General manager from Cota & Cota discusses HVAC trends for 2025.
6 MOV ING F ORWARD
Three women purchased White River Junction proper ty management busines s
16 SHIF TING MARKE T Upper Valley real estate agents discuss single -family home market.
18 HOUSING CH AMPIONS
New survey shows that the lack of affordable housing weighs heavily on Granite Staters.
: PRESS RUN
Participants line up at the starting line for the 19th annual CHaD HERO in Hanover on Oct. 20, 2024. The annual race raised $825,000 for child and family support services at Dartmouth Health Children’s.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH: A “for sale”sign hangs outside a mobile home in Woodside Manor Mobile Home Park in Hartland on Jan. 7. PHOTOGRAPH BY ALEX DRIEHAUS COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH
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More training programs, higher cost of parts
General manager from Cota & Cota discusses HVAC trends for 2025
By PATRICK O’GR ADY Valley News Correspondent
With so many older homes in the Upper Valley area, the demand for replacement of heating systems and the need for plumbing is almost a constant. Harold Elliott is general service manager with Cota & Cota, a full-service heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and plumbing business that serves both New Hampshire and Vermont. In an interview with Enterprise, Elliott talked about last year at Cota & Cota and what has impacted the industry.
Question: How was2024 for Cota & Cota?
Answer: We were extremely busy. Itwasprobably oneofourbusiest years. There wasdefinitely no shortageofwork.For us,weareprimarily a residentialcompany, sowe mostly do residential replacementsand upgrades to systems.
Q: A lot has been written in recent years about problemsfinding new people to becomeHVAC technicians. Has Cota &Cota been experiencing this?
A : I think the industry as a whole is definitely struggling tofind help and meet the demands of the business. We arefairly fortunateinbringing innew help, andI think we dobetter than mostbecause wearewilling tooffer training. There is risk in that, because you puta lotof moneyinto training and you could end up losing them to someone else. Butwe have always doneit thatway.Ifeel yougetyour best product that way.
Q: Do you have an apprenticeship program thatleads tocertification for new employees?
A : Yes. Wegive themon-the-job training where they work with an expert technicianor plumber.We put them through school foroil heat and propaneand aclasson handlingrefrigerants.
Q: Howsuccessful havebeenrecent efforts toencourage more young peopleto considerthe trades?
A : We couldstillusemore inthe industry,but Ifeelithas gottenbetter,and thestigma ofworking inthe trades has been erased a little. Many arebeginningto understandthata four-year schoolmay not befor everybody, andthere aresome very goodcareers availablein theHVAC and plumbing industries.
Q: What aretheadvantages ofreplacing a heating system, and how old are some of those you replace?
A : Wesee a widerange, buta lot ofolder stuffis20years ormore. There isa huge returnon investment toreplacing asystem. Youwill be going frommid-70% efficiency to more than 90%. Customers will see a significant difference inhow their systemsoperateand howmuchfuel they use. Systemstoday also have the added advantage ofbeing able to be monitored remotelyusing an app on a phone.
Q: During the COVID-19 pandemic, therewas alot oftalk about the supplychain breakingdown across nearly all sectors of the economy. How did those problem impact the HVAC industry?
A : It is still a little crazy and there aresome thingsthat ittakes acrazy amount oftime toget, suchas many electronics, control boards and certain parts. Unfortunately, there are not enough manufacturers out there. It has gotten better,but there are still somethings wehave towait longer for.
Q: How has inflation affected your industr y?
A : Your typical boiler installation thelast fiveto eightyears hasdoubled from about$5,000 to $10,000. Thatis asubstantialjump, andour parts in general have gone up significantly.
Q: Are there any legislative effortsunderway oneithera stateor federal level thatcould impact HVAC?
A : The Certified Employment Training Program (CETP)is the trainingprogram forthe propaneindustry inNew Hampshire,Vermont andMaine toget employeescertified. The company that ran it, PERC (Propane Education& Research Council), will endit as of thefirst of the year, and itwill be replaced by PEP (Propane Education Program). Unfortunately,New Hampshireand Vermont only recognize CETP right now, so we won’t beabletoteach someof theseprogramsanymore. Vermont is working on language that would allow an “equivalent”program (toCETP),soit lookslikewewillbe OK in Vermont.
Q: What do you see in 2025 for Cota & Cota?
A : Ithinkwe willcontinuetobe busy.When theeconomyis good,we seebigger projectsand alot ofupgrades.But weare alwayskeeping systems going.We seemore ofthat when peoplecan’t affordto replace them. So I think we will be busy, but it will just depend on the type of work.
VALLEY NEWS —JENNIFER HAUCK
Alex Lober of Cota & Cota replaces a regulator at a home in Norwich on Jan. 3. Lobar, a technician, has worked for the company for three years.
COURTESY PHOTO HaroldElliot isGeneralService Manager with Cota & Cota.
rd a y,January18,2025
‘A natural progression to move forward’
Three women join together to purchase White River Junction property management business
By PATRICK O’GR ADY Valley News Correspondent
WHITERIVER JUNCTION
When the three new owners of Moseley Associates discussed buying the 40-year-old propertymanagement and real estatebusiness, their shared gender wasnot foremost in their minds.
Thefact thattheyare allwomen hadnobearing onthedecisionby JessicaNeily, ChristinaTeffnerand Amy LaCroix to pursue the purchase. Instead, they were focused on the opportunity that presenteditself when theyheard Jackand KathyMoseley were thinking of retiring.
Although someof theirclients
noted the women-only ownership, the trio bought theMoseley Associates because they saw it as a logical fit for theirprofessional careersanda chance to stay with the business, with theadded benefit oftheir longstanding personalrelationships, Neily said duringan interview last month at Moseley ’s offices on Stagecoach Road.
The threewomen hadbeen working at Moseley —for between two andfour years —when theymade their initial inquiryabout buying from theMoseleys inDecember 2023.
Neilysaidshe spoketoTeffner andLaCroixat thetimeaboutthe idea of becoming owners.
“It doesn’thurtto askandseeif theywouldbe willingtoentertain selling to us,”Neily recalled telling her co-owners. Comfortable in their careers, Neily,45, saidthey hadtheir real estate licenses and none of them wanted to start over somewhere else, which were also factorsin their decision to pursue ownership.
In the spring of 2024, the Moseleys made theoffer tosell andthe sale closed on May 1.
Attemptsto reachJackMoseley for this article were unsuccessful.
Moseleyis primarilyaproperty management company, which constitutes 80%of thebusiness, withthe other20% beingreal estatesales. The business manages primarily
homeowner associationresidential propertiesand officebuildingsin Quechee, Lebanon,Hanover and White River Junction.
