Honors & Awards

September 2012

WowToyz won a 2012 Top Toy of the Year award and a Seal of Excellence award from Creative Child magazine for its CuddleZoo plush dinosaur line.

Central Vermont Medical Center announced that Emily Byrne, DNP, FNP-BC, a member of the medical staff at Montpelier Integrative Family Health, received the doctor of nursing practice from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Hannah Zajac, PT, DPT, NCS, a member of CVMC’s rehabilitation services department, was named a Neurologic Certified Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. She is Vermont’s second specialist so certified. Consumer Reports, in its August issue, rated CVMC the safest hospital in the Northeast — safest of all hospitals in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia — and one of the top four in the nation.

Toastmasters of Greater Burlington announced the election of officers. Terrance Collins of Dealer.com is president; Jamey Magowan of WCAX and Hall Radio, vice president education; Curtis Wheeler of Wheeler Property Management LLC, vice president membership; Marie-Claude Beaudette of the Alliance Française of the Lake Champlain Region, vice president public relations; M.E. Lawlor of Goddard College, secretary; Bob Viswanathan, finance researcher, vice president, treasurer; and Michael Denizot of IBM, sergeant at arms and mentorship coordinator. Present were: Ann Blakely, past president; Collins; Magowan; Wheeler; Beaudette; Lawlor; Viswanathan; and Denizot.

The Stern Center for Language and Learning dedicated its building at 183 Talcott Road in Williston to Cynthia K. Hoehl, honoring the life-long teacher, tutor, and current board member.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced the winners of its four Hospitality Awards. The Borden Avery Innkeeper of the Year is Mark Avery of Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee. Chef of the year is Zachary Reid of Brown’s Market Bistro in Groton. Doug Mack and Linda Harmon of Mary’s Restaurant in Bristol were named Restaurateurs of the Year. And Allied Member of the Year is Bill Ackerman of the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Rockingham/Manchester Center.

Thomas Moffitt, president of Commonwealth Dairy, announced that the dairy’s Green Mountain Creamery yogurt took top honors in the Greek Yogurt category of the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest. Green Mountain Creamery’s vanilla won first place, and pineapple took second. The competition draws entries from all over the country.

Lund announced that Lisa Pizzagalli was elected president of its board of trustees. Pizzagalli joined the board in 2007 and for the last two years has served as vice president. Sara Byers was elected vice president. Byers is executive vice president of her family’s business, Leonardo’s Pizza. Elected to the board were Jane Bryan, director of human resources at Bowl New England Inc., and Will Rowe, operations team leader at the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living.

United Way of Chittenden County announced new leadership for its annual community campaign. Michael Seaver, Vermont president of People’s United Bank, is the volunteer chair, and Jane Warren, a former Loaned Executive for the organization, is community campaign manager. Tammy Shannon of Free Press Media is the campaign’s vice chair. Other campaign volunteers are Jeff McMahan, Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew PC; Joe Gaida, community volunteer; Nancy Simson, community volunteer; Freda Tutt, Hickok & Boardman Companies; Tina Truax McCuin, TD Bank Wealth Management; Mike Tuttle, Merchants Bank; Jim Cohen, New York Life Insurance Co.; Lisa Andrew, Red Sapphire; Shari Jones, FoodScience Corp.; Doug Robinson, Vermont Federal Credit Union; Paul Bohne, town of Shelburne; Brian Meyer, People’s United Bank; Keith Roberts, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC; Donna Austin-Hawley, Vermont Student Assistance Corp.; and Ann Irwin, Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.

Danforth Pewter joins 49 other “classic symbols of the Green Mountain State” in the recently released book Vermont Icons by Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Matthew Mayo. Published by the Globe Pequot Press in Connecticut, the book has photos and text featuring stand-out elements of Vermont, including everything from Bag Balm to the Long Trail to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The book can be found online, in bookstores across the state, and at any of the Danforth stores in Vermont.

For the second consecutive year, Shelburne Vineyards wine received top honors — Best Red Wine in Show — at the 2012 International Cold Climate Wine Competition. The top honor went to the Marquette Reserve, a red wine aged 15 months in oak barrels and made from grapes grown entirely on the site adjacent to the winery and tasting room on Shelburne Road.

The Snelling Center for Government recognized 26 members of the Vermont Leadership Institute class of 2012. Stephen Kiernan, author and social activist, gave the keynote address. Hal Cohen, executive director of Central Vermont Community Action Council, was presented the alumni Excellence in Leadership award, in honor of founding director Jan Eastman. Judy Warriner Walke was recognized for her service as a co-founder, faculty, and director of the institute. A complete list of this year’s graduates can be found at www.snellingcenter.org.

Peter Schumann, the founder of Bread & Puppet Theater, was honored by Goddard College with the second annual Presidential Award for Activism for his life and work in the arts and the social justice movement. Barbara Vacarr, president of Goddard, presented the award.

Green Mountain Engineering announced that Tyler M. Gingras passed the Professional Engineer exam and is now licensed and authorized to practice in Vermont. He has been with GME since 2009.

