SWVT Chamber Heart of The Shires Awards Survey

Help Us Recognize the Heart of The Shires
The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce believes in celebrating the people and organizations who make our communities stronger—the leaders who step forward, the organizations that turn mission into impact, and the volunteers who quietly give their time, talent, and heart to others.

As part of our annual Heart of The Shires celebration, we invite you to help us recognize outstanding leadership and service across Southwestern Vermont. Below, please cast your vote for this year’s honorees in three categories:

Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who put the heart in The Shires.

1.HEART OF THE SHIRES AWARD: Vote for an individual who exemplifies service and leadership in the community space.

Martin Mahoney - Bennington Museum

Kaiya Kirk - Bennington Theater

Paul Michael Brinker - Dorset Players

Will Rucker - Dorset Theatre Festival

Craig Gemmel - Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Valerie Shemeth - Kimberly Farms

Matt Delaney - Manchester Community Library

Rob Terry - Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Suzy Haner - Monument Arts & Cultural Center

Ahmad Yassir - NBOSS VT

Mark Slade - Northshire Civic Center

Nancy Andrews - Old First Church

Polly Raine - Park-McCullough, Historic Governor's Mansion

Amelia Wiggins - Southern Vermont Arts Center

Esther Bell - Clark Art Institute

Sarah Foster - The American Museum of Fly Fishing

Mary Cannavan - Community Bank N.A.

Dustie Sweet - EastRise Credit Union

Amy Reese - Greylock Federal Credit Union

Chris Gomez - Heritage Family Credit Union

Alyson Grzyb - Bennington Early Childhood Center

Wendy Sharkey - Bennington Free Library

Gloria Palmer - Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning

Jennie Rozycki - John G. McCullough Free Library

Julia Zema - Northshire Day School

Meg Honsinger - Southwest Tech

Tiffany McKenna - The School of Sacred Heart

Dave Younce - The Tutorial Center

Matthew Perry - Vermont Arts Exchange

Jenna Caslin - Bennington County Child Advocacy Center

Natalie Basil - GBCS

Tabitha Davis-Barron - Mission Care at Bennington

Katie Vandale - Northshire Rescue Squad

Joy Mortelliti - Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging

Dr. Estavan Garcia - Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

Bill Carmada - Town of Bennington Rescue Squad

Jessica Boutin - VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region

Kayla Davis - Battenkill Valley Health Center

Sarah Gilbert - WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Patrick O'Connell - Southern Vermont Sinfonia

Ariel Rudiakov - Taconic Music

Melissa Jackson - Vermont Veterans Home

Linda Wichlac - Bennington Project Independence

Lynn Williams - Arlington Community House

Charles Boyle - Bennington Elks Lodge #567

Jonah Spivak - Bennington Rotary Club

Mary Killeen - Goodwill of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

Joyce Brewer - Hoosick Township Historical Society

Shawn Harrington - Manchester Historical Society

Ilsa Svoboda - Meals On Wheels of Bennington County

Liz Fenwick - Norshaft Lions

Denise Main - Sunrise Family Resource Center

Victoria Silsby - The Collaborative

Kimberly Norman - Wilson House of East Dorset

Cathi Comar - Second Chance Animal Center

Abbie LaBatt Dansereau - Quiet Valley Quilters

Aaron Lebert - Harvest Christian Ministries

Rev. D. Mark Blank - Second Congregational Church

Jim Henry - Seall Inc

Lynne Stratton - Brookdale Fillmore Pond

Rob Gaiotti - Hike Dorset

Dave Newell - Prospect Mountain Association

Kim Jackson - Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports

Lisa Byer - CAT-TV

Tammie Reilly - GNAT-TV

James Ware - Green Mountain Community Network

Marylou Chicote - Bennington Battle Monument

Cindy Luce - Bennington County Habitat for Humanity

Jasen Frederickson - Jays Bennington Artisan Market

V. Hansmann - Prospect Street Writers House

Carol Farley - The Arlington Common

Other (please specify)

2.COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD: Vote for a community organization that has gone above and beyond to drive change and inspire others through their mission, vision, and values.

Bennington Museum

Bennington Theater

Dorset Players

Dorset Theatre Festival

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Kimberly Farms

Manchester Community Library

Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Monument Arts & Cultural Center

NBOSS VT

Northshire Civic Center

Old First Church

Park-McCullough, Historic Governor's Mansion

Southern Vermont Arts Center

Clark Art Institute

The American Museum of Fly Fishing

Community Bank N.A.

EastRise Credit Union

Greylock Federal Credit Union

Heritage Family Credit Union

Bennington Early Childhood Center

Bennington Free Library

Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning

John G. McCullough Free Library

Northshire Day School

Southwest Tech

The School of Sacred Heart

The Tutorial Center

Vermont Arts Exchange

Bennington County Child Advocacy Center

GBCS

Mission Care at Bennington

Northshire Rescue Squad

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center

Town of Bennington Rescue Squad

VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region

Battenkill Valley Health Center

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Southern Vermont Sinfonia

Taconic Music

Vermont Veterans Home

Bennington Project Independence

Arlington Community House

Bennington Elks Lodge #567

Bennington Rotary Club

Goodwill of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont

Hoosick Township Historical Society

Manchester Historical Society

Meals On Wheels of Bennington County

Norshaft Lions

Sunrise Family Resource Center

The Collaborative

Wilson House of East Dorset

Second Chance Animal Center

Quiet Valley Quilters

Harvest Christian Ministries

Second Congregational Church

Seall Inc

Brookdale Fillmore Pond

Hike Dorset

Prospect Mountain Association

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports

CAT-TV

GNAT-TV

Green Mountain Community Network

Bennington Battle Monument

Bennington County Habitat for Humanity

Jays Bennington Artisan Market

Prospect Street Writers House

The Arlington Common

Other (please specify)

3.THE LINDY LYNCH VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Vote for an individual who embodies the spirit of the late Lindy Lynch in their service and dedication to the community.

Mikayla Fisette - Garlic Town Captain / BBC Board / Bennington 250

Shannon McLenithan - Oak Hills Children Center / SWVT Chamber Foundation Chair / Youth Sports

Keith Carey - BBC Chair / Garlic Captain

Art and Kathy Whitman - NorShaft Lions / Shaftsbury civic activities / Garlic Town

Kathy Sollien - Bennington Rotary / Garlic Town sustainability

Marsh Hudson Knapp - Bennington County Zero Waste / Compost Committee / community sustainability

Jonah Spivak — Bennington Rotary / Bennington 250 / community initiatives

Christine Graham — Fund for North Bennington / The Left Bank / Preservation Trust of Vermont

Shawn Harrington — Manchester Historical Society / GNAT-TV / community history initiatives

Other (please specify)

This year’s award recipients will be recognized at the Heart of The Shires celebration on Thursday, November 5, from 4:00–6:00 PM at the Bennington Elks Carriage Barn. Join us for an upbeat evening of cocktails, connection, and community as we celebrate the leaders, organizations, and volunteers helping make Southwestern Vermont stronger.

Reserve your tickets here: https://www.swvtchamber.com/heartoftheshires