Madeleine Kunin

Madeleine Kunin served as the first female and first Jewish governor of Vermont from 1985 to 1991. During her tenure, she erased the budget deficit, fostered economic growth, and created tough new environmental laws. In 1993, she was appointed Deputy Secretary of Education in the Clinton Administration, and afterward served as the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland from 1996 to 2000. She is the author of several books and is currently the James Marsh Professor at Large at the University of Vermont. Updated 2010