Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) Elects New Members

SeVEDS Board Elects New Members – Dotson, Druke, Kristiansen and LaClair elected to regional board.

Brattleboro, VT (January, 9, 2017) –The Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies Group (SeVEDS, an organization driving the regional economic development dialogue for the Windham Region) has announced several new additions to its board of directors. The following members were elected officers for FY2017: Bob Stevens of Stevens & Associates will serve as Chair of the board. Meg Streeter of Meg Streeter Realty will serve as Vice Chair. Patrick Moreland with the Town of Brattleboro will join the leadership team as Treasurer. Bill Colvin of Bennington County Regional Commission will join the leadership team as Secretary.

The following new members were voted onto the Board of Directors:  Stephen Dotson of One Report, Josh Druke of WW Building Supply, Mary Ann Kristiansen of the Hannah Grimes Center, and Bethaney LaClair of World Learning and the School for International Training.

Stephen has handled various communications, media, and marketing efforts for projects, campaigns, and organizations rooted in sustainability, justice, and peacework. He moved to Vermont soon after working on the Jersey Shore in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, documenting the potential savings and impact of proactive investment in climate-resilient infrastructure. He currently works with the sustainability reporting company OneReport, and previously worked for the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Stephen is also a newly appointed town commissioner to the Windham Regional Commission and volunteers time with the regional Ecovation Hub project. He and his wife Lisa are working to transform a property in Westminster West into a climate-resilient eco-cabin that will produce all of its own energy and a portion of its own food.

Josh has been at WW Building Supply for the last 11 years, his family purchased about that long ago. He has done just about everything there and am now stepping into a more administrative role alongside his father. Josh is actively involved with all aspects of marketing, business development/ sales team and some human resources, information technology. He recently headed up a project of opening the design center in Wilmington. Over the years Josh and his wife have participated in Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Cheshire County, and currently serve and is president of the advisory committee of the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield Vermont. He has been involved with that program for the last 6 years in different capacities. Josh is also serves on the Board of Director for the Vermont Retail Lumberman’s Association, member of the legislative committee, and will be vice president in 2017 and president in 2019.

Mary Ann Kristiansen is Founder and Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center, based in Keene, NH, with a mission to help business and the community to innovate, connect, thrive and give back. Hannah Grimes provides business educational programs; a 22-office business incubator in the downtown business district of Keene; a retail marketplace for over 270 businesses with locally made and grown products; financing support; and community projects that foster a supportive environment to advance entrepreneurship. Hannah Grimes has over 40 instructors and coaches who volunteer their time and produces 5 monthly e-newsletters targeted to different business sectors. Ms. Kristiansen’s concept for Hannah Grimes Marketplace and subsequently the Hannah Grimes Center emerged from her own home-based business, Buckminster Farm in Roxbury, NH, making soap and other hand crafted goods sold. Ms. Kristiansen holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from New York University Graduate School of Public Administration in New York, NY, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications – Public Relations and Geology from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

Bethaney LaClair is Chief of Staff and Corporate Secretary for World Learning and the School for International Training.  In her current role, LaClair oversees the Executive Office administration and World Learning’s corporate operations, communications, and external relations and is the primary liaison to the World Learning Board of Trustees. Additionally, LaClair manages the Global Advisory Council, which brings together leaders from the arenas of development, education, government, civil society, business, foundations, and international organizations from more than a dozen countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. LaClair earned a BS in business management, with a minor in economics, from Keene State College.  She focuses her volunteer work on education and youth, economic development locally and globally and human rights.

The remaining composition of the SeVEDS Board is as follows: Ann Andreosatos of New Chapter, Carolyn Blitz of the Stratton Foundation, Martin Langeveld of Strolling of the Heifers, Drew Richards of The Richards Group, Susan McMahon of Windham Regional Commission, Avery Schwenk of Hermit Trush Brewery, Luke Stafford of Mondo Mediaworks,  Adam Grinold of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, and Konstantin Von Krusenstiern with the Brattleboro Retreat.

Contact: Kristin Mehalick, SeVEDS Project Manager, kmehalick@brattleborodevelopment.com

Complete biographies can be found at: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/seveds-board-of-directors/