5 Rising Stars Named from Southern Vermont
Class of 2023 Recognized by Vermont Business Magazine
Southern Vermont – The winners of the Rising Stars recognition award were announced by Vermont Business Magazine this week. 40 winners under the age of 40 were selected by a panel of judges based on a commitment to business growth, professional excellence and community involvement. This year there were five winners from Bennington and Windham Counties: Daniel Chiaccio of Brattleboro, Andie Fusco of Bennington, Dora Levinson of Dummerston, Peter Paggi of Brattleboro, and Ahmad Yassir of North Bennington.
Three of the Southern Vermont winners were nominated through the Southern Vermont “Emerging Leaders” initiative, created to increase regional visibility and support for young leaders, and to increase statewide recognition of Southern Vermont’s young leaders. All Emerging Leaders who qualify for VBM Rising Stars are submitted to that panel.
“I chose Southern Vermont because of its extremely rich arts scene,” says Daniel Chiaccio, owner of First Proof Press, a community printmaking studio that opened in March 2020 in downtown Brattleboro. He cites the hospitable community and large number of local artists as the keys to his new business’s ability to survive COVID.
Ahmad Yassir, artists & marketing manager for VT News & Media (owner of the Brattleboro Reformer and Bennington Banner, among other publications), says, “As a young person of color, I’m proud to be a voice for my community. I’m committed to building a stronger, more connected community for all.”
As a realtor in Southern Vermont, Andie Fusco says that she feels lucky to be a “sort of spokesperson for the area.” “I really can’t think of a better place in the country to be a part of a close-knit community and have so many ways to enjoy the outdoors,” Fusco says.
Since 2017, when the Emerging Leaders recognition was established, 143 young professionals in Southern Vermont have been recognized (visit www.sovermontzone.com/emerging-leaders for the complete list). Emerging Leaders is a joint effort of Bennington’s Shires Young Professionals and Southern Vermont Young Professionals, a Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) program.
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 size of the region’s workforce and increasing the number of younger households in the region. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/sovtyps/
About Shires Young Professionals
The mission of 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
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. BDCC serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
