Honors & Awards

July 2012

The Vermont Department of Labor presented Engelberth Construction Inc. the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) award for the King Arthur Flour expansion project in Norwich. This is Engelberth’s second such SHARP designation, making it the only contractor in the country to achieve this accomplishment. On hand for the presentation were the company’s local Project WorkSafe consultants Scott Myers, Harlo Wells, Hazel Hunter, and Luke McCarthy. Also attending, from OSHA, were Marthe Kent and Jim Mulligan, and Steve Monahan from the Vermont Department of Labor.

Berglind Davis, IIDA and senior interior designer at Freeman French Freeman Architects, was chosen as one of four finalists in the 2012 tx:style design challenge sponsored by Mannington Mills, a manufacturer of carpet and hard-surface flooring. The company received over 400 entries. Davis’ design, titled “Refraction,” was inspired by Vermont’s winter landscape. Her entry can be seen at www.manningtontxstyle.com.

Jonathan Templeton of Keller Williams Green Mountain Properties was named the 2012 Northern Vermont Board of Realtors Rookie of the Year. Templeton is on the Adam Hergenrother Team at the agency.

The Winooski office of Edward Jones announced that J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study has ranked the company highest in investor satisfaction for the sixth year out of the last eight. Edward Jones also received high marks in the “Account Information” category.

Jeanne Collins, superintendent of Burlington schools, was given the Youth Development Award by the Greater Burlington YMCA. Collins was nominated for her leadership on the steering committee that advised the Y on a new Y USA–sponsored initiative, Pioneering Healthier Communities. Peter Delaney, executive director of RunVermont, received the Healthy Living Award. John Meeks, lead preschool teacher for more than 17 years, was given the Social Responsibility Award along with a dozen young musicians in the Tin Can Band. Joshua Scheidt, age 11, received the Character in Action Youth Award. He was nominated by staff member Sean Palmer.

Addison County Home Health and Hospice recognized employees for their dedicated service. Rachel Ryan received the Rachel Connor Special Recognition Award for Outstanding Service, named for a former employee who died in 2009. Diane Dunsmore was given the Jane Gardner Award, chosen by a vote of her peers. The Betsy Gossens Excellence in Clinical Practice Award was presented to two physical therapists: Jennifer Quinn and Jennifer Oxford. Michelle Whitney, LNA, received the Mary Ellen Burpee Award, and the Choices for Care Award for Outstanding Performance was presented to Karen Bennett.

Bagitos Bagel and Burrito Café in downtown Montpelier was recognized as a 2012 “Editors’ Choice” winner in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England.

The Best Western Windjammer Inn & Conference Center is now the Best Western Plus Windjammer Inn & Conference Center, after earning the Best Western Plus designation. Karen Wisehart, general manager of the South Burlington property, made the announcement.

The Queen City Police Foundation honored the service and sacrifice of Burlington police officers and recognized Sally Borden, executive director of KidSafe Collaborative with the Antonio B. Pomerleau Medal of Honor Award. The award was presented by Sen. Patrick Leahy.

LCI announced the recipients of its annual Lake Champlain Heritage Awards for “dedication to improving the health of Lake Champlain and the heritage that makes our communities strong and highly desired places to call home.” The 2011 recipients are former Gov. James Douglas, Gray Stevens, and Bill Cleary.

David S. Silverman, president and chief executive officer of Union Bank, joined the board of directors of the Lamoille Economic Development Corp.

Laureate Learning Systems announced that Mary Sweig Wilson, its founder and president, received the 2012 Special Award from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. The award recognizes her “significant achievements and many contributions to the field of development disabilities.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration named KeyBank the top SBA Large 7(a) Lender of the Year.

Ethan Allen Furniture’s Northeast regional division was honored by the Northeastern Loggers’ Association with its 2011 Outstanding Use of Wood Award. The company has a sawmill and dimension mill in Beecher Falls and a furniture manufacturing facility in Orleans. The Beecher Falls mill supplies manufacturing sites in Vermont and North Carolina. Present were Barry Grover, log buyer for Ethan Allen; Bill Ross, corporate log and lumber director for Ethan Allen Operations Inc. in North Carolina; and Scott Farrington, log buyer.

American Banker magazine and the ABA Banking Journal recently recognized Merchants Bank as one of the top performing banks in the United States. American Banker rated Merchants number 10 in the country among banks with less than $2 billion in assets. The ABA Banking Journal ranked Merchants 14th in terms of average return on equity.

Barbara and David Wessel were honored by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra by membership of the VSO’s Crescendo Society, which honors “the extraordinary lifetime support” of the orchestra’s most generous contributors. The award was presented by Brian Harwood, board chair.

The parenting magazine Kids VT took top prizes for writing and design at the spring Parenting Media Association conference, winning six awards in its circulation category: best overall writing; best overall design; best illustration cover, newsprint (February 2011); best service feature (“Toy Story,” November 2011); best briefs/short stuff (The Kids Beat); and best special series (Vermont “Day-cations,” June-August 2011).

The Vermont Council on World Affairs honored Sen. and Mrs. Patrick Leahy for their roles as Vermont’s leading global citizens. Patrick Leahy was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974, at 34, the youngest senator ever elected from Vermont. He is second in seniority in the Senate and chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of the Senate’s two foreign policy/foreign operations panels. A registered nurse, Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy has held numerous global leadership positions, including past chair of Heritage in Harmony, the Vermont-Quebec-France Youth Leadership Lake Champlain Quadricentennial program.

Union Mutual of Vermont was awarded a 2012 Americas Insurance Award by the Chartered Insurance Operations Professionals Institute. It was one of only two companies so honored, naming the two firms and their CEOs, who “clearly emerged as particularly compelling lessons in leadership.” Josh Fitzhugh is Union Mutual’s CEO.

Hall Communications Radio Group presented two Vermonters with the highest sales achievement awards given to employees. Sue Gosselin received two awards: the Richard P. Reed award as 2011 top biller, and the Robert M. Hall award as 2011 Marketing Consultant of the Year. Both were for radio stations WIZN and WBTZ. Eric Jacobsen received three awards: the Reed award as top biller and the Hall award, both of them for radio stations WOKO, WKOL, and WJOY; and the designation Top Marketing Consultant for the entire 21-station Hall Communications Radio Group — the seventh time he has won this honor. •