Each client hasa one-year contractthat spellsout Moseley ’s responsibilities. Theseinclude attendanceat HOAboard meetings,finance committee and annual meeting preparation, bidpreparation for outside contractsand monthlymanagers reports.
Moseley has its own maintenance department and contracts larger projects with outside vendors.
Findingfinancing tobuy thebusiness proved a little tricky, Neily said.
VALLEY NEWS —JENNIFER HAUCK
Amy LaCroix, right, a co-owner of Moseley Associates, talks with Payton Hayes, receptionist and office administrator, on Jan. 6 in White River Junction. Hayes is LaCroix’s daughter.
Moseley Associatesco-owner Christina Teffnerinvestigates apossible water leakat a unitwith employee DerekFalardeau inQuechee on Jan.6. The property management company does routine checks during the winter months.
‘A
natural progression to move forward’
BUSINE SS FROM S6
“Itis hardtopull togetherfinancing becausethereare notangibleassets,” she said. “It is abook of business, not somethinga bankcouldattach (inthe event of default).”
SugarRiver Bankin Granthamand Newportagreedto financethesale, termsof whichwerenot disclosed.The new name is CJAInc., doing business as Moseley Associates.
Neily said anotherimportant piece tothe acquisitionwasunderstanding thetalents eachofthembring tobusiness andwho wouldhandle different duties.
Having longtimepersonal relationships, Neily and Teffner (LaCroix was notpresentfor theinterview)saidthey had no reservations about being able to work together.
Teffnerand LaCroixhaveknown
eachother sincefirstgrade. Bothattended Lebanon High School. Neily is a Mascoma graduate, whohas known LaCroix for 20 years and Teffner for 10.
“I was excited and ready to try it out because I feltwe had a goodhandle on ourindividual positionsasassociation managers and we are all roughly the same age,”Teffner said. “I thoughtit would be a natural progression to move forward with the sale.”
The women each have a third ownership as the senior management team. At weekly meetings, they sometimes vote on when decisions are made. Neily said “majority rules”andifthe voteis 2-1, they all respectand will stand by the vote.
Neilysaidas anindependentcompany, theycan tailor eachcontract to the client’sneeds andcircumstances, which istypically nothow itworks with propertymanagement businessesthat
arepartof larger,nationalcompanies that write each contract the same way.
As they enter 2025, Neily, Moseley ’s president, withTeffner astreasurer andLaCroix assecretary,said oneof their goals is to ramp up the real estate and commercial parts of the business.
“Isuspect thereal estatemarket sidewill comeinto playmore thiswinterand wewill bereadyin thespring and summer (whensingle-family home sales are higher),”Neily said.
“A lot of condo owners (that Moseley manages) are not cominghere to sell their units,”Neilycontinued. “We are thinking whyis that. Part ofour business planin the upcoming yearis to havepeoplewho manageyourassociations, market and sellyour home for you. Itwill bridgea gapand makeus more full service.”
Patrick O’Grady canbe reachedat pogclmt@gmail.com.
VALLEY NEWS —JENNIFER HAUCK
‘We saw opportunity’
Brick House Management owner speaks optimistically about Claremont’s future
By PATRICK O’GR ADY Valley News Correspondent
CLAREMONT —Matt
Vlangas, principalof Downtown Realty in Bedford, N.H., has invested in downtown Claremont becauseof a strong belief inhis vision for the city’s future.
In 2022,his companypurchased the Union Block at the corner of PleasantStreet and Opera HouseSquare, which houses 40 apartments and ground floor retail space.
Subsequentto that,DowntownRealty boughtthe Baker ’sBlock andRand Block, both on Pleasant Street,and theFitchManor on MyrtleStreet, whichhas undergone acomplete renovation of the12 two-bedroom and 12one-bedroom apartments.
“We came to Claremont for a varietyof reasons,not the leastof which,we sawopportunity,”Vlangas saidin the Baker Block office of Brick House Management, which launched inOctober tomanage the company’slocal assets. “We believethereis room for growthhere and we believethe peopleof thetown want to seethat growth happen. They want to see things comebackto lifehereandwe are doing our best to facilitate that change.”
Vlangas tempered his optimismwith theunderstanding thatthe growthheenvisions will take time.
“The economicgrowth side hasbeen challenging,” Vlangas said. “There have not beenalot ofpeoplerightnow that we havefound who want to take a risk and open a business downtown.”
A negative connotation that has been attached to the city forso longhas notbeen completely lifted, he said.
“There arenot enough peopletalking aboutClaremont ina positiveway toflip that script,but Iam hopeful we will see that change,”
Vlangas added.
Vlangas described his business asa “conglomerate, an amalgamation of a variety of different companies.”
DowntownRealty buysand sells properties; Red Brick Investments owns and operates properties and Brick House Management manages properties.
“We call ourselves a vertically integrated investment fir m,”Vlangas said.“That means we can help you buy it, lease it, renovateit, divest fromitand manageit.Anything you need done with real estate, whether it is land, commercial, retail or residential we havea business that can touch that for you.”
The decisionto openthe office in Claremont—Brick House Management at 43 Pleasant St.—was primarily tobetter managethecompany ’s local properties.
“Our assets in the region neededmanagement andwe started Brick House so we could givecare andattention totheproperties weownthat they deserve,”Vlangas said. “This will be our Claremont headquarters ofDowntown Realty.”
Vlangas emphasizedthat whileDowntown Realtyis based in Bedford, they are not out-of-town landlords.
“We don’t buy and walk the other way,”he said, adding that heis inClaremont regu-
larly. “Unlessyou havethat hands-on management, thingswill fallapart. Ourtop priority is to keep tenants as happy as possible.”
Locally, ChrisQualls is Brick House’sproperty manager andSheldon Farley, owner of the property maintenance business Shel-Bees, is the project manager for Brick House Management. Matthew Lefebrveis Downtown Realty’s principal broker.
Downtown Realty has 61 market rateapartments in the cityand 13in Newport plus 13 commercial units in Claremont.Vlangas saidthey havebeen permittedtoconstruct eight,two-bedroom apartments onthe upper floors of the Rand Block at 3240Pleasant St.FitchManor has been renamed Kite Hill Commons.
Vlangassaid cityofficials have made hisefforts in Claremont a positive experience,with pre-meetingsto discuss and resolve issues beforepresentations topermitting boards, which is something hedoes notsee inother towns.
“I can becritical at times butthemanner inwhichthey have helped us with these projects hasbeen trulywonder ful,”Vlangas said.“Going throughthe permittingprocess for theRand Block was very easy.”
