Early in her career, Sanders worked in the Juvenile Division of the Burlington Police Department, then was a community organizer with the King Street Area Youth Center, and then was a volunteer with
AmeriCorps VISTA. From 2004 through 2011, Sanders was president of
Burlington College, a small liberal arts college founded in 1972 for non-traditional students. It closed due to financial problems in 2016. As senior partner in Burlington-based consulting firm Leadership Strategies, O'Meara served as a political and educational consultant for federal, state, and local political campaigns. Sanders was instrumental in founding the
Sanders Institute, a progressive think tank that launched in June 2017, and is one of its 11 original fellows. Like the other fellows, she does not receive payment for her work, although she does receive compensation for travel expenses. She has served in Sanders's Congressional office as Chief of Staff and as Policy and Press Adviser,
Burlington College presidency In 2004, Sanders was named President of Burlington College, a private, non-profit liberal arts school founded in 1972 in Vermont. In 2011, the College's Board of Trustees, while crediting Sanders with acquiring a permanent campus for the 200‑student college, called a meeting for September 2011 and accepted Sanders's resignation. "We reached a decision which I believe is best for both the College and me," Sanders said after the meeting, "The board and I have different visions for the future and that's perfectly fine." On departure, she received the title of President Emeritus and a $200,000 severance, consisting of one year's pay, along with certain retirement and bonus payments. With the College unable to collect on some promised pledges after Sanders had resigned, and the enrollment increase plans failing, the Diocese settled the loan debt with the College in 2015 for $996,000, less than the agreed amount, and with $1 million of the repayment made in shares of an unidentified LLC company. ==References==