PRESENTS
The 2023 Remarkable Women Awards
Sponsored By:
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2023 REMARKABLE WOMEN GALA!
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023
PURCELL
DIBERNARDO
Tami Purcell Broker/Owner at Berkley Veller Greenwood Country Realtors
Michael, our daughter Giovana, our dog Gracie, 2 cats and several horses. When I am not involved in real estate, I take pleasure in gardening, snowshoeing, kayaking & photography. I am a member of the 251 Club of Vermont having visited and photographed every town in Vermont.
Lisa DiBernardo Mortgage Loan Officer/Branch Manager at First Choice Mortgage Services
Lisa is a Mortgage Loan Officer and Branch Manager with a First Choice Mortgage Services, a Mortgage Broker covering VT, NH & CT, with a local office at 70 Landmark Hill, Brattleboro. Lisa has been a Licensed Mortgage Professional helping people achieve their dream of homeownership, and helping families save lots of money for 29 years! She believes she has the best job in the world and loves working with families around housing and homeownership. She is a native Vermonter and the parent of two adult children. She loves fashion and began her career in the fashion industry before moving into housing finance. On the rare occasion when she is not working, Lisa enjoys being active.
FOURNIER-MCCAULEY CHENEY
Smith, she is the winner of the BDCC Business Plan Competition that led to their founding the New England Center for Circus Arts in Brattleboro, Vermont in 2007. Serenity’s resume includes Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey, Special Award at Wuqiao Festival, Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and American Circus Educators Award for Excellence in Education. Serenity’s expertise as a teacher and performer focuses on bringing together detailed technique with theatrical complexity to expand capacity for creative storytelling through circus. Through their award winning production company, Nimble Arts, Serenity tours the world as aerial performer while continuing to serve at NECCA as Producing Director. Serenity hopes to inspire the current and next generations of circus performers and teachers with authenticity and grace.
Andrea Fournier-McCauley Vice President at Brattleboro Auto Mall and Fairfield’s Auto Group
Producing Director at New England Center for Circus Arts
My name is Andrea FournierMcCauley. I have been a woman in business since I was a young girl. When I was a child I started working in the business world with my father, answering phones at his contracting business.
Serenity is an award winning aerialist and business woman. Along with her twin sister, Elsie
As a young adult, I worked as a bank teller and commuted to Westfield State University where I
Serenity Smith Forchion
earned 2 bachelor’s degrees at the age of 21. After college, I worked in Western Mass in the business office of a medical practice where I quickly worked my way up to Practice Administrator. At the age of 24, I left my job to start my own medical management company, after many successful years of work in this position, I left Franklin County to move to Spofford, New Hampshire. Upon moving to Spofford I assumed the Marketing Director position at Auto Mall and Fairfields. Over the years I have taken on countless roles and most recently being named Vice President of both dealerships in 2022 when my husband took over sole ownership. I have sat on the board of directors of the Greenfield and Keene YMCA, the Brattleboro Chamber of Commerce, and the Mount Snow Ski Club. While I am proud of my career accomplishments, my most remarkable achievement is my family, my husband Chris, daughters Kelci and Keira and our dogs Dexter and Ripley. We look forward to continuing to support our community, especially youth sports, The Windham County Humane Society, Brattleboro Food Connects, our yearly backpack challenge, and Toys for Tots.
Tara Cheney
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Growing up in the beautiful Green Mountain State, I knew that it would be here where I eventually would want to settle down to work and raise a family. I have been a Realtor since 1986 and am the second generation to operate our family business. I am licensed in both Vermont and New Hampshire. I hold the Realtor GRI designation, am a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Vermont Association of Realtors, and the Southern Vermont Board of Realtors where I serve as chairperson of the Grievance Committee. While I like listing and selling property, my time mainly focuses on managing our two offices. I like working with vacation properties, country homes and farms. I specialize in equestrian facilities and currently own a small horse boarding facility with my family, which enables me to capitalize on my love of horses. Currently I am a member of the Brattleboro Rotary Club. I appreciate the camaraderie of the club as well as the service and community volunteer projects we help with. I enjoy being involved in the community and am currently on the board of directors of the Windham County Humane Society and the River Gallery School. Marlboro is the town that I call home. I live there with my husband
SMITH FORCHION
Remarkable Women 2023 | Friday, November 10, 2023
JUDGES | 2023 REMARKABLE WOMEN AWARDS
Vermont Roadworks / The Heart Rose Club
Please see Keynote (page 4) for complete bio of Tara Cheney.
