Student-athletes from Vermont Athletic Academy brought their mindfulness practice to Burlington’s waterfront last week to volunteer with Healing Winds Vermont on behalf of cancer patients and their families.
On May 20th, middle school students gathered by the Lake Champlain waterfront with mindfulness coach Elvira Tripp O’Leary, parent Susie Therrien, and Healing Winds Vermont board member and Captain Glen Findholt. The students’ task: to scrub and ready for the season the 28.5 foot sailing vessel “Jubilee” while practicing awareness and self-improvement.
Healing Winds Vermont is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide respite sailing for cancer patients and their caregivers, relieving stress and anxiety and creating memories through time shared on the water. “The boys cleaned and polished the sailboat, had a good laugh, and were really energetic and focused,” said Director Glen Findholt. “We’re ready for a season of care and kindness as we offer cancer victims a chance to experience the freedom of being on the water.”
“Unfortunately many of us have been touched by cancer, directly or indirectly. Today we had the opportunity to set our intention for making this boat as clean as we could for those who will be on it, and wish them some peace in recovery,” noted Elvira Tripp O’Leary.
Vermont Athletic Academy is a middle school located in Shelburne. Their mission is to transform passion for sport into a lifetime of opportunity by developing character and academic potential in a dedicated learning environment. The students’ day of rigorous academics is accompanied with daily physical training and mindfulness.
“We provide excellence in academics and forge elite athletes with a holistic approach to education. Our approach includes growing compassionate, well-rounded students who are invested in their community,” commented Tom O’Leary, the school’s founder.
Ryan, a leading global tax services firm, announced today that David Sullivan, a Director in the Firm’s recently formed Ryan Advocacy group, has been selected as a member of the Vermont Tax Advisory Board (VTAB). This highly selective board provides a public forum for communication between Vermont’s Commissioner of Taxes and representatives of the public. It provides ideas, input, and perspectives to the Commissioner, assisting her in developing tax policy and identifying improvements, while providing constructive observations regarding current or proposed policies.
Ryan Advocacy is a practice dedicated to resolving tax disputes expeditiously by assisting clients with controversy resolution and legislative services, as well as protecting the rights of taxpayers through honest and fair public policy. Mr. Sullivan is based in Ryan’s Providence, Rhode Island office.
“With 20 years of experience in state taxation, David Sullivan is a prominent tax policy professional with a remarkable track record of driving significant tax reform at the state level and helping taxpayers navigate a complicated legislative system,” said G. Brint Ryan, Chairman and CEO of Ryan. “We are proud that David has been chosen to play an important role advocating for fair policies that safeguard taxpayers in the state of Vermont.”
Prior to joining Ryan, Mr. Sullivan was Tax Administrator for the State of Rhode Island’s Division of Taxation, responsible for the administration and enforcement of all taxes. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Director of Revenue for the State of Delaware. Mr. Sullivan was instrumental in guiding Rhode Island through two major tax reforms—personal income tax reform of 2008 and the corporate income tax reform of 2013. He is a former President of the Federation of Tax Administrators and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Lebanon Valley College and a Master’s degree in Taxation from Widener University.
Ryan is an award-winning global tax services firm, with the largest indirect and property tax practices in North America and the seventh largest corporate tax practice in the United States. With global headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the Firm provides a comprehensive range of state, local, federal, and international tax advisory and consulting services on a multi-jurisdictional basis, including audit defense, tax recovery, credits and incentives, tax process improvement and automation, tax appeals, tax compliance, and strategic planning. Ryan is a three-time recipient of the International Service Excellence Award from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) for its commitment to world-class client service. Empowered by the dynamic myRyan work environment, which is widely recognized as the most innovative in the tax services industry, Ryan’s multi-disciplinary team of more than 2,100 professionals and associates serves over 12,000 clients in more than 40 countries, including many of the world’s most prominent Global 5000 companies.