The Vermont Professionals of Color Network recently welcomed Mimi Duong of South Burlington as outreach and member coordinator and Airon Shaw of East Thetford as part-time technical assistance and research coordinator.