We’re excited to celebrate our own Marion being one of the 2024 Emerging Leaders recognized at yesterday’s Southern Vermont Economic Summit! Marion is our Outreach Coordinator and has been with us since 2020. She loves her work most when she’s engaging with the community and listening to people’s own stories. A lifelong Southeast Vermonter she’s dedicated to this region and work. In her words:
“The State of Vermont faces several colliding challenges: the climate crisis, aging population, racial inequities and injustices, deep wealth inequities. Affordable Housing is a powerful solution at the crux of these intersecting issues.”
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Southern Vermont – 24 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders were recognized on May 21 during the
Southern Vermont Economy Summit. With sponsorship from the Community College of Vermont, the
annual recognition event was conducted by the Southern Vermont Young Professionals and the Shires
Young Professionals, celebrating young people from the Bennington and Windham regions. Individuals
were nominated based on their work as community leaders and volunteers, and for their professional
accomplishments and commitment to serving the region.
Once nominated, each Emerging Leader was asked to submit an application sharing their thoughts and
hopes for Southern Vermont. “Vermont presents a unique opportunity to foster communal and
collective resilience,” said Amber Arnold, collaborative director of SUSU commUNITY Farm in Newfane.
“Vermont’s small size offers a significant advantage in creating systems that prioritize liberation,
wellness, safety, and belonging.”
Many awardees cited the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of housing, aging, community,
and cost of living. “We need to make it a goal to strengthen our community and make it a place where
anybody of any economic status can call home,” said Glen Merril, Whitingham firefighter and senior
lease coordinator with Vail Resorts.
Sayed Shirshah Sadat, case manager at the Bennington office of the Ethiopian Community Development
Council, noted the challenges and opportunities Southern Vermont is facing around our workforce. “In
the last two years, people from around the world have come to Vermont to make better, safer lives.
These ‘new Americans’ are often families with children and working adults who have English language
skills, education, and professional experience. My professional and community work helps make
Vermont a more multicultural and inclusive state while helping to address one of its greatest
challenges.”
Marion Major, outreach coordinator for Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, cited the ”colliding
challenges” of climate crises, aging population, and racial and wealth inequities. “I feel passionately that
Vermont can thrive by sustaining our village and downtown centers with homes that everyone can
afford and be welcome in,” she said.
Many of the 2024 Emerging Leaders have grown up here and say they have chosen to stay or return
because of their fierce love for and belief in this place. An equal number are fairly new to Vermont, and
have sought out opportunities to support and enhance the communities they’ve so quickly fallen in love
with.
“Once you move here you quickly notice all there is beyond the surface,” said Jen Rodriguez, Family Tree
coordinator at Northshire Day School, who moved to Bennington in 2018. “Through my work supporting
Southern Vermont families, I have witnessed a deep level of engagement by community members with
the common goal of making Southern Vermont a desirable place to live and work.”
All of the 2024 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders will be nominated for the Vermont Business
Magazine Vermont Rising Star awards. Visit sovermontzone.com/emerging-leaders to learn about each
of the 2024 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders and see past awardees.
2024 Emerging Leaders of Southern Vermont
Sarah Albright, Bennington
Amber Arnold, Newfane
Nicole Awwad, Brattleboro
Kate Barry, Brattleboro
Tom Brewton, Brattleboro
Jake Bursky, Brattleboro
William Greer, Bennington
Caroline Hannon, Brattleboro
Katie Hughes, Brattleboro
Marion Major, Westminster
Glen Merrill, Whitingham
Naomi Parekh, Bennington
Marissa Peck, Brattleboro
Kris Plante, Vernon
Jen Rodriguez, Arlington
Sage Ruth, Brattleboro
Sayed Shirshah Sadat, Bennington
Pearl Schramm, Bennington
Kora Skeele, Putney
Beth Sturgeon, Pownal
Elijah Summers, Halifax
Morgan Wilbur, Grafton
Courtnay Wilson, Bennington
Rachel Worthington, Westminster
About the Southern Vermont Economy Summit
The Southern Vermont Economy Summit is a daylong learning and networking event for municipal,
community and business leaders that focuses on the long-term development of Southern Vermont’s
economy. The Summit is a joint effort of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC),
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategy (SeVEDS), Bennington County Regional
Commission (BCRC) and the Bennington Regional Economic Development Group (RED Group).
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 of 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. More information at www.ShiresYP.com
About BDCC and SeVEDS
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) 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