Vlangas reiteratedthat he invested in downtown Claremont properties toturn them aroundand bringinpeople who willfacilitate economic growth, suchas teachers, nurses, business professionals, CPAs,lawyers andengineers,whichin turnwillattractsmall businessesdowntownto servethatpopulation.
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Tips for dealing with money in 2025
The 2025 New Year’s Eve numerals are displayed in Times Square in New York on Dec. 18, 2024.
Set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle
By CORA LEWIS and ADRIANA MORGA Associated Press
With the end of 2024 upon us, you might be reflecting on financial goals for 2025. Whether you’re saving to move out of your parents’house or pay off student loan debt, financial resolutions can help you stay motivated, said Courtney Alev, consumer advocate for Credit Karma.
“Entering a new year doesn’t erase all our financial challenges from the prior year,”Alev said. “But it can really help to bring a freshstart mentality to how you’re managing your finances.”
If you’re planning to make financial resolutions for the new year, experts recommend that you start by evaluating the state of your finances in 2024. Then, set specific goals and make sure they’re attainable for your lifestyle.
Here are some tips from experts:
Change your relationship with money
Think about how you currently deal with finances —what’s good, what’s bad, and what can improve.
“Let this be the year you change your relationship with money,”said Ashley Lapato, personal finance educator for YNAB, a budgeting app.
If you feel like money is a chore, that there’s shame surrounding the topic of money, or like you were born being “bad at money,”it’s time to change that mentality, Lapato said.
To adjust your approach, Lapato recommends viewing money goals as an opportunity to imagine your desired lifestyle in the future. She recommends asking questions like, “What do my 30s look like? What do my 40s look like?”and using money as a means to get there.
Liz Young Thomas, head of SoFi Investment Strategy, added that it’s key you forgive yourself for past mistakes in order to move into the new year with motivation.
Know your ‘why’
When setting your financial resolutions for 2025, it’s important to establish the “why ”of each, said Matt Watson, CEO of Origin, a financial tracking app.
“If you can attach the financial goal to a bigger life goal, it’s much more motivating and more likely you’ll continue on that path,”Watson said.
Whether you’re saving to buy a house, pay off credit card debt or take a summer vacation, being clear about the goal can keep you motivated. Watson also recommends us-
PHOTOGRAPH —JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON
Expert tips on how to change your relationship with money
ing a tool to help you keep track of your finances, such as an app, spreadsheet, or website.
Budget, budget, budget
“After three years of inflation, your pay increases are likely still playing catch up to your monthly expenses, leaving you wondering where all the money is going,”said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. “Make that monthly budget for 2025 and resolve to track your spending against it throughout the year.”
McBride said that you may need to make adjustments during the year as certain expenses increase, which would require cutting back in other areas.
“Calibrate your spending with your income, and any month you spend less than budgeted, transfer the difference into your savings account, ideally a high-yield savings account,”he said.
Pay down outstanding debt
“Interest rates aren’t likely to come down very fast, so you’re still going to have to put in the hard work of paying down debt, especially highcost credit card debt, and do so with urgency,”McBride said.
Start by taking stock of how much debt you have now relative to the beginning of the year. Hopefully you’ve made steady progress on paying it down, but, if you’ve gone in the other direction, McBride encourages making a game plan. That includes looking into 0% balance transfer offers.
Take control of your credit card interest rate
“You have more power over credit card interest rates than you think you do,”said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. “Wielding that power is one of the best moves you can make in 2025.”
A 0% balance transfer credit card is “a good weapon”in the fight against high card APRs, or annual percentage rates, he said. A low-interest personal loan is an option as well.
You may simply be able to pick up the phone and ask for a lower interest rate. LendingTree found that a majority of people who did that in 2024 were successful, and the average reduction was more than 6 points.
Set realistic, practical goals
When planning for your financial resolutions, it’s important to consider how you’re going to make your goals sustainable for your lifestyle, said Credit Karma’s Alev.
“It really is a marathon, not a sprint,”Alev said.
Alev recommends setting realistic, practical goals to make it easier to stick with them. For example, instead of planning to save thousands of dollars by the end of the year, start by saving $20 a paycheck.
Even when your plans are achievable, there are times you’ll get derailed. Maybe it’s an unexpected medical bill or an extraordinary life event. When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty.
Don’t bury your head in the sand
“You can’t manage what you can’t see, so set a New Year’s resolution to check your credit score monthly in 2025,”said Rikard Bandebo, chief economist at VantageScore. “Be sure to pay more than the minimum on your credit accounts, as that’s one of the best ways to boost your credit score.”
Bandebo also advises student loan borrowers to make all payments on time, as servicers will begin to report late payments starting in January, and missed payments
will affect borrowers’credit scores.
Automate savings, where possible
Automated changes, like increasing workplace 401(k) plan contributions, setting up direct deposits from paychecks into dedicated savings accounts, and arranging for monthly transfers into an IRA and/or 529 college savings accounts all add up quickly, McBride said.
Slow down
Your financial goals can encompass more than just managing your money better —they can also be about keeping your money safe from scams. A golden rule to protect yourself from scams is to “slow down,”said Johan Gerber, executive vice president of security solutions at Mastercard.
“You have to slow down and talk to other people if you’re not sure (whether or not) it’s scam,”said Gerber, who recommends building an accountability system with family to keep yourself and your loved ones secure.
Scammers use urgency to make
people fall for their tricks, so taking your time to make any financial decision can keep you from losing money.
Focus on financial wellness
Your financial goals don’t always have to be rooted in a dollar amount — they can also be about well-being. Finances are deeply connected with our mental health, and, to take care of our money, we also need to take care of ourselves.
“I think that now more than any other year, your financial wellness should be a resolution,”said Alejandra Rojas, personal finance expert and founder of The Money Mindset Hub, a mentoring platform for women entrepreneurs. “Your mental health with money should be a resolution.”
To focus on your financial wellness, you can set one or two goals focusing on your relationship with money. For example, you could find ways to address and resolve financial trauma, or you could set a goal to talk more openly with loved ones about money, Rojas said.
AP FILE PHOTOGRAPH
People buy groceries at a Walmart Superstore in Secaucus, New Jersey, July 11, 2024.
‘The
Deb Roberts, left, a Realtor with Re/Max in Lebanon, picks up paperwork for one of her listings from Dale Snader, owner of Dale’s Homes, at his office in WhiteRiver Junctionon Jan. 7.Roberts primarilyworks with first-timehomebuyers, who shesees asthe foundation ofmany communities,and has watched the market become increasingly difficult for them to break into. “I’ve built a lot of houses, and if you don’t have a good foundation everything falls apart,”she said. Since the pre-COVID year of 2019, the median sale price of a single-family home in Grafton, Sullivan, Windsor and Orange counties has doubled. That’s made it more challenging for the first-time buyers with whom Roberts works.