The Vermont International Film Festival board of directors announced the appointment of three board members: Sarah Corry, co-owner and -founder of The Giving Tree Partners; Luke Baynes, a reporter at the Williston Observer; and Sherrill Musty, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor. The Vermont Society of CPAs announced the election of board members: Tina Bissonette, board chair; Gerald Bowin, chair-elect; Mary Anne Michaels; Steven Doyon, secretary; Raymond Cota; Karen Sheedy; Kevin Markowski, treasurer; and James Reynolds.

Doug Webster, coordinator of career and technical education for the Vermont Department of Education, was named 2012-13 president of the National Association for Workforce Improvement.

The Vermont Travel and Recreation Council announced that Ed Stahl, executive director of Stowe Area Association, was appointed council chair. He succeeds Brian Cain of Capitol Plaza Hotel, who was honored for his service by the organization.

Waterbury Medical Associates was chosen to receive the Family Medicine Teaching Award from the University of Vermont department of family medicine in recognition of “excellence in teaching medical students and commitment above and beyond the standard contributions. Dr. William Cove is Waterbury’s medical director. Dr. Christine Payne accepted the award from Martha Seagrave, PA-C, BSN, director of medical student education at the department of family medicine.

Vermont Mutual Insurance Co. was named one of the top 50 property-casualty companies in the United States. This is the fourth consecutive year the company has received the award.

The Green Mountain Inn has been chosen for the Expedia Insiders’ Select list for 2012, an annual ranking of best-reviewed hotels as determined by the online travel agency.

St. Michael’s College was chosen for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges, 2013, compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske. The guide considers subjects such as student body, academics, social life, financial aid, campus setting, housing, food, and extracurricular activities.

DEW Construction made Engineering News Record’s Top 400 Contractors list for 2011. The list is based on gross revenues for the calendar year. DEW ranked 325th.

Dealer.com has been named one of the Best Places to Work in 2012 by Outside magazine, the second consecutive year the company has received the honor. Dealer.com ranked 94th out of 100 companies on the list.

Brian R. Murphy, managing partner of Dinse, Knapp and McAndrew PC, was voted vice president of the board of Spectrum Youth and Family Services. A member of the firm’s corporate/commercial group, Murphy was also one of 14 lawyers in the firm who received top rankings in the 2012 edition of Chambers USA. Also receiving top ranking were, in corporate/commercial, Afi Ahmadi, Jeffrey J. McMahan, and Spencer Knapp; intellectual property, McMahan; labor & employment, Amy M. McLaughlin, Jeffrey J. Nolan, Karen McAndrew, Robert McKearin, and Sophie Zdatny; litigation: general commercial, John Monahan Jr., McAndrew, Ritchie Berger, and Samuel Hoar Jr.; and real estate, Austin Hart and Molly Lebowitz.

A collection of short stories titled The Days Down Here by Jacob White, assistant professor of writing and literature at Johnson State College, won first place in the 2012 international fiction competition sponsored by Leapfrog Press. The book will be published in the fall.

Propeller Media Works was honored with two 2011 Horizon Interactive Awards for its work on the desktop and mobile websites for Stowe Mountain Resort. The mobile website took Best in Category and a the desktop website earned a Gold.

Rachael Sophrin, account executive at The Point, completed training with the Radio Advertising Bureau and is now an official Radio Marketing Professional.

Kyle Williams, business manager of Pete’s RV Center, received his ninth consecutive Circle of Honor Award for “excellence in providing clients with extended vehicle warranties. Williams is in the nation’s top 50 administrators of EasyCare’s Vehicle Extended Service Contracts.

VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations was named to Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of World’s Best Tour Operators. This is the third consecutive year the company has been so honored.

Central Vermont Medical Center announced certifications earned by its wound care team members Sarah Bache, PT (pictured at right), and Linda Thuren, BSN, RN. Bache received the Wound Care Certified designation through the National Alliance of Wound Care, and Thuren was certified as a Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing practitioner, the only certification exclusively for nurses with a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Dan Feeney, president of the Burlington Rotary Club, handed over the gavel to incoming president Kim Wichert. Feeney is with North Star Leasing Co., and Wichert is with Country Business Inc.

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra honored four Vermont businesses — The Randolph National Bank, Dubois & King Inc., WCVT-FM, and Weddings, Tents and Events — during its Summer Music Festival Tour around the state with membership in the VSO’s Crescendo Society. Represented the Three Stallion Inn concert were: Sam and Jinny Sammis, owners of the Three Stallion Inn; Steven Dimick, president of Randolph National Bank; and Rick Goodall, vice president of administration and finance, Dubois & King.

Shawn Calley, executive chef of Amuse at the Essex Resort & Spa, was named Top Chef of the Champlain Valley for the second consecutive year at the Champlain Valley Area Agency on Aging benefit to support Meals on Wheels. Calley went head-to-head against Michael Clauss of the Bluebird Tavern and Andrea Cousineau of the Bearded Frog. This years’ secret ingredient was zucchini. Present were: Chefs Calley, Arnd Sievers, and Katie Esden of Amuse.

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