2022 Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont Announced
May 16, 2022
Southern Vermont – 20 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders were recognized on May 12th during the Southern Vermont Economy Summit. With sponsorship from the Vermont Futures Project, the Southern Vermont Young Professionals and the Shires Young Professionals conducted the annual recognition event which celebrates young people from the Bennington and Windham regions. Individuals were nominated based on their work as community leaders and volunteers, and for their professional accomplishments and commitment to serving the region.
“We wanted to send folks home with something special,” said Casey Haynes of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, home to SoVTYPs. “Something that served not only as a connection to the mountains and valleys of Southern Vermont, but also as a reminder of the communities here that thrive because of their involvement.” Treeline Terrains provided topographical wooden carved desk displays representing the landscape of southern Vermont. These were gifted to each awardee.
Once nominated, each Emerging Leader was asked to submit an application which described their career and community service accomplishments. Many responses were characterized by a desire to cultivate change in their communities. Natalie Philpot of The Collaborative wrote, “This is the honest and vulnerable work I GET to do – to begin to shift the narrative around substance misuse disorder, to promote safe spaces through engaging in active stigma reduction education, and to show our community that they are not alone.”
Martha Cornwell—Physician Assistant, Farmer and Shaftsbury Selectwoman—said, “This year I became the youngest and first woman of color to represent Shaftsbury on the Selectboard. I am very proud to have helped create a broad coalition of BIPOC, elder, young, working parents, small business owner citizens to help transform the Shaftsbury of tomorrow.”
Sarah Krinsky, Co-owner of W. Collective said, “After participating in several pop-up markets and speaking with fellow women-business owners, I felt the need to create a platform that would allow us to collaborate, network, and empower each other and our businesses”
Newcomers to Vermont were also strongly represented in this year’s Emerging Leader cohort. Keith Marks of Next Stage Arts said, “My connection to community has been through COVID, having moved here five weeks prior to COVID taking hold in our community. I am proud to have served our mission of serving southeastern Vermont as a regional cultural hub, arts producer, and instigator of meaningful cultural experiences.”
Adriana Negrón Trujillo, who works to improve maternal health care systems locally, cited climate change and economic challenges as motivators for relocating from Puerto Rico in 2021. She said, “All that I have done has been in response to the commitment and support the Brattleboro community has afforded me and my family.”
All of the 2022 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders will be nominated for the Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Rising Star awards.
2022 Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont (click here to read more about each awardee)
Adriana Negrón Trujillo, Brattleboro
Alana Harte, Ed.D., Bennington
Allison Wright, Warwick
Alyssa Irizarry, Pownal
Amir Mohammad Samar, Brattleboro
Anna Griffith, Marlboro
Asher Edelson, Bennington
Carissa Brewton, Brattleboro
Carolyn Gilbert, Bennington
Jennifer Luty, Dorset
Keith Marks, Putney
Laetitia LeBail, Walpole
Maggie Rubick, Manchester Center
Martha Cornwell, Shaftsbury
Natalie Philpot, Manchester Center
Nicole Koziara, East Dummerston
Nikolas Katrick, Marlboro
Samantha Pearce, Danby
Sarah Krinsky, Bennington
Stephanie Eames, North Bennington
About the Southern Vermont Economic Summit
The Southern Vermont Economy Summit is a daylong learning and networking event for municipal, community and business leaders that focuses on the long term development of Southern Vermont’s economy. This year’s theme is Investing in Southern Vermont’s Future – strategies for planning, focus, and developing the economy. The day will highlight entrepreneurial projects and strategies that are currently being employed in Southern Vermont with an eye toward learning and collaborating on future planning focus’ and development support efforts. The Summit is a joint effort of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategy (SeVEDS), Bennington County Industrial Corporation (BCIC) and the Bennington Regional Economic Development Group (RED Group).
About Southern Vermont Young Professionals
The Southern Vermont Young Professionals is a workforce initiative of Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) and the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). Our mission is to attract, retain and support Young Professionals in Southern Vermont by providing engaging opportunities and networking through social and educational events, and volunteer opportunities. The YP initiative is increasingly important to Southern Vermont’s businesses and communities as a strategic approach to growing the region’s workforce and increasing the number of younger households. For more information please visit: brattleborodevelopment.com/southern-vermont-young-professionals/
About Shires Young Professionals
The mission the Shires Young Professional group is to help young professionals and families create deep roots in our community that encourage them to stay and build a prosperous life in the Shires of Vermont. The SYP looks to engage, emerge, and empower young professionals throughout the region. Our young professional’s events, programs and gatherings are open to all people, but we do focus on the 21 to 40-year old age range. More information at www.ShiresYP.com
About BDCC and SeVEDS:
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth throughout Southeastern Vermont, including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Weston. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area. BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) is an affiliate of BDCC that grew from a 2008 grassroots effort, initiated by BDCC, to reverse the economic decline of the Windham Region and plan for the economic impacts from the closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In 2014, after multiple years of regional input, education and data gathering, SeVEDS submitted the Windham Region’s federally recognized S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for federal approval. For more information visit: www.seveds.com