VALLEY NEWS —ALEX DRIEHAUS
ClosetTreasures ConsignmentShop
Area real estate agents discuss single-family home market
By PATRICK O’GR ADY Valley News Correspondent
Upper Valley real estate agents are hopeful that the environment for single-family homes will slightly improve for prospective homebuyers in 2025: Inventory is slowly growing —without the COVID-fueled buying frenzy that saw offers well above the asking price from 2020 to 2022.
There are the beginnings of a market shift “from a true sellers’market to something more equally balanced between buyers and sellers,” said John Kinney, director of operations for Coldwell Banker Lifestyles. Coldwell has offices in New London, Grantham, Hanover, Quechee and Sunapee.
Kinney also sees a better outlook for first-time buyers, who have been struggling to finance a home with interest rate increases and escalating home prices.
“The market seems to be shifting so they (firsttime buyers) have a better chance at getting in a home,”Kinney said. “This time last year I would not have been as optimistic for first-time buyers.”
Still, those looking to purchase homes in the Upper Valley in 2025 will continue to face chal-
lenges, as median sale prices continue to rise and inventory remains scarce.
Demand remains strong in Grafton, Sullivan, Orange and Windsor counties, even though interest rates on a 30-year mortgage hover around 7% —more than double since 2021 when they bottomed out at just below 3% after being at around a little over 4% in 2019, a year before COVID, according to the website, Bankrate.com.
Real estate agents in the Upper Valley had mixed experiences in the marketplace in 2024 and think the coming year will be more of the same, with strong demand but a less frentic pace.
In 2024, buyers could be less aggressive, not act in haste when considering a purchase and take the time to do their research, real estate agents said.
“Buyers can take a minute and think about things a little longer now,”said Sandra Reavill, with Sandra Reavill and Brooks Reavill Real Estate in Woodstock.
Kinney and Reavill said they are again seeing home and septic inspections among the contingencies in contracts, which often was not the case during the COVID-19 pandemic if the buyer wanted the property.
“The lifespan of a listing was two to six days
and now it can be two to six weeks, so listings are lasting a little longer,”Reavill said. “If it is priced right, it could be still two days. So we are still seeing that same behavior of 2021, ‘22 and ‘23, but also see more normal listing times.”
In 2021, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell to 2.65%, which was unprecedented and the lowest in more than 40 years, according to the website Bankrate.com.
Despite some longer market times, Reavill said that in some ways 2024 was still a lot like 2021.
“There were lots of people looking for property with a low inventory (of homes for sale),”she said.
Deb Roberts, a Realtor with Re/Max in Lebanon, has been in real estate for 27 years. There were plenty of people looking to purchase homes in 2024, she said, but the high interest rates and an explosion in prices has left many first-time buyers she works with on the sidelines.
“If you are among the upper echelon, you have no problem (buying a home),”Roberts said. “But if you are what I call foundation people, those in retail, police officers, teachers, nurses, there is a big problem.”
VALLEY NEWS —ALEX DRIEHAUS
Deb Roberts, a Realtor with Re/Max in Lebanon, walks through one of her listings in Hartland on Jan. 7. The three-bedroom, two-bath, double-wide trailer in Woodside Manor Mobile Home Park is listed at $255,000 with a $500 monthly park fee.
Since the pre-COVID year of 2019, the median sale price of a single-family home in Grafton, Sullivan, Windsor and Orange counties has doubled. That’s made it more challenging for the first-time buyers with whom Roberts works.
“The financing is more difficult and sellers will take someone with 10% or 20% down,” she said. “Those who can only put 3.5% down are losing out a lot. And interest rates are killing first-time homebuyers.”
Even with the COVID-19 buying frenzy over, the “foundation”of buyers Roberts described is continuing to have a hard time.
“Fifteen years ago, you could buy a decent home in Lebanon for $200,000, now it is up over $400,000,”she said. “That is the scary part. We are not building a foundation and can’t because housing costs are so expensive.”
Many government officials and lawmakers say more housing is needed, but Roberts said there is often resistance in local communities to approving new housing projects and those delays add to the cost.
It all comes back to low inventory, which drives the price, said Kinney with Coldwell Banker.
“As long as inventory remains low and we have more buyers than properties, the competition is going to continue to drive the price,”Kinney said, adding that the pace of the increase will begin to lessen in his view. “My gut says they will still increase but not as fast.”
Roz Caplan with Century 21 in Claremont has been selling real estate for 46 years in Sullivan County. She thinks firsttime buyers committed to finding a home will make things work even with the higher interest rates.
“I don’t think it will deter them if they find a property that suits their needs,”said Caplan. “I’m remaining positive that it will be another good year.”
Facts & Figures
Some statistics from the New Hampshire Associations of Realtors and Vermont Association of Realtors from the past year show a changing marketplace including inventor y.
■ Sales of single family
homes in 2023 and 2024 in Grafton County were below 1,000 for the first time since 2014.
■ Inventory of homes for sale in Windsor County jumped from 152 to 235 between November 2023 to November 2024. In Orange County, the increase was more modest, from 43 to 64 homes.
■ Grafton County inventory increased to 210 from 193 between November 2023 and November 2024, In Sullivan County, the increase was from 75 to 93.
■ The median sales price continued climbing when comparing November 2023 to November 2024. In Grafton County, the price rose 12.5% to $407,500; Sullivan (17% to $360,000), Windsor (8.6% to $455,000) and Orange County (20% to $369,000).
■ Median sale price of a single family home more than doubled in the four Upper Valley counties from November 2019 to November 2024. Grafton ( $227,125 to $430,250). Sullivan ($187,000 to $385,000). Windsor ($235,000 to $455,000). Orange ($169,000 to $369,000).
Patrick O’Gradycan be reached a pogclmt@ gmail.com.
VALLEY NEWS —ALEX DRIEHAUS DebRoberts,aRealtor withRe/MaxinLebanon, outside one of her listings in Hartland on Jan. 7.
Upper Valley businesses look ahead to 2025
While 2024 represented return to normalcy, employment concerns remain for new year
By TRACY HUTCHINS For the Valley News
Istopped making New Year’s resolutions many years ago. Often, I found that my resolutions lasted all of a day or two before the rush of daily life swept my good intentions away. Instead, I try to reflect on my previous year and set a few goals for the coming year. My goals are both personal and professional, including that I hope to read more books, try a new activity or learn something —and not stress over my job as much.
