Leadership Champlain is a tuition-based program of the Lake Champlain Chamber that is dedicated to the development of leaders who will serve their communities now and in the future. Each year, the program director and the Leadership Champlain board of directors selects up to 36 individuals from a pool of applicants to participate in that class year. The ideal applicant demonstrates motivation to learn about their community, a commitment to giving back, and potential for future leadership in the public or private sectors.
Each year, we kick off the program with an overnight retreat outside of Chittenden County to go over objectives and expectations for the next nine months, and spend time getting to know each other and ourselves through team-building activities and facilitated workshops with excellent speakers. We then spend one full day per month at different venues across Chittenden County, examining the most pressing issues facing our region in a certain topic. Over the program year, we cover Human Services, Business and Economy, Government and Politics, Criminal Justice, Education, Healthcare, Energy and Environment, and Civic Engagement. During these seminar days, the class receives exposure to critical issues affecting life in the Lake Champlain region. The cohort will meet decision makers and community leaders who address not only facts, but perspectives, problems and potentials in very interactive sessions. Each class concludes the year with a graduation ceremony in June, and graduates are welcomed into an engaged and lively community of over 1,000 alumni.
Please join me in welcoming the Class of 2019!Â
Tim Aube, Senior Manager, Gallagher, Flynn & Company
Amity Baker, Senior Accountant, JMM & Associates
Connie Beal, Working Bridges Resource Coordinator, United Way of Northwest Vermont
Grant Binder, Counsel, Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC
Hillary Borcherding, Associate Attorney, Gravel & Shea PC
Justin Brown, Associate Attorney, Sheehey Furlong & Behm PC
Nicole Carpenter, Associate Director of Engineering, Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
Ryan Chartier, Assistant Director of Annual Giving, UVM Foundation/UVM Alumni House
Tom Chenette, Patrol Corporal, Burlington Police Department
Christian Chorba, Litigation Associate, Monaghan Safar Ducham PLLC
Billy Connelly, Member Engagement Manager, Lake Champlain Chamber
Wynter Edwards, Business Development Administrator, DEW Construction Corp.
Kaitlyn Evarts, Senior Project Engineer, PC Construction
Clay Forgan, Application/Service Team Leader for NA/SA, Husky Injection Molding Systems, Inc.
Jessica Handrik, Education Director, Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Ilir Hasa, Recent Graduate of UVM Sustainable Innovation MBA
Sara Huddleston, Associate Attorney, Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew
Sam Lacasse, Factory Tours Manager, Ben & Jerry’s
Brent Lanoue, Associate Attorney, Gravel & Shea PC
Celeste Laramie, Associate Attorney, Gravel & Shea PC
Ted Lawrence, Associate Attorney, Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew
Jaime LeDuc, Rehabilitation Therapy Supervisor, UVM Medical Center
Sarah Mansfield, Real Estate Coordinator, University of Vermont
Darin Mauzy, Chief Master Sergeant, United States Air Force
Walter McCarthy, Associate Attorney, Sheehey Furlong & Behm PC
Peggy Rost, Community Benefits Coordinator, UVM Medical Center
Tinotenda Charles Rutanhira, Product Manager, Dealer.com
Debbie Shepard, Controller, AllEarth Renewables
Kate Simone, Senior Editor/Production Specialist, Tetra Tech International Development
Tiana Smith, Energy Services Manager, Vermont Gas Systems, Inc.
Emilie Thompson, Terminal Agency Coordinator, Burlington Police Department
Tom Tulipani, Senior Project Manager, UVM Medical Center
Alice Urban, Business Development Manager, Tetra Tech International Development
Tim Vartanian, Senior Account Manager, Northeast Delta Dental
The Leadership Champlain Class of 2019 kicked off their year with an overnight team-building retreat at Basin Harbor Resort in the beginning of September.
If you’re interested in learning more about Leadership Champlain or would like to be notified when applications open up for next year’s class, email Tori Colarusso at [email protected].
Or follow the Leadership Champlain Facebook page to get an update on each seminar day!