Faces&Places

September 2006

David W. Blow Jr. has joined New England Business Finance, a division of Granite State Development Corp. as an SBA 504 loan specialist in Burlington. Blow has more than 11 years’ banking experience.

Richard M. Lord joined the Vermont Mutual Insurance Group in Montpelier as a claims analyst. Lord’s experience includes more than 10 years in the private practice of law representing insurers and their insured in claims through southern New England.

Douglas J. Wacek, president of Union Mutual of Vermont Companies, announced the promotion of John H. Fitzhugh to senior vice president. Fitzhugh joined Union Mutual in 1990. Kim M. Whitcomb, CISR, CIC, has joined Union Mutual as commercial lines underwriter for southern New England. Whitcomb has 12 years’ experience in the industry.

Vermont 2-1-1, a community information and referral program of the United Ways of Vermont, has hired Dixie Burns as regional resource specialist for the Northeast Kingdom and Jim Tonkovich as regional resource specialist for southeast Vermont. Burns was a teacher of foreign languages and an outreach volunteer in Caledonia County. Tonkovich had a long career with Dartmouth College and worked with the Upper Valley United Way for eight years.

Miccal McMullan has joined Truex Cullins & Partners as a member of the architectural design team. He was the sole proprietor of Southview Design in Northfield. He has more than 10 years’ experience in architecture, planning and design. The firm added two individuals to the interior design team. Morgan Van Alstyne was with the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham and the Chester Travel Agency in Chester. Matthew Bushey, named a project manager in the interior design division, returned to Vermont from a career in Boston. Bushey is a LEED Accredited Professional who has worked on projects around the world.

The partners of Stone Environmental Inc. announced that Seth Pitkin, leader of the company’s site investigation and remediation group, was appointed a vice president and officer of the organization. Pitkin developed Stone’s rapid adaptive site characterization program and is an expert in subsurface contamination investigation.

Champlain College announced it has hired two deans as part of a restructuring of its academic divisions. Dr. Jeffrey Rutenbeck of the University of Denver was named dean of the communication and creative media division, and Dr. Wayne H.J. Cunningham of Iona College was appointed dean of the business division. The college also announced that Hope Wittman Martin joined its development office as a senior development officer. She was at Middlebury College.

Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty announced the promotion of Kaitlyn Dorey to rental and relocation specialist. Dorey worked part time as a marketing assistant for the company since 2001.

The Center for Cartoon Studies announced the expansion of its campus to include the White River Junction telephone company building (circa 1922). Verizon has agreed to provide the space at 7 Currier St. rent-free. The building will be used as studio and classroom space.

William R. Heaslip, president and CEO of Community Financial Services Group LLC, announced that Alice H. Claflin has joined the company as trust investment officer. Claflin has worked in the industry for 17 years in New York and Vermont.

The Green Mountain Inn announced the addition of Andrea Belforti to its staff as event sales manager. Belforti was with Stoweflake Resort Conference Services and, earlier, was an international student travel coordinator in Boston.

Jager Di Paola Kemp Design in Burlington announced that Thomas Tafuto was hired as director of interactive media. Tafuto founded Applied Imagination Inc. in NewYork in 1987 and has taught interactive communications at institutions around the country, including Champlain College. Allison Ross joined JDK as a designer. She was with a Montreal firm as graphic coordinator/designer.

Hackett Valine & MacDonald Inc. insurance agency in South Burlington announced the hiring of Chris Gautreau as account executive in the commercial lines department and Miranda Bushey as assistant commercial account representative. Gautreau was with ADP as territory manager for Vermont and New York.

Carol Pepin joined Summit Financial Center Inc. as a mortgage loan originator serving clients in Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle and Lamoille counties. She has 10 years’ lending experience and 12 years’ experience in retail management.

New Breed Marketing of Winooski announced that Sarah Richard has joined the staff as project manager for the agency’s University of Vermont team. Richard was with Shelburne Plastics.

Tarah Woolger was hired as assessment counselor at Maple Leaf Farm in Underhill. Woolger has been in the substance-abuse field for three years.

April E. Schwendler joined the business and litigation law firm Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew P.C. as an associate attorney. Schwendler’s emphases are medical malpractice and commercial litigation.

The McKernon Group announced that Cara Austin has joined the company as controller. Austin is also a member of the company’s management team, which makes all major decisions for The McKernon Group. She holds a bachelor of science in accounting and has worked in her field since graduating cum laude from the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y. She was with Russell Construction Services in Rutland.

Sovernet Communications announced the hiring of several employees. Mike Nachaczewski joined the company as field technician in Bennington, Rutland and Addison counties. He was with Lightship/CTC Communications. Renee Rougier works with new business accounts in the sales support organization. She was with Smiths Medical ASD Inc. Lynn Contois works in the service center and assists with reception. She was with Smiths Medical. Annette Grenier coordinates all marketing-related activities and graphic design. She was with Vermont Country Store.