Area businesses and nonprofit organizations are also taking stock of 2024 and eyeing new challenges in 2025. The year 2024 was in many ways a return to normalcy after the COVID years. Even as late as 2023, many businesses were still grappling with the ramifications of the pandemic, including staffing shortages, customers being wary of in-person shopping or dining and a host of other challenges. However, in 2024, while some of those difficulties still existed, many businesses saw the pattern of normal, by prepandemic standards, return.
Although normalcy in how businesses operate was a welcome relief, there remains much uncertainty in how 2025 will unfold. Nationally, there is a new president and potential new policies on the federal level that will affect businesses, even locally. In New Hampshire, there’s a new governor as well. In the Upper Valley, the issues that have persisted over the last few years such as a lack of affordable housing and child care are still the limiting factors for many businesses looking for employees.
I asked people at a few Upper Valley businesses and nonprofits how they are feeling about 2025. They are represent various sectors and locations throughout the region. Although some expressed concerns, all were also hopeful that 2025 will be a good year.
Finding employees continues to be a top challenge. April Preston, owner of Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vt., said that both staffing and rising costs continue to pose problems.
“Finding someone who wants to work one night a week on a Saturday for 21 weeks is challenging,”Preston said. “Also the cost of outside required ser-
vices and supplies continue to rise, making it harder to be good, inexpensive family entertainment.”
Kathleen Vasconcelos, executive director of the Lebanon-based Grafton County Senior Citizens Council agreed.
“One of the top challenges for the Grafton County Senior Citizens Council in 2025 is the ongoing staffing shortage,” she said. “Fifteen percent of our jobs are vacant and that affects all our locations throughout the county.”
Kate Gilbert, owner of Kate & Co. Real Estate in Woodstock, is excited to expand in 2025 by hiring more employees.
“We are growing. I hope to add two more team members to Kate & Co at the minimum, so 2025 will be another opportunity to help many families in the Upper Valley,”she said.
Gilbert noted that in real estate, change is constant.
“As a real estate professional, our industry is constantly shifting, pivoting, and changing,”Gilbert said. “Whether interest rates, low inventory, higher cost of living, or tax implications are in the hot seat, we have to stay ahead of the curve. Our hardest task is keeping current on all of the important topics.”
Uncertainty on the political landscape is something that Karen Shapiro, a wealth adviser at Green Future Wealth Management in Lebanon, said is top of mind for many families.
“This year, we anticipate client questions arising from the changing political landscape,”Shapiro said. “Cuts to Medicare and Social Security, if enacted, may increase out-of-pocket costs for medical care and affect retirement planning. Recent changes to Social Security may increase benefits for clients who have spent a portion of their careers in state and local government.”
Preston noted that sometimes uncertainty can affect people negatively.
“People in general just seem to be not as nice as they used to be, Preston said. “And with this (Bear Ridge Speedway) being a people-oriented business, it frankly is getting more difficult to stay enthusiastic. But, we have our sights set on 60 years of business —which is just three seasons away —and (that) keeps us pushing forward.”
Despite navigating uncertainty, the employers I spoke with are optimistic for 2025.
“I am feeling positive about GCSCC and the year ahead,”Vasconcelos said. “While there are many challenges — staffing and funding top the list —GCSCC is resilient. We are focused on our mission, and we can’t be anything but positive as we know that by fulfilling our mission we are doing important work that makes a difference in the lives of our community members.”
Gilbert, too, feels positive and mission-driven.
“Business is promising, and my team takes a big bite out of the number of sales here in the Upper Valley,”she said. “At Kate & Co, we plan to utilize consistency —our word of the year for 2025 — to shine brighter than ever.”
Banishing a scarcity mindset is central to the work that Shapiro does for her clients at Green Future Wealth Management.
“Heading into the 2025 tax season in January, client discussions will likely focus on anticipated tax code changes and whether retirement planning strategies such as Roth conversions are smart planning decisions”Shapiro said. “The fate of tax credits that spurred recent homeowner investments in clean energy is uncertain, so timing of these purchases may be at the forefront.”
Tracy Hutchins is executive director of the Upper Valley Business Alliance. She lives in Orange.
COURTESY
Tracy Hutchins
BUSINESS NOTES
OF
isthe new director of the U.S. Army’s ColdRegions Researchand Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover.
New
businesses
COURTESY OF DARTMOUTH HEALTH
Dr. Lauren Geddes Wirth is the new CEO and president of New London Hospital.
Planet Fitness opened atthe Upper Valley Plaza off Route 12A in West Lebanon this fall.
Dazzle Nail Salon opened on Washington Street in Claremont this fall.
Wendy ’s opened onWashingtonStreet in Claremont this January.
Business and nonprofit expansions
The Arcade &Birthday Party Center opened at Blackbeard’s Cove Adventure Golf in Claremont this fall.
The Claremont Visitors Center was renamed the Mike SatzowVisitors Center this fall in honor of the long time Claremont resident’s dedication to the city.
The Richards Group, a Brattleboro, Vt.-based insurance and financial services firm thathas a branch inHanover, purchased the Washburn and Wilson Agency of Bethel, from Melvin and Matt Washburn.
RePlay Arts, aWhite RiverJunctionbased nonprofit organizationthat provides free artsupplies tocommunity members and organizations, in addition to running workshops, has moved to87 Maple St. in downtown White River Junction.
Business new hires and leadership changes
Norwich Technologies hired Lou Min-
OF BILLINGS FARM & MUSEUM FrancesMcLaughlin isthe new executive vice president ofBillings Farm& Museumin Woodstock.
ion as its new controller and Michael Scott Duplessis as its new IT manager.
Nonprofit organization new hires and leadership changes
Ivan Beckman is the new director of the U.S. Army’s Cold RegionsResearchand Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in Hanover. Beckman, ofHanover, was previously CRREL’s deputydirector. Before coming to CRREL, he served as commanderoftheU.S. ArmyEngineerandResearch Development Center.
Dr.LaurenGeddes Wirth is the new CEO and president of New London Hospital, which is partof the Dartmouth Health network. Geddes, who was previously interim CEO andpresident, replaces Tom Manion, whois now chiefoperating officer of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.
Dr. MatthewFoster isthe newCEO and presidentof Mt.Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) and Valley Regional Hospital, which are part of Dartmouth Health. He previouslyserved as interim chiefmedical officerat Johnson Health Center in Lynchburg, Va.
Michael B. Mulhern is the new director of the Dartmouth HitchcockAdvanced Response Team (DHART).He previously worked asa search andrescue flight paramedicfor theU.S. StateDepartment before joining DHART in 2012.
