Faces&Places

February 2007

Joseph D. Lisaius, president of Lisaius Marketing, announced the promotion of Heidi Noland-Wynne to associate art director. Noland-Wynne has worked for the company as a senior designer for four years. Before joining Lisaius, she was the art director at Scientific American in New York.

Langrock Sperry & Wool LLP announced that Sarah Gentry Tischler joined the firm of counsel in the Burlington office. Tischler’s practice is dedicated to estate planning, charitable giving and the administration of estates and trusts. Her background includes work with a Boston law firm, with Dinse, Erdmann & Clapp in Burlington, and as principal of her own practice in Williston.

Sovernet Communications hired Lou DiMuzio as manager of alternate channels, in charge of Sovernet’s agent and wholesaler relationships. DiMuzio was with One Communications, handling agent sales. Before that, he handled direct channel sales at Lightship Telecom.

Paul Grover of Kilawatt Partners announced a new name for the five-year-old Shelburne business, which will now be known as Kilawatt Technologies. The company says its new name reflects the changing nature and role the company has taken in recent years in the development of its core product, innovative software for the energy-conservation environmental business.

Rob Burnetti, general manager of the Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center, announced the hiring of Arnd Sievers as executive chef. Sievers is a certified master chef from the Bavaria Hotel and Restaurant School in Germany and recipient of multiple awards. He was executive chef at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y., San Juan Marriott Resort and the Stellaris Casino.

Linda Rodd joined the Champlain College faculty. Rodd teaches several courses in the applied psychology program. She was with Educational Assessment Services.

Brianne Towne was promoted to the position of account executive at Paul Kaza Associates. Towne was an account coordinator for public relations and advertising teams. She will be lead contact for the New Hampshire and New York clients in finance and tourism.

Stantec associate Gary Santy, P.E., was named office leader of Stantec’s South Burlington office. Santy has worked in the office for 28 years, having started with Dufresne-Henry, which was acquired by Stantec last year. 

Marc Sherman, the owner of Stowe Mercantile, announced that Denise Welch was named to the newly created position of assistant manager. Welch has several years’ experience, including work with a snowboard shop in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, announced the hiring of Karen L. Marshall as area sales manager, responsible for local, regional and national advertising sales in the northern New England area that includes Burlington, Albany, N.Y., and Springfield, Mass. Marshall was vice president/Vermont with Clear Channel Communications.

Thomas S. Leavitt, executive vice president of Merchants Bank, announced the appointment of Elizabeth D. Kapner as marketing manager. Kapner joined Merchants  in 1996 as customer representative at the White Street branch in South Burlington. She subsequently worked in the customer call center and as retail banking administrator.

The Green Mountain Inn in Stowe announced the promotion of Tyler Glenn to rooms division manager. Glenn has worked at the inn as a reservation agent for four years.

Susan Poczobut, CEO of Granite Hills Credit Union of Barre, hired Sloan Goodall, Rachel Piper and Scott Spencer as financial services officers. Goodall was with the Vermont State Employees Credit Union; Piper was with Barre Catholic Credit Union; and Spencer was with Fletcher/CSI.

Bruce Hyde, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, announced that Erica Housekeeper was named director of communications. A Manchester native, Housekeeper attended Burr and Burton Academy. After graduating from the University of Delaware, she returned to Vermont as a reporter for The Caledonian-Record in St. Johnsbury and later worked for the Times Argus in Barre. She left Vermont in 2000 to become editor of Parents and Kids, an award-winning publication near Boston. Most recently, Housekeeper was the communications coordinator for the Boston University School of Education. She succeeds Jason Aldous, who left to work at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H.

Champlain College announced four additions to its faculty. Josh Buck was hired as assistant professor in the electronic game and interactive development program. He was a production artist and lead animator at a Boston studio. Toni-Lee Sangastiano joined the multimedia and graphic design faculty. She has taught at several other institutions, including the University of Vermont and Community College of Vermont. Jennifer Vincent joined the division of business. She taught at several institutions, most recently at the University of Vermont. Jim Hoag joined the division of information technology and science. He was with St. Joseph’s College in Maine.

Mickey Myers was named executive director of Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville. She was executive director at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe. Jim Gallugi, former gallery assistant and interim director at the Bryan, was named assistant director.

Exterus Technology for Business of Shelburne announced that Don MacLellan was hired as a systems engineer. MacLellan has been in the IT industry for more than seven years and holds a degree in computer information systems, networking, from Nova Scotia Community College. Exterus Business Furniture announced that Chris Echo was hired as account executive. Echo has 11 years’ experience as a sales representative in the office furniture/products industry.

Michael Tuttle was appointed by the board of directors of Merchants Bancshares Inc. to succeed Joseph L. Boutin as president and CEO. The board also elected Tuttle director of Merchants to serve the remainder of Boutin’s term, which expires in 2009. Tuttle will continue as president, CEO and director of Merchants’ main operating subsidiary, Merchants Bank. Tuttle announced that, as a final phase of planned succession, Boutin stepped down as president and CEO of Merchants Trust Co. Merchants Bank’s board of directors appointed Thomas S. Leavitt executive vice president for community banking and trust. In a related move, the board of trustees of Merchants Trust Co. appointed James D. Miller its president and CEO.

