Carol Barrett - City Clerk
The City of Winooski proudly recognizes Carol Barrett for her 41 years of dedicated service as City Clerk! Carol’s legacy of welcoming and opportunity has been an inspiration and we are honored to feature her during the Legacy Campaign. Carol was born in 1961 and is a second-generation Winooskian. Her father, a former Winooski Firefighter, grew up on Hickok Street, where he and Carol’s mother raised their family. Carol was a student at the Winooski School District until she graduated in 1979, where she met (and later married) her high school sweetheart, Rick! Carol briefly worked at the American Automobile Association, Aubuchon Hardware, and the Burlington Free Press before discovering an opening for Assistant City Clerk in Winooski. Carol applied and began her amazing career on July 14, 1980, at just 18 years old. Carol was promoted to Assistant City Clerk in 1982, serving 29 years until her official promotion to City Clerk in 2011.
Most impressively, Carol Barrett is only the 6th City Clerk since the City was formed in 1922!
One of Carol’s areas of expertise has been managing and maintaining the historical records vault at Winooski City Hall. On Monday, December 6th, 2021, Mayor Kristine Lott joined City Councilors and Staff to commemorate and officially change the vault’s name to the “Carol J. Barrett Historical Records Vault”. In addition to her amazing achievements in ensuring the accessibility and preservation of Winooski’s records, Carol was also integral to the digitization of the entire land record of Winooski and spent many years focused on the restoration of documents and other important articles. We welcome community members to stop by and see the commemoration above the vault any time - residents will be reminded of Carol’s amazing legacy of service for years to come.
Former City Clerk Pauline Schmoll sits with Carol Barrett and Janet Brouard for a photo celebrating their combined City Clerk service of 117 years!
“This position has always been a lifelong opportunity for growth. I’m honored to be a part of the legacy of City Clerks in Winooski. In all my years, I never thought I’d be at a single job this long! I got to celebrate the City’s 50th, 75th, and 100th birthday, it’s just been an amazing adventure. What I’ve loved and will miss the most are my connections with the residents and staff. So many of my friends and neighbors have purchased homes here, started businesses, raised their families – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen kids grow up and I get to issue them their marriage licenses! That part is especially rewarding. I’ve experienced 4 decades of Mayors, Councilors, and staff and who all worked to make Winooski a better place. I want to take a moment and give a special thanks to Janet Brouard, our Senior Assistant City Clerk, who has been my closest coworker and friend for 31 years. I also want to thank the countless staff who have come and gone throughout the years – I wish everyone the absolute best! I’d also like to welcome Jenny Willingham as our new City Clerk. She comes with an amazing history of experience and Winooski will be in trusted hands with her at the helm of the Clerk’s Office.”