COURTESY OF HCRS
Dr.Paul Boutinhasbeen promoted to chief medical officerof Health Careand Rehabilitation Services.
Frances McLaughlin is the new executive vice president of Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock. She was previously executivedirectorof theFarm&Wilderness Foundationand Farm& WildernessConservation in Plymouth, Vt.
Andrew Pinard isthenew interimexecutivedirectorof AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon. Pinard, who previously led the ClaremontOpera House, replaces Shari Boraz, who is retiring after three years of leading the nonprofit organization.
Heidi Reynolds is the new executive director of Friends ofMascoma in Canaan. Reynolds,of Canaan,haspreviously worked atthe MontshireMuseum ofScience, NorthernStage and AVAGallery and Art Center.She replacesKatherine PlumleyStewart, whohadbeenserving asinterim executive director.
Saint-Gaudens Memorial, anonprofit organization that promotes the legacy Americansculptor AugustusSaint-Gaudens andpartners with theNational Park Ser vice’sSaint-Gaudens NationalHistoricalParkin Cornish,hasnamed Jackie Schalk as its first full-time executive director.
Dr.Paul Boutin hasbeen promotedto chief medicalofficer of Health Careand Rehabilitation Services (HCRS),a
SEE NOTE S S20
COURTESY
CRREL Hanover resident Ivan Beckman
COURTESY
BUSINESS NOTES
NOTE S FROM S19
Springfield, Vt.-basedorganization that has offices in White River Junctionand Windsor. Boutin was previously medical director at HCRS.
Dartmouth Health hired the followingproviders inOctober and December:
Dartmouth Hitchcock MedicalCenter: Dr.Sheila R.Barnett, anesthesiology; Dr. MichaelA. Bova, pain management; Dr.Robert N.D’Angelo, cardiology; Bethanie K. Davies, general surgery; Dr.Bradley A. Eckert, palliativemedicine; Lisa R. Edson, urology; Dr. Mohamed I.Elsheikh, general surgery; Nichole L. Haas, geriatric medicine; Gabriella A. Harmon, hematology/oncology; ElizabethL. Howland, obstet-
rics and gynecology; Thanh H. Huibers, comprehensivewound healing center; Hayleigh J. Kein, hematology/oncology; Dr. Nupur Lala, medicaloncology; Dr. LinaMa, anatomicpathology; Jacob W.Mozier, oral and maxillofacial surgery; Dr. David M. Naeger, diagnostic radiology; Dr. Anais A. Ovalle, infectious disease; Dr.Hannah S. Reuman, palliativemedicine; Dr. Ivy L. Riano Monsalve, medical oncology; Andrea J. Schimke, pain management; Rachel M.Snider, neurology; Brandon L.Steves, general surgery; Dr.Xiaonan Sun, neurosurgery; Dr. Thamolwan Surakiatchanukul, ophthalmology; Dr. HenryJ. Tannous, cardiac surgery; Cheng Chin Wang, neurology; Caroline R. Weisheit, neurology; Miranda
A. Bacon,audiology; Travis R. Barcelow, anesthesiology; AmberH. Bardsley, otolaryngology (ear, nose andthroat); Dr. Anna L. Benvenuto, obstetricsand gynecology; Dr.Monika A. Bernas, cardiology; Abigail M. Blake, cardiology; Carlos E. Borges, criticalcare/MICU; Toni M.Curry, psychiatry; Dr. Liam L. Donnelly, clinical pathology; Dr. AlyssaC. Ehrlich, psychiatry; Dana M. Ferrari-Light, thoracic surgery; Dr. JosephineT. Fisher, internal medicine; Dr. MohanadH. Gabani, cardiology; Melanie L. Garcia, criticalcare/MICU; Sara W.Gussenhoven, cardiac surgery; Sydney L.Hanford, cardiac surgery; Adam M. Harris, neurosurgery; Dr. Charlotte V. Hastings, obstetricsand gynecology; Dr. John E. Howe, pulmonary and critical care medicine; Dr. Claudiu-Gily Ionescu-Tajti, internal medicine; Dr.Anastas Kostojchin, cardiology; Daniel M. Mackin, psychiatry; Dr. JenniferA. McCoy, maternal and fetal medicine; Dr. Katherine L. Mistretta, orthopaedic surgery; Dr.Michael T.O’Loughlin, diagnostic radiology; Dr. Samuel A. Rackley, anesthesiology; Jessica E. Tullington, general surgery; Makenzie A.Welch, cardiology; Dr.Mounica Yanamandala, cardiology; Dr. Kirthi S. Bellamkonda, cardiac surgery; Emily J. Bowman, physiatry; Dr. Prashanthi Divakar, otolaryngology(ear, nose and throat); Drue A.Lorenz, MPAS, neurosurgery; Dr.
SEE NOTE S S21
COURTESY OF DARTMOUTH HEALTH
Fromleft: JacquelineSmith,CaraBouchard, MakailaGallow,EmmaKainu, MonicaJaycox,SarahWheeler andBreanneRobertson graduated from Valley Regional’s inaugural LNA apprenticeship class. (Not pictured: Niko Sanville.)
Njambi W. Mathenge, cardiology; Alexandra P. Pappas,psychiatry; Beverly V. Reynolds, neurology; AmyL. Dasso, general surgery; Melissa J. Porter, vascularsurgery; and Rebeka A. Thorgerson, plastic surgery.
Dartmouth Cancer Center:Dr. Joerg Rathmann, medicaloncology; Dr.Charles J. Gaulin, hematology & oncology; Dr. Elaine P. Kuhn,breastoncology; Dr. Tara L. Kaufmann, medicaloncology; and AnneC. Rodenbach, hematology/oncology.
Dartmouth Health Children’s: Dr. Zoe W. Frolking, generalpediatrics; Mohamed T. Jasser, child and adolescent psychiatry; Margaret A. Maher,pediatric gastroenterology; Dr. Mathew S. Lemberger, child and adolescent psychiatry; Dr. SebnemOzdogan, pediatricpulmonology;and Bethany L. Dewkett, neonatology; Dr.An V.Huynh, allergyand clinical immunology.
DartmouthHitchcock ClinicsHeater Road: Dr. John D. Nuschke, III, sleep medicine; and Eric C. Harbeck, psychiatry.
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital:Dr. Hulda Magnadottir,neurosurgery; Dr. David M. Naeger, tele-radiology; Dr. Harold J. Pikus,neurosurgery; and Patrick A.
BUSINESS NOTES
Schembri, neurosurgery.
Dartmouth HitchcockMedical Center and New London Hospital:Dr. Rachel L. Krcmar, emergencymedicine; Dr.Brian D. Barnacle,diagnosticradiology; and Dr. Graham M. Tooker, neuroradiology.
AlicePeckDay MemorialHospitaland Dartmouth HitchcockMedical Center: JonathanS. Harmon,hospital medicine; Dr. Vinod Krishnappa,hospital medicine; Dr. Edward A. Cantos, hospitalmedicine; Dr. Meghan R. Hickey, hospitalmedicine; Dr. Stephen B. Marko, emergency medicine; Dr. Timothy R.Siegel, general surgery;and Dr. Samantha J. Yarmis, emergency medicine.
AlicePeckDay MemorialHospitaland NewLondon Hospital:Alyssa M.Pearl, neurosurger y.
Alice PeckDay MemorialHospital, DartmouthHitchcock MedicalCenter,Mt. AscutneyHospital andHealth Center& New London Hospital: Dr.Vivek C. Yagnik, diagnostic radiology.
Mt.AscutneyHospital andHealthCenter: Dr. Sabrina K. Khalil, ophthalmology.
Dr.Angelo E.Volandes isthe newvice chair ofresearch fordepartment ofmedicine at DartmouthHealth, GeiselSchool of Medicine. He was previously an internal
medicine practitionerat MassachusettsGeneral Hospital.
Nonprofit organization board appointments
Rita B. Gylys was elected president of the Windsor County Mentors Board of Directors.Gylys,who waspreviouslytreasurerof theboard,succeeds MeganCulp,whoserved as board president for around a decade.
Susan A. Reeves,chief nursing executive at Dartmouth Health, was elected chair of the New HampshireHospital Association (NHHA) board oftrustees. Tom Manion, chief operating officerat Dartmouth HitchcockMedicalCenter,was reelectedtoatwoyear term on the NHHA’s board of trustees.
BiseWoodSaint Eugene, of Lebanon, was elected to serve a three-year term on the Public Health Council of the Upper Valley ’s Board of Directors.
Herschel Nachlis,associate directorand senior policyFellow ofthe NelsonA. Rockefeller Centerfor Public Policy andthe Social Sciences at Dartmouth College, and research assistant professor inDartmouth’s Depart-
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NOTE S FROM S21
mentofGovernment, hasjoined Granite United Way ’s Board of Directors.
Nonprofit grants and
donations
The Bridgewater (Vt.)Area Community Foundation earned a $204,950 grant from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust for energy efficiency,sustainability and resiliencyprojects atthe BridgewaterArea Community Center(BACC) andBridgewater Community Childcare.
The Unitarian Universalist Congregationof theUpperValley in Norwichearned a $33,885grant from the 2024 National Clergy Renewal Program to enable its minister, Rev.Jan Hutslar, to takea five-month sabbatical towalk two actualpilgrimages — St Cuthberts Way andthe Pilgrimage of Hildegard von Bingen, along with taking part in other renewal activities.
The DH Center for Rural Health Equity earnedan$8,000 grantfromthe Northeast Delta Dental Foundation to expand a program that trains health providers to administer silver diamine fluoride treatment.
Dartmouth Health Advanced Response Team (DHART) received a $6.7million donation from Les Haynes’estate. The funding willgo towardpurchasing newequipment, starting an EMT certification program andexpand tosouthern NewHampshire, accordingto anews releasefrom Dartmouth Health.
Dartmouth Health’s Population Health Department earned a five-year, $5 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services’Human Services Research Administration to expand maternal health programs throughout the statethrough itsNew HampshirePerinatal Quality Collaborative.
Dartmouth Health received a $14 million gift from the estate ofWalterandCarole Young toestablish theWalter andCarole Young Pancreas Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock MedicalCenter, tocreate theWalter and Carole Young Center for Digestive Health andthe Walterand CaroleYoung ProfessorshipinGeneral SurgeryatGeisel School of Medicine.
Dartmouth Health and the Geisel School ofMedicine atDartmouth researchers earned afive-year, $3 million grant from National InstitutesofHealth’s National Instituteof MentalHealth to studyhowto improvelifeexpectancyfor those who live with mental illness.
Nonprofit expanded programs
Giesel Schoolof Medicineand Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies at Dartmouth College have joined together tostart anewonlinemaster’s degreeprogram inimplementation science.The online-only program will take full-time stu-
BUSINESS NOTES
dentsnine monthstocomplete and18 monthsforpart-time studentstocomplete. Enrollment for theSeptember 2025 semesteriscurrently openandmoreinformation can befound at https://healthsciences.dartmouth.edu/education/degreeprograms/master-science-implementationscience/program- over view.
Eight high school students graduated from the licensed nursingassistant (LNA) registered apprenticeshipprogram this fall. Thenew program —the first ofits kind inNew Hampshire—wasstarted byValley Regional Hospital, River Valley Community College (RVCC) andApprenticeshipNH, according toa news releasefrom Dartmouth Health, of which Valley Regional is part. The students took an eight-week program during this past summer— Jacqueline Smith, Cara Bouchard, Makaila Gallow, Emma K ainu, Monica Jaycox, Sarah Wheeler, Breanne Robertson and Niko Sanville all passed the licensing exam.
The Community College of Vermont (CCV) and the Vermont Departmentof Corrections (DOC) hasexpanded the CorrectionsPost-Secondary EducationInitiative (CPSEI) partnership, through which DOC staff and Vermonters who are incarceratedcantake collegecourses.Studentswho werepreviously incarceratedcan now taketwo classesper semesterfor afull year afterthey are releasedfrom incarceration. More information: ccv.edu/corrections.
Awards and other honors
Hartford Parksand RecreationDepartment recreationspecialist Tatum Barnes earnedtheVermont Recreation&ParksAssociation’s Young Professional Award.
Lebanon resident Marc Cousineau, who serves as director of Catholic Charities NH’s Community Services program,earned the “In His Footsteps”awardfor his “exceptional service tothe community,”according toanews releasefromtheManchesterbased nonprofit organization. Cousineau has workedatCatholic Charitiesformorethan 40 years.
Kelly and Leo Valia,who live at Mascoma Valley Cooperative in Canaan, earned ROC -NH’s Above & Beyond award for their volunteerismin theresident-ownedmanufactured housing park.
Douglas Hackett, Hanover Police DirectorofCommunication, earnedthePublic Safety Communications Director of the Year awardfrom theAssociationof PublicSafety Communications Officials(APCO) Atlantic Chapter.
