Maureen Cregan Connolly

Meet the New VNLA Excutive Director – July, 2026

Maureen Cregan Connolly is the newly appointed Executive Director of the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA), the leading voice for nurseries, landscape businesses, garden centers and allied Vermont businesses. In this role, Maureen provides leadership focused on organizational growth, sound fiscal stewardship, member engagement, and industry advocacy.

With more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in both nonprofit and private-sector organizations, Maureen has built a career centered on helping organizations thrive, strengthening partnerships and delivering sustainable results. Before joining the VNLA, she served as Executive Officer of the Vermont Builders and Remodelers Association (VBRA), where she led initiatives that strengthened the association’s financial performance, increased member engagement, improved operational effectiveness, and elevated advocacy efforts for Vermont’s building industry.

Maureen’s expertise includes financial management, budgeting, forecasting, revenue growth, process improvement, organizational development and strategic planning. She is recognized for her collaborative leadership style, thoughtful decision-making, and ability to guide organizations through growth and change while building strong relationships with boards of directors, members, industry leaders, and community partners.

She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Interior Design, graduating magna cum laude from Brooks College in Long Beach, California.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Maureen enjoys cultivating her perennial gardens, being enthusiastically “trained” by her Border Collie/Great Pyrenees mix Ezra, and spending time with her daughter, who lives in Southern California.