Twenty-four Emerging Leaders Recognized at 2nd Annual Southern Vermont Summit
2018 Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont at Mount Snow reception (Photo Credit: Lorianna Weathers)
Dover, VT – At this year’s Southern Vermont Economic Development Summit, more than just collaboration and ideas were emerging. The Southern Vermont Young Professionals and the Shires Young Professionals co-hosted an Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont reception, at which 24 young professionals from Bennington and Windham regions were recognized. Individuals were nominated by their community members for championing notable economic development initiatives, assuming leadership roles within their place of work, and their outstanding commitment to serving their communities.
The reception was sponsored by Edward Jones, Heritage Family Credit Union, and Bennington Potters and featured advice on how the emerging leaders can make the most of their roles in Southern Vermont from Secretary Michael Schirling of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and Commissioner Lindsay Kurrle of the Vermont Department of Labor. “It’s your world…embrace that and take that for a drive. Get involved at a community level, that is where progress is really made,” stated Secretary Schirling.
Two emerging leaders received the “Summit Award” a special recognition due to being nominated multiple times by different community members. Katherine Partington, of Mondo Mediaworks, stated “I had it in my head that I’d have to wait until I was older, even retirement age, to move back to Vermont for the life I craved. Turns out, I had the opportunity to move back much earlier, and it was one of the best choices I’ve made as a young professional.”
Michelle Marrocco, of Bennington County Regional Commission, noted “As a young professional working in Southern Vermont, I’m amazed by the opportunities I’ve been given. Nowhere else would I have been given the chance to lead projects and influence decisions like I have here.”
To view the “What is SoVermont?” power point highlighting the projects of all of the emerging leaders, as well as the booklet with Notes from the Nominators on each nominee, visit www.SoVermontSummit.com. Nominees will also be submitted to the Vermont Rising Star nominations.
2018 Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont, Windham Region winners in bold and most pictured below:
· Michelle Marrocco, Bennington County Industrial Corporation (Summit Award Winner)
· Katherine Partington, Mondo Mediaworks (Summit Award Winner)
· Forest Weyen, Bennington Rescue Squad
· Taylor Knoop, United Way of Windham County
· Betsy Dunham, Southern Vermont College
· Silvia Cassano, Bennington Area Trails System
· Bridget Struthers, Brattleboro School of Dance
· Gregory Boshart, Maple Valley Design Build
· Josh Roberts, Edward Jones
· Kayla Becker, United Way of Vermont, Bennington County
· Ken Lorenz, Spirits of Old Bennington
· Laura Kamyk, Big Picture Farm
· Michelle Demers, Vermont Department of Labor
· Phoebe Connolly, Leland and Gray Union High School
· Ricky Davidson, Boys and Girls Club- Brattleboro
· Sarah Lang, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
· Serenity Wolf, P.E., Stevens and Associates
· Stacey Woods, Meadowbrook Gypsies LLC
· Kayla Davis, Battenkill Valley Health Center
· James Salerno, Hale Mountain Research
· Jason Dolmetsch, MSK Engineering and Design
· Rob Terry, Merck Forest
· Michael Root, United States Post Office
· Duncan Hilton, Community College of Vermont and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
Windham Region Emerging Leaders
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. We hope you enjoy the fun, modern, sometimes loud, sometimes late night activities we have – if you’re up for it, we want you there! More information at www.ShiresYP.com
About BDCC and SeVEDS:
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation 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