The Clara Martin Center, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health and substance misusetreatment inBradford, Vt., Chelsea, Randolph, White River Junction andWilder, amongother Vermontcommunities, honoredthe followingcommunity membersduringits annualmeetingand
awardsceremony: Brian Kravitz, director ofoutreach,Central VermontAdultEducation Services,2024 VocationalServices Award; Timothy Eberhardt, Spiritual Care Coordinator at GiffordMedical Center, 2024 ArnoldSpahn CommunityAward;and Kathy Robbins, psychiatric nurse practitioner,2024 MartinFamilyExcellence Award.
The Clara Martin Center also honored thefollowingemployees fortheirlongevity atthenonprofit organization—Five years: Kristine Babcock, Brian Barnard, Pam Bean, Jo-An Morin and Sharon Wilson; 10 years: Carol Blanchard, Richard Braun, Kohl Comtess, Alexander DeLeon, Danielle Drown, Wanda Jackson, Isaac Turnbaugh and Rachel Yeager; 15 years: Michele Sargent; 20 years: Jenni Campbell and Brock Davis;25years: Gretchen Pembroke; 30 years: Chris Titchenal; and 35 years: Nancy Duranleau and Gretchen Linton. Enfield, Lebanon and Newport, along with 15 other New Hampshire communities, were named “Housing Champions”for “supporting affordable, accessible, and sustainable housing development”by the New HampshireDepartment ofBusinessand Economic Affairs.
Kendal atHanover earnedan Employment Leadership Award for its work with people with disabilities from the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation andthe New HampshireCouncil onDevelopmentalDisabilities.
The New Hampshire Business Review honored the followingUpper Valley businessowners duringits 22ndAnnual Business Excellence Awards Ceremonyin October: BetsyHarrisonand SusanBorchert,cofounders, Counseling Associates of New London,smallbusiness healthcarecategory; and Carolyn Isabelle, system VP, talent acquisition andcareer development, Dartmouth Health, largebusiness health care categor y.
Nathan DouglasGardner, northerncoordinator for Windsor County Mentors, has beenawarded a$1,300scholarship byMENTOR toattend the 2025National Mentoring Summit in Washington, D.C., Becker ’sHospital Review’s named New London Hospital CEO and president Dr. Lauren Geddes as one of its 90 critical access hospital CEOs to know for 2024.
Becker ’s Hospital Review’snamed Dartmouth Cancer Center to its 2024 list of hospitals andhealth systemsrecognized forexcellence in oncology.
JessicaK. Salwen-Deremer, a Dartmouth Health psychologist who is also director ofthe health caresystem’s Behavioral Medicine for DigestiveHealth program,
SEE NOTE S S23
NOTE S FROM S22
earned the Crohn’s& Colitis Foundation New England chapter’s 2024 Rising Healthcare Leader award.
Alice Peck DayMemorial Hospital has earned a Level 1Geriatric Emergency Department (GED) accreditation from the AmericanCollege ofEmergencyPhysicians.Accordingto anewsreleasefrom Dartmouth Health, APD the first critical accesshospital inthe countryto achievethis designation.
The CHaD HERO race raised $825,000 in October for child and family support services at Dartmouth Health Children’s.
The New Hampshire Hospital Association honoredthree DartmouthHealthemployees at its annual meetingin October: John T. Broderick Jr., senior director of external affairs, Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. Patrick R. Hattan,psychiatrist and associate medical director for New Hampshire Hospital, Medical Staff Award for outstanding service; and Charles G. Plimpton, treasurer ofthe Dartmouth-Hitchcock/Dartmouth Health Boards, secretaryof the DartmouthHealth Boardandchairof theFinance and Development committees, Outstanding Trustee of the Year Award.
Samantha A. House, section chief of pediatrichospital medicineatDartmouth Health Children’s and an associate professor in pediatrics at theDartmouth Institute for Health Policyand Clinical Practiceat the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, was elected to the Society for Pediatric Research.
Dr. JoAnna K. Leyenaar, a professor of pediatricsand attheDartmouth Instituteat Geisel,was electedtothe AmericanPediatric Society.
Dartmouth Health was named the “CoolestEmployer forYoung People”for 2024 by Stay Work Play New Hampshire. New Hampshire Business Review named the followingDartmouth Healthproviders to its2025NewHampshire 200list,whichhonors leaderswho havecontributed tothe state’s economy and business climate: Dr. Jocelyn F. Caple, formerCEO and interim presidentofValley RegionalHospital; Dr. Stephanie A. Ihezie, neurosurgery medical residentat DartmouthHitchcockMedical Center; Dr.Julie Kim, section chiefof pediatric hematology/oncologyat Dartmouth Health Children’s, and associate professor of pediatrics at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth; Dr. WilliamC.Torrey, chairof the departmentof psychiatryand section chief of outpatient psychiatric services at Dartmouth Health, Raymond Sobel Professorof Psychiatryandprofessor ofHealth Policy andClinical Practiceat Geisel;and Dr. Lauren A. Geddes Wirth, CEO and president of New London Hospital. BestPlace forWorkingParents, ana-
BUSINESS NOTES
Jessica K.Salwen-Deremer, a Dartmouth Health psychologistand director ofthe health care system’s BehavioralMedicineforDigestive Healthprogram,earnedthe Crohn’s& Colitis Foundation New England chapter’s 2024 Rising Healthcare Leader award.
tional organization, gave Dartmouth Health a“Best PlaceforWorking Parents”designation.
The White River Junction-based Visiting NurseandHospice forVermontandNew Hampshire honored thefollowing employees at its annual Employee and Volunteer Appreciation event: Tammy L.Tarsa, chief clinical officer,Excellence inLeadership Award; Bethany Yaeger, clinicaloperations assistant,Administrative Professionalofthe Year; Dawna J. Lawrence, personal care assistant,Paraprofessional ofthe Year;and Heidi J. Smith, spiritual care counselor, Carole Lechthaler Award for Exemplary Professional Practice.
Tonya J. Carlton, system director of clinical pharmacy services at Dartmouth Health,
earneda spotin theCarol EmmottFellowship Class of 2025, which supports women in health care leadership.
A teamof occupationaland environmentalmedicine employeesledby Dr. KarenL. Huyck earned a Resilient Workplace Innovation Awardfrom theUnited StatesDepartment ofLabor’s Office ofDisability Employment Policyfor developing theVermont Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/ Illness Network.
Information for this column was compiledusingnews releasesemailedtoValley News staff. To have business or nonprofit organization news included in the next edition of Enterprise, email biznotes@ vnews.com prior to March 21.
COURTESY OF DARTMOUTH HEALTH
Mark McGonis – mmcgonis@vnews.com 603-727-3239 Patrick Pelletier – ppelletier@vnews.com 603-727-3238
