Alison Kosakowski Conant first came to Vermont in crisis mode.

While working in communications for Maersk, a global shipping company, she rushed from her home in New Jersey to Vermont in April 2009. The Maersk Alabama had been hijacked by four Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. The ship’s captain, Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vermont, was taken hostage.

As the crisis unfolded, Alison was dispatched to the captain’s home in the small town of Underhill to manage the intense media spotlight on the Phillips family.

In this episode, Alison talks about her experience with Captain Phillips, as well as her decision to move to Vermont later on and create a life for herself as a mother, wife, communications professional, and farmer.