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Tara Cheney Co-Owner, Vermont Roadworks and The Heart Rose Club
My name is Tara Cheney and I am the co-owner of two woman owned businesses in Brattleboro, VT - Vermont Roadworks and The Heart Rose Club.
Vermont Roadworks is an asphalt paving company and we recently won The Reformer’s Best of Award for paving in Brattleboro and surrounding towns. This is a huge achievement as our colleagues do a great job, but also because the construction industry is still a man’s world. However there are many women running things, making decisions up front and behind the scenes in businesses everywhere. We have some fabulous women nominated this year. They are change makers and visionaries. They are ambitious and resilient. They are bright and optimistic and they are making a differ-
ence in our communities. I am proud to be a recipient of the 2021 Woman Business Leader Award and in the company of so many amazing women. I am so honored to be a sponsor and key note speaker at the Remarkable Women Event. This platform gives me an opportunity to give all the recipients a strength shower, but also to recognize the commonalities between us. Show-
ing up everyday and fighting for what we want and need for ourselves and our families is not easy. Owning businesses and being the voice for others takes work, determination and tenacity. And the women here do it with grace, they do. They are strong and they are leaders. They all deserve to be recognized. Keep nominating these woman so we can know them and support them.
ABOUT THE EVENT Thursday, November 16, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Vermont Innovation Box ballroom, 70 Landmark Hill Drive, Brattleboro Open to the public. Call Lylah at 802-254-2311 ext.132 for more info.
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
A LOOK BACK | REMARKABLE WOMEN EVENT 2022
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(L to R) Samantha Prince - Executive Director, Windham County Safe Place, non-profit leader winner. Keynote Speaker, Noelle Lambert Founder, Born to Run Foundation. Linda Alvarez - Business and Entrepreneurship Teacher, Windham Regional Career Center, Entrepreneurial Leader winner
Susan Avery
Hannah Pick
Dana Gordon-Macey
Jamie Mohr
Susan Avery
facilitated the local chapter of NarAnon Family Group since 2000. By encouraging the Nar-Anon program, she has created a safe and confidential opportunity to guide numerous families through the challenges addiction brings into their lives. Recognizing the importance of sharing her family’s lived experience, her published articles and local presentations have been well received.” To be remembered by my family and friends for having an unbridled passion for life, for kindness and thoughtfulness of others, I will have fulfilled my goal to make a difference by my footsteps.
Vermont Foodbank and Food Connects before starting at the Putney Food Shelf in 2016. She currently lives with her husband Matt, and two daughters, Claire and Brynna, in Putney.
our students while also allowing them to pursue areas of individual interest toward planning their lives after graduation. This all has led me to Marlboro School, where I have been immersed, since July 1st of this year, in learning all I can about my community (our family moved to Marlboro in June of 2021) and the ways that our wonderful Pre-K-8th grade school can support our children to grow into the committed, passionate, engaged community members our world needs. I am truly honored and surprised to have been nominated for this honor and am grateful to come from a community to seeks to acknowledge its members. Although I am uncomfortable defining myself as “remarkable,” I am someone who is committed to my family, my career, my stakeholders, and my community.