The Vermont Historical Society announced several staff changes and additions. Tess Taylor was hired as the manager of the Vermont History Expo. She was general manager for the Vermont Granite Museum in Barre. The Expo, one of Vermont’s 10 Best events, takes place in June. Francis (Tag) Taginski is the director of finance and operations. He was chief field tax auditor for the Vermont Department of Labor in Montpelier. Jane Campbell was hired as a development director. She was executive director for the Copley Hospital Foundation in Morrisville. Rilla Brown was named financial administrative assistant. She was administrative assistant to the town manager in Williamstown, where she lives. Karen Stites was hired as senior administrative assistant, a newly created position to provide high-level support to the executive director, board of trustees and senior management team. For five years, Stites was a professional grant-writer at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She was also a reference specialist at UVM’s Special Collections Department. Todd Marshall joined the Historical Society as facilities manager. He oversees the maintenance of the center in Barre and its collections storage system. Patty Wiley, who has served in various roles at the society since 2000, was named the outreach manager to local historical societies.

Larry Sudbay, president and CEO of SymQuest Group Inc., announced the appointment of Joe Noonan as vice president, marketing and sales, and Joe Goodreau as vice president, service and support. Both have been with the company since 1999.

Sandra J. Murray was promoted to vice president overseeing the TD Banknorth branches in Rutland. Murray joined the bank in 1976. Marsha A. Dawkins was promoted to officer in the corporate education and training department at TD Banknorth in Williston. She joined the bank in 2005. Lisa M. Johnson was promoted to assistant vice president at TD Banknorth Wealth Management Group in West Brattleboro. She joined the bank in 1994.

The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and GBIC announced that Catherine Zaccone Davis of Jericho was hired as government affairs specialist. Davis worked for Sen. James Jeffords for eight years, most recently as international issues liaison and office coordinator. She will develop positions on issues of importance to chamber and GBIC members.

The Vermont Natural Resources Council named Jake Brown communications director/legislative liaison. Brown replaces Patrick Berry, who recently took a job with Middlebury College. He has been a journalist reporting for local, state and national publications for 18 years, most recently as editor of the Vermont Environmental Monitor newsletter.

Freeman French Freeman announced that Cameron Barrows joined the architectural firm as IT systems and support administrator. Barrows was with Burton Snowboards.

Jim Tremblay has joined the staff at Maple Leaf Farm as an admissions coordinator. He has several years’ experience in addiction, detoxification and residential counseling.

Chris Donovan, chairman of the board of directors of the Helen Day Art Center in Stowe, announced the appointment of Nathan Suter as executive director. An accomplished artist and professional photographer, Suter was co-founder of Root Division, a San Francisco nonprofit arts organization.

Heather Armata has joined the sales team at Century 21 Jack Associates in South Burlington. She was with New England Medical Systems in Essex.

Verizon Wireless has named Theodore Sigmund to manage its two newest locations in the Burlington area. Sigmund will direct sales in University Mall in South Burlington and Circuit City in Williston. Sigmund was manager of the Williston Road location in Staples Plaza. Sandra Hommel was named manager of the Williston Road store. She was Verizon’s indirect account manager for Vermont and western Massachusetts. 

Peter Burns was named a member of the architectural design team at Truex Cullins & Partners. He was at Freeman French Freeman, where he worked on the award-winning Burlington International Airport addition. Before moving to Vermont, Burns was with a Brooklyn, N.Y., firm. He has 20 years’ experience in architecture and design and is a registered architect in Vermont and New York.

Jim Cronin was named president of Sentinel Financial Services Co. Cronin was senior vice president at MFS Investment Management. Joseph DeVera was named vice president, director of investment strategy for Sentinel Asset Management, which manages the investment portfolios of Sentinel Funds and the National Life Group. He was with Deutsche Asset Management.

James E. Van Orden III joined TD Banknorth N.A. in St. Albans as a vice president in commercial banking. Van Order has 34 years’ banking and financial services experience, including various upper management positions serving customers in Vermont and upstate New York. Jay E. Ross, C.P.M., was promoted to assistant vice president in the purchasing department at TD Banknorth Inc. in Brattleboro. Ross joined the bank in 1993 and has 13 years in banking. Ellyn M. Phaneuf was promoted to assistant vice president at TD Banknorth Wealth Management Group in Brattleboro. She joined the bank in 1997 and has 17 years’ banking and related experience. David R. Kennedy has joined the mortgage department at TD Banknorth N.A. in St. Johnsbury. With five years’ lending experience, Kennedy is serving customers throughout northern and central Vermont and northern New Hampshire.

Recycle North announced that Lisa Winkler and Milia Bell have joined the staff. Winkler, development director, has worked in the nonprofit field for more than 10 years. She is also development director for Vermont Earth Institute and was development and communications director for The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. Milia Bell, named marketing manager, was communications coordinator with the Committee on Temporary Shelter and earlier, marketing director for the Church Street Marketplace. 

John N. Wilking, president of Neville Companies in Burlington, announced the promotion of Michelle A. Lincoln to treasurer. As its first employee, Lincoln has been with the firm since 1990, having started as a part-time site manager at the Chace Mill. Chesley Schamroth has joined the firm as property manager, and will take up Lincoln’s former portfolio as she expands her responsibilities with new properties. Schamroth recently moved to South Burlington from California, where she worked for Hines Interests, an owner and manager of real estate, overseeing 1.2 million square feet of space for Stanford University.

Sarah Carpenter, executive director of Vermont Housing Finance Agency, announced that Kim Roy and Kathy Curley have been promoted. Roy, who has  been with the agency since 1989, was named assistant director, multifamily programs. She was multifamily management officer. Curley was promoted from tax credit compliance specialist to tax credit specialist/management officer I. The position includes new asset management responsibilities. She joined VHFA in 2000. •