healthcare systems and strengthen data governance frameworks, according to the governor’s announcement.

Dr. Rick Hildebrant will become Vermont’s next Commissioner of Health. Courtesy photo

“Dr. Hildebrant has a proven track record of leading healthcare innovation and transformation. I believe both his clinical and medical experience will be valuable assets as we continue to navigate the public health challenges facing Vermont,” the governor said. 

Hildebrant holds a Doctor of Medicine from Drexel University College of Medicine and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He did his residency in Internal Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and is a clinical assistant professor at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.

Hildebrant said he considers it an honor to serve as Vermont’s next Health Commissioner. “Even as public health leadership faces challenges nationally, Vermont has consistently demonstrated that collaboration, science, and community can chart a different course,” Hildebrant said. “I look forward to working with Governor Scott, the dedicated staff at the Department of Health, and my colleagues across the Agency of Human Services to build on this tradition and keep Vermont among the healthiest states in the nation.”

Hildebrant’s appointment goes into effect on Oct. 13. He succeeds Dr. Mark Levine, who oversaw the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as Health Commissioner.