Facilitator of Nar-Anon Family Support Group
Hannah Pick Executive Director of the Putney Food Shelf-
Hannah Pick has been working for the Putney Food Shelf for the past seven years, and led the organization, as executive director, through the pandemic. She and the board of directors are currently working on defining the core values and vision, and creating long-term sustainability plans for the organization. Raised in Windham County, she attended BUHS and The Putney School, and spent most of that time, as well as college, focusing on arts and humanities. Two years of AmeriCorps service taught her the value of volunteerism -- both for the volunteer and the impact that can be made collectively-- which she ended up applying to the work she’s done now for over a decade in the non-profit sector, creating local food security. She’s worked for the
Dana Gordon-Macey Principal at Marlboro Elementary
I moved to Brattleboro in 1990, just after graduating from college. During those early years, I formed a strong interest in education and its ability to create positive change in the world. My first job in education was as a 4th grade teacher, although the bulk of my career has been in special education and also administration. My road to educational leadership began at Kindle Farm, where I worked for 14 years, 5 of those as Director. Kindle Farm was the place where I grew my understanding of the connection between forming supportive relationships and positive outcomes for children and families. Following Kindle Farm, I was the Principal of Vernon Elementary school for three years, where I not only learned more about leadership, but also about what is required of leaders in our Public School environment. For six years, I was the Director of the Occupational Development Program, a Special Education Collaborative in Springfield Vermont. There, I had the opportunity to bring together my commitment to special education and school administration. During my time there, we were able to increase inclusive experiences for
Jamie Mohr Executive Director of Epsilon Spires
Based in Guilford Vermont, Jamie is a multidisciplinary artist, curator and filmmaker who has exhibited her work in Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and the U.S. She holds a Sustainable Development MA from SIT, a Masters from The New School in Documentary Studies and has studied Climate Change in the Arctic context at the University of Oslo in preparation for her last film project sailing on a Tall Ship in Arctic Svalbard. In 2019, she founded Epsilon Spires, an arts non-profit venue based in a repurposed historic
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Susan Avery best describes herself as a mom and a grandmother, a first-time author, a community activist and a very good listener. In life, I have learned you don’t always need to be defined by a college education or degree. Lived experiences alone can offer a meaningful journey. At the age of nineteen, I left the safety and comfort of my parent’s South Street home to travel to California and along my way, one chance face-toface interview opened the door to a successful career that would span forty-five years. Motherhood in 1968 birthed this memoir. As a proud native of Vermont heritage with ancestral roots traced to the Mayflower, the lived experiences shared in my recently published book, “ADDICTED: Our Strength Under the Influence” (published under the pen name, Annie Augustus Rose), could have taken me down. Yet, as a 36-year ovarian cancer survivor, “divine intervention was no mistake.; failure was not an option.” Thus. A Brattleboro native, my family members are no strangers to the long-term effects of substance use disorder. And as a longtime facilitator for Nar-Anon Family Groups, I am acutely aware of the destruction this brain disease can bring to any community. Excerpt from Chris Mays, reporter, Brattleboro Reformer: “Well respected for her commitment to her hometown, Susan has
Remarkable Women 2023 | Friday, November 10, 2023
NOMINEES | NON-PROFIT LEADER AWARD
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023
NOMINEES | NON-PROFIT LEADER AWARD
Maya Richmond
Christy Betit
Sarah Clark
Cor Trowbridge
church in downtown Brattleboro and has since offered over 300 innovative and intellectually-engaging performances, film screenings, discussions and art exhibitions to the Brattleboro community and beyond. Her recent accomplishments include winning an Ewing award for Excellence in Arts Programming as well as spearheading the High Street Mural project working together with local and Afghan artists to transform a neglected public space into a beacon of community pride.