Dubois & King Inc. consulting engineers announced that Harry J. Shepard, P.E., joined the firm as senior structural engineer and manager of the structural engineering department. Shepard has more than 25 years’ consulting engineering experience.

Dave Raftery joined the sales team at Otter Creek Awnings, Sunrooms and Custom Closets. He will work in commercial and residential design in the eastern region of Vermont. He has 23 years’ management and sales experience.

Century 21 Advantage announced the addition of Chet Baranski to its team. A native of Montreal, Baranski is fluent in three languages and has extensive entrepreneurial experience.

Rick Milliken, general manager for DoubleTree Hotel Burlington, has named Kelly M. Pelkey to the position of catering sales manager. Pelkey was a catering assistant at the University of Vermont for Sodexho Campus Services.

Charles Kail, managing partner of The Leadership Group in Burlington, announced the firm’s change in name to Leadership Management Institute.

Chris Walker was named vice president of human resources for Central Vermont Medical Center in Barre. Walker, a Barre native, was with the Adirondack Medical Center in Lake Placid, and from 2000 to 2005, was director of human resources at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph.

ICV Construction Inc., a division of Investors Corporation of Vermont in Burlington, has added David Spencer to its team as a field supervisor. Spencer will oversee the construction of the 44,000-square-foot Gateway building in Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Bruce Hyde, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing, announced that Judy MacIsaac was named director of sales and promotion. MacIsaac succeeds Dave Hakins, who was named executive director of the Vermont Convention and Visitors Bureau. MacIsaac has been working at her own consulting business, Harvest Ltd. LLC in Warren, specializing in the natural and specialty product industries. She was the co-founder and co-owner and chief operating officer of Highland Sugarworks in Websterville until 2005.

Lang Associates announced the addition of Donna Wald and Paul Clark to its team of sales professionals. Wald has more than 20 years’ experience in sales, marketing, customer service and contract negotiations. Clark joins his wife, Linda, a Realtor at Lang, to form Clark Connection. He was a high school administrator for more than 30 years.

Diane U. Jette, P.T., M.S., D.Sc., was appointed chairwoman of the department of rehabilitation and movement science at the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Jette was professor and chairwoman of the department of physical therapy and associate dean of the School for Health Studies at Simmons College in Boston.

Laryn D. Runco, JD, was appointed admissions director at Champlain College. She was with John Carroll University in Ohio and has experience in marketing, human resources and business development.

NRG Systems Inc. in Hinesburg announced the addition of six members to its team. Sefik Gosto, an electronics technician with 25 years’ experience, was with Husky Injection Molding Systems in Milton. Sarah McLoughlin, an electronics technician, was with LED Dynamics in Rochester. Denis Poley joined the sales team. Part owner of the Underhill Country Store, Poley was with a Gloucester, Mass., company Also on the sales team, Evan Osler was with Vermont Environmental Research Associates Inc. in Waterbury Center. Rick Kelley is a manufacturing engineer who was with Questech Metals in Middlebury. Ryan Lawlis is a junior mechanical engineer who was with an Easton, Pa., firm.

The Vermont Rural Water Association board of directors announced that Shaun Fielder was named executive director. Fielder has been with the association for eight years, most recently as program coordinator. He is a Certified Operator of water and wastewater systems.

Chris Falk has joined the Vermont Business Roundtable as director of communications. The position reports to Lisa Ventriss, president of the organization. With 20 years’ experience in communications and marketing, Falk was media director for the American Association of Poison Control Centers in Washington, D.C.

Mary J. Gray was promoted to commercial lines underwriting manager for the Vermont Mutual Insurance Group. Gray joined the company in 1984 as an underwriter.

Deke August, the owner and principal broker of Dorset Village Properties, announced that Terri Hathaway has joined the Dorset real estate firm as sales associate. A 30-year resident of the town, Hathaway was co-owner, with her husband, Jay, of Peltier’s Market, which they sold in 2004. They also created Dorset Foods, a maker of jellies and jams.

Rick Milliken, chairman of the board of the Vermont Convention Bureau and vice president and general manager of the DoubleTree Hotel Burlington, announced that Dave Hakins was named executive director of the Convention Bureau. Hakins succeed Joanne Priestley, the interim director since January, who will remain as an adviser to Hakins in her former role as an independent contractor. Hakins was with the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing. •

Northfield Savings Bank has promoted Deb Kerin to branch manager of the Northfield branch. Kerin has been with the bank since 1978, most recently as assistant branch manager in Barre.

David Warren joined Vermont Public Television’s director of major gifts. His 20 years’ experience in nonprofit fund raising includes experience at public broadcasting stations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and as director of development for the American Red Cross in Bangor, Maine.