Valley) High School. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Theatre Arts from The University of Vermont and a Master’s Degree in Theatre Education from Emerson College. She currently serves on the Regional Advisory Board for the Windham Regional Career Center and the WRCC Business Program Advisory Board. Christy leads the Pipelines and Pathways Program (P3) at Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, a workforce development program dedicated to connecting all students in Windham County high schools with career awareness and preparedness opportunities. Christy plans large events like the annual P3 Reality Fair, Sophomore Summit and Fearless Futures Career Fairs. She also designs and implements career readiness classes on professionalism, interview skills, networking, social capital, salary negotiations, and more, to prepare students for life after high school. P3’s goal is to ensure that every senior graduates with a solid plan for success, whether college or workforce-bound. Prior to her work at BDCC, Christy spent a decade leading a team of educators at BEST Hospitality, the training division of Local 26, The Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union in Boston, MA. BEST’s mission is to prepare and place new Americans and low-tono income residents in high paying jobs with career lattices and a path to the middle class. She has an extensive background working as an educator in public schools
and nonprofits throughout New England, most notably as a middle school special education teacher at Whitingham School and as a lead teaching artist at Boston University’s Wheelock Family Theatre. She has designed and implemented 21st Century soft skills training for a number of organizations including: Legal Sea Foods Restaurant Corporation, The Massachusetts Arts Council, in conjunction with The Massachusetts Disability Law Center; Sparkshare Boston; Strive Boston Employment Services; and The Bridges to Hospitality Program, sponsored by (former) Mayor Martin J. Walsh. She is an amateur photographer and short story writer. She loves live music and theatre, traveling, gardening, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with family and friends on Harriman Reservoir and at Narragansett Beach. She lives with her nine year old cat, Scout, and her 52 year old turtle, Luo Luo.
ing her time at Castleton she was a member of the lacrosse team where she was a two year captain. Currently Sarah coaches the women’s JV lacrosse team at Brattleboro Union High School. As Assistant Director, Sarah is responsible for organizing and offering a wide variety of activities and programs for those 55 and older as well as also managing the communications for the Recreation Department.
Maya Richmond
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Executive Director of the Windham County Humane Society
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Maya was hired in August of 2021. Maya grew up in Calais, VT and earned her B.S. from UVM, her MBA at St. Michael’s College and worked at Middlebury College as Director of Animal Programs and Associate Director of Laboratory Support. During that time, she served on the Board of Directors of the Addison County Humane Society and discovered her passion for animal welfare. She served as Director of Program Development and Operations at the Maryland SPCA from 2003 to 2009 and at the Animal Welfare Association (AWA) in New Jersey from 2009 to 2021.
Christy Betit Program Manager at Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation
Christy is a seventh generation Vermonter and a graduate of the former Whitingham (now Twin
Sarah Clark Assistant Rec Director at Brattleboro Rec and Parks Dept.
Sarah Clark has worked for the Brattleboro Recreation and Parks on and off since her early years of high school in various seasonal and full time positions. Currently Sarah is the Assistant Director, which is a position she has held since 2018. She attended Castleton State College where she earned her degree in Sports Administration and a minor in Communications. Dur-
Cor Trowbridge Executive Director of Brattleboro Community Television
Cor is the Executive Director of Brattleboro Community TV and will be retiring in December after 18 years. Trowbridge was hired in January 2006 and brought muchneeded stability to the organization. Under her leadership, the station broadened its coverage area to eight towns, doubled its budget and output of local programming, and became known throughout the state as a vital and well-respected community media center. Trowbridge came to BCTV at a time of technological change, overseeing the station’s transition from analog to digital, and recently guiding the organization through COVID in the pivot to virtual and hybrid meeting platforms. From 20092023, BCTV was recognized with 18 national and 11 regional awards for excellence in programming. Previously, Trowbridge was the Grants Manager and Assistant Planner for the Town of Brattleboro from 1999-2001, where she se-
Elizabeth Bridgewater
Christine Hazzard
cured funding for community development projects and managed the town bus service. Prior to her work in planning, Trowbridge was the Outreach Coordinator for the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program and the Citizen Forestry Manager for TreePeople in Los Angeles, a non profit environmental education group. Trowbridge has a Master’s in Regional Planning from U. MassachusettsAmherst. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Next Stage Arts and is on the Governing Board of DVFiber as a representative for Putney.
is excited to see how Green Mountain Camp has grown and thrived during her tenure there and feels most proud of the positive ripple affect her campers and staff take out into their communities and the larger world. Billie graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in Early Childhood Education and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Marlboro College. All of her professional life has revolved around children and her passion is learning from and with young children. She has directed and owned early childhood programs for over 40 years, including her 5 STAR program “Wonder in the Woods”, a nature-based playschool in Dummerston, VT that is on the Green Mt. Camp campus. She also started Green Mt. Teachers Camp in 2012 - a week-long event each June that intertwines professional development and personal renewal for 60 teachers from all over the country and Canada. Billie’s favorite pastimes are laughing, singing, writing and just hanging out with her partner, siblings and dear friends. She has 5 children and 5 grandkids (with one on the way), and wishes she could see them every day as they are spread all over the country. She is very grateful to be back near her siblings and Mom and treasures time spent with them.
non-profit sector for the last 35 years. After serving 4 years as the Director of Homeownership at the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, she assumed the role of Executive Director in January 2018. WWHT provides housing opportunities for residents in Windham & Windsor Counties through its housing development work, its 929 rental apartments, 140 shared equity homes and its homeownership counseling and education program which serves an average of 300 people each year. Through its Green Mountain Home Repair Program, WWHT provides low cost loans and project support to people whose homes need critical health and safety repairs. Under Elizabeth’s direction, the organization recently expanded it’s work to provide health and wellness based supportive services to its residents through the SASH for All pilot. In addition to providing executive leadership and strategic direction for the organization, Elizabeth is also directly engaged in fundraising and housing development activities. Elizabeth’s early career focused on economic development working with ACCION International, the Center for Women & Enterprise and the Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corporation. During this time, she was involved in fundraising, program development, hosting international program tours, managing entrepreneurial and micro loan programs for small business owners as well as sector-focused projects in the fishing industry. As Execu-
Billie Slade Retired Director at Green Mountain Girls Camp
Billie Slade was born and raised in Jamaica, Vermont and credits her strong family bonds and role models for inspiring her to spend her life trying to make a positive difference. She is the oldest of six children and was thrilled to move back home to Vermont in 2012 to become the Director of Green Mountain Camp after living in Wisconsin for 30+ years. Billie moved back to the camp where she spent 11 summers as a child and focused on creating a culture of kindness and empowering girls to believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world. Her favorite part of her job is building relationships with campers, staff and families as well as volunteers and community members. These relationships are at the core of why GMC is such a magical place. She
Elizabeth Bridgewater Executive Director of Windham and Windsor Housing
Elizabeth has worked in the
Christine Hazzard Executive Director for Brattleboro Housing Partnerships
In 2012, Christine Hazzard began working at Brattleboro Housing Partnerships, an organization devoted to providing affordable housing to over 550 residents in Brattleboro. She became the Executive Director in January of 2022 and immediately focused on expanding the resident support and services program to increase housing retention throughout the pandemic and beyond. Christine is incredibly proud of BHP’s innovative work throughout her time with the organization, including relocating resi-
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Billie Slade
tive Director of the Community Development Partnership (CDP), Elizabeth oversaw CDBG funded rehab loan funds, a portfolio of 61 affordable rental units and the development of homeownership and rental units, including a Platinum LEED rated project in Harwich. She also created the Real Return Project, which used a community solar model to share the financial benefits of solar energy with all of the CDP’s low-and-moderate income residents as well as implement deep energy retro-fits on six units in the portfolio. Elizabeth has a degree in International Relations from Bradford College and a Masters Degree in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University. Elizabeth currently sits on the Windham Regional Commissions Brownfields Committee, is a board member of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and is the Co-Chair of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston’s Housing Advisory Council. Elizabeth is also a former board member of the Workforce Investment Board of Cape Cod, the Cape & Islands Leadership Institute and the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations. She is a graduate of NeighborWorks of America’s Achieving Excellence Program and a graduate of the Gestalt Center of Cape Cod’s Leadership in the 21st Century Program.
Remarkable Women 2023 | Friday, November 10, 2023
NOMINEES | NON-PROFIT LEADER AWARD
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023
NOMINEES | NON-PROFIT LEADER AWARD
Aida Avdic, MD
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Starr Latronica and Jeanne Walsh
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NOMINEES | BUSINESS LEADER AWARD
dents from the floodway to two new properties, Red Clover Commons One and Two, completing a large flood mitigation project at Melrose Terrace and creating a robust resident service program which collaborates with community partners to expand opportunities to BHP residents. Christine is grateful to have strong partnerships with many community agencies and firmly believes that collaborating is the only way to create positive change. She credits the entire BHP staff with thinking innovatively and compassionately about the vital work they are fortunate to do.
Starr Latronica and Jeanne Walsh Brooks Memorial Library
Jeanne Walsh has provided free information service at the Help Desk at the Brooks Memorial Library since 2003. She has also worked as a library director and library assistant in public, academic, and corporate libraries in Vermont and Massachusetts. Starr LaTronica has been a librarian for over four decades and has never wanted to be anything
else. As a child she came to libraries for the books, but she came to librarianship for the people libraries serve. Starr began her career at the Berkeley Public Library and later was Youth Services and Outreach manager for the Four County Library System in upstate New York., but her wildest dream came true when she became the director of Brooks Memorial Library in January of 2016. Life as a librarian has been vastly enriched through her involvement in professional activities. Starr served on the Caldecott committee, chaired the Newbery committee, and has been a judge for the New York Times Best Illustrated Books and for the National Books Award. She was elected president of the Youth Services Section of the New York Library Association and served as president of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. She is honored to have librarian characters named for her in books by Archer Mayor (Marked Man) and Daniel Pinkwater (Looking for Bobowicz and The Artsy-Smartsy Club).
Aida Avdic, MD Brattleboro Memorial Hospital
Dr. Aida Avdic, MD is a hospital medicine specialist in Brattleboro, VT and has over 16 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in 2006. She is affiliated with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. Her office accepts new patients.
Jessica Galdamez
Mona Williams
Jessica Galdamez
myself spent many hours creating our own logo,then painting & tracing it on our cart. It was quite the process! It has now been two seasons that we have been out in the community with our food cart, & I’m so thankful we took the leap of faith to follow our dream. I’m so grateful that we have created the following we have & receive the support that we do. Like we always say “catch us curbside”!
Owner, J&B Catering
Hello my name is Jessica Galdamez, & I’m so honored to be one of the nominees. I have worked in the food & beverage industry for most of my life. I’ve experienced working in all fields of this business. For many years I managed a restaurant/bar. This included me coordinating all the events as well. Throughout my time working in the business, I’ve developed many skills which have led me to become a strong, organized, & well rounded business woman. My husband & I both have a passion for creating, cooking, & sharing our food within our community. After years of catering & managing other businesses, I wanted more for myself & my family. With lots of encouragement from our family & friends we began to think bigger. I went to Billy one day & said “let’s buy a food cart, what are we waiting for?” So we decided to take my vision one step further. We bought a vintage camper that we then converted into a food cart. My husband, our daughter Elliana, a close friend Maggie, &
Mona Williams Payroll & Benefits Coordinator at Cota & Cota, Inc.
I have been working for Cota & Cota, Inc. as the Payroll & Benefits Coordinator since 2016 and have 10 years prior of payroll background. HR has given me a new opportunity to grow and expand my knowledge in an area that is ever changing. I enjoy getting to know people and work with employees. I am also a strong advocate for apprenticeships and the trades fields. I go to many school job fairs and career fairs to speak on this topic, not only for work but also for the need for people in the trades field as a whole. I have a passion for giving back to
Remarkable Women 2023 | Friday, November 10, 2023
NOMINEES | BUSINESS LEADER AWARD
Sarah Sanchez
Elizabeth Wood
Maggie Bernhard
Shayla Fowle
the community that helped me so much when she was young. I have been a Rotarian with Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary since 2017 and a member of the Child Care Counts committee since November 2021. Rotary has given me an avenue to give back in so many ways. I love spending time volunteering and helping out others. Some of my favorite projects have been the Veteran’s Memorial Moving Wall, Window Dressers and the Overflow Shelter Meals for Groundworks. Being on the committee for the CCC has given me an opportunity to support our need for child care in our communities and state. I enjoy camping during the summer with my husband and 2 dogs. I am also an avid gardener and generally plant more than myself and my husband could ever eat. Many of our neighbors, family members and fellow campers receive fresh vegetables during the summer. I have also been a member of the USBC for the past 13 years and on a bowling league during the winter months.
Sarah started working at Costello Valente and Gentry, P.C. after high school as a legal assistant. On top of assisting in every type of matter at the firm, she spent her free time earning a bachelor’s degree through UMass (while raising two boys with her partner, Chad). After that Sarah participated in the four-year law office study program, being mentored by Tom Costello before passing the bar exam on her first attempt (while still raising those boys). Shortly after, Sarah became a partner at the Firm. Sarah has participated in every aspect of how CVG serves its clients and the community. She is very comfortable helping clients and CVG team members understand and navigate the legal system. When not working, Sarah enjoys playing games, travelling, and camping with her family.
Vermont Farm share program. She has transitioned the farm to year-round vegetable growing and also sells at the Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market.
What Maggie loves the most about owning her first restaurant is creating special moments and hosting a party every night!
Partner, Costello, Valente & Gentry, P.C.
Sarah is currently a partner at Costello, Valente and Gentry, P.C.
Owner, New Leaf CSA
Elizabeth Wood started New Leaf CSA Farm in 2002. Every year she grows tons of delicious, organic vegetables for the local community with over 100 CSA member families. Many of the shares are subsidized for low-income families through the NOFA
Co-Owner of Kipling’s Tavern
Born and raised in southern Vermont, Maggie Bernhard grew up spending summers in her family’s bountiful garden and baking with fresh berries and produce. This early experience sparked Maggie’s love for delicious and beautiful food. Her first job waiting tables at the Whetstone Inn, opened up opportunities in the restaurant industry in high school. Next came the Tavern, a stint in nursing school and Three Stones. A natural born caregiver, she found the restaurant life combined her loves: a fast paced work environment, deep connection with co-workers and beloved customers and of course food. Working at Peter Havens for nearly 10 years, she refined her skills as a server and manager and has taken those moments and lessons to open up Kipling’s Tavern with her co-worker and partner Bryan Gelke.
Shayla Fowle Bank Manager at Key Bank
As a Branch Manager and a Certified Key4Women Advisor at KeyBank, I lead a team of bankers who provide personalized and tailored solutions to a diverse range of clients, especially women entrepreneurs and business owners. I have a passion for empowering women to achieve their financial goals and grow their businesses, thanks to the Key4Women program that offers education, networking, and access to capital. I have an expertise in Customer Service Management from where I learned the skills of hospitality, multitasking, and communication. I apply these skills in my daily work, where I strive to create a positive and memorable experience for every customer, and to build long-term and trusting relationships within the community. I also enjoy learning from my colleagues and sharing my best practices, as I believe that collaboration and growth are key to success in my career.
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Sarah Sanchez
Elizabeth Wood
Maggie Bernhard
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023 The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com 10
NOMINEES | ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADER AWARD
Kristen Ziter Taylor
Stasia Savasuk
Alaina Murphy
Erin Scaggs
Kristen Ziter Taylor
Stasia Savasuk
President, Brattleboro Area Realty
CEO, Stasia Savasuk, LLC
I am very honored to be a candidate for the 2023 Remarkable Women award in the Entrepreneurial Leader category. I am extremely fortunate to have been raised in this wonderful community and own a company that I am very hands on. The real estate industry is my passion, since 2011 I have grown my company from two agents to an amazing team of 14 dedicated, outstanding real estate professionals. After 5 years of being president and treasurer of the Brattleboro Swim Team and my two daughters soon to be out of my home, I am stepping down and hope this opens up more opportunities to be involved in other local organizations. As I get older, I’m feeling more confident and feel more compelled to work harder. I feel blessed every day for my health, my family and this business that I adore.
As a somatically informed Style Activist, Stasia will never tell you what to wear. Nor will she present you with a set of style-rules to follow that will trick you into thinking that because you’re “doing it right,” your social safety is all but guaranteed. Instead, she will teach you how to find safety––inside your body––so you can step away from what’s culturally been deemed “appropriate” for your size, shape, weight, age, role, gender, etc., and wear what you want to wear. While most of us learned to abandon congruency for connection to ensure our emotional safety, Stasia’s work teaches women how to HAVE THEIR OWN BACKS, so they can show up CONGRUENTLY, from the inside out.
body and fascinated by the body’s ability to heal and transform. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003, she studied various methods of yoga including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Forrest, and Anusara. Alaina received her yoga teacher certification within the Anusara program 2008. She continued on to study the Pilates system the following year, becoming a certified Balanced Body Pilates instructor and has been teaching yoga and Pilates full time ever since. Alaina moved back from California to her hometown of Guilford, Vermont in 2011 and opened Inner Heat Yoga in 2012. Since then, Inner Heat Yoga has grown from a 450 square foot single room space to a multi room 5,000 square foot full service wellness studio, holding over 20 classes a week with 13 instructors. As the founder and director of IHY, it is Alaina’s dream to share her passion with others and to be a part of this nurturing and inclusive community that continues to grow
and evolve, reaching new heights. She now lives in Brattleboro with her husband, Mark, their two daughters, Fiona & Iris, and their new puppy Bodie.
Alaina Murphy Founder, Inner Heat Yoga
Alaina took her first yoga class at age 17 and was deeply moved by the freedom the practice created in her
Erin Scaggs The Stone Church
Erin splits her time between Downtown Brattleboro Alliance directing the newly revamped Gallery Walk program, and Stone Church, a 299 capacity music and performance venue on Main Street, where she is a jack of all trades working on marketing, promotion, community outreach, development, GRRRLS 2 the Front (a program elevating women in music) and Field Day (an indierock music festival that debuted in 2023). She feels like more of a community organizer than an entrepreneur - creating opportunities for connection and shared positive experience both in Downtown Brattleboro and through live music and events at Stone Church. At the center of her work is a deep and unflagging love of Brattleboro.
11 Green Street Brattleboro, Vermont Open today 11:30 am – 09:00 pm Cell - (802) 380-0333. Office - (802) 579-1911 heart.rose.club@gmail.com www.heartroseclub.com
Z Yoga Z Zumba Z Massage Z Tarot and Mediumship Z Classes and Workshops Z Food Z Bar Z Music Z Events Z Community Space.
Remarkable Women 2023 | Friday, November 10, 2023
The Heart Rose Club, A Center for the Arts and Wellness.
Book your Event today!
Vermont Roadworks, LLC
www.vermontroadworks.com
Year-Round, Seasonal Property Maintenance. Vermont Roadworks, LLC is an award winning Woman-Owned business. (WBE/DBE) HUBZone Certified, A Plus Safety Rating, All Sites Supervised, Family Owned. 2023 Best Of Brattleboro!
The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Affordable, High Quality, Asphalt Paving. Commercial, Residential, and Municipality Repairs. Crack Sealing, Sealcoating and Line Striping. Infra-red Pothole Repair, Asphalt Recycling, Excavation, Trucking, Sweeping and Winter Snow Removal and De-Icing.
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Friday, November 10, 2023 | Remarkable Women 2023 The Brattleboro Reformer | Reformer.com
Berkley & Veller Greenwood Country Realtors is proud to continue our tradition of women in leadership. For 58 years, this local, independent, family-owned business has been supporting the careers of extraordinary women. Tamara Purcell, Owner Broker
Arlene Palmiter Realtor
Penelope Arms Realtor
Heidi Bernier Realtor
Jody Graves Realtor
Karen Hoppe Realtor
Danielle Lauria Realtor
Oona Madden Realtor
Claire Renaud Realtor
Wilma Skovinski Realtor
Jane Sonntag Realtor
Lucinda Bernard Office Admin.
Laura D’Angelo Realtor
Sarah Day Realtor
Liz LaVorgna Realtor
Mary Wallace Collins Realtor
Nadine Coffey Realtor
Kassie Rubico Realtor
Melissa Lowe Accounting
Berkley & Veller Greenwood Countr y Realtor s
119 Western Avenue, Brattleboro, Vermont • 802-254-6400 • www.berkleyveller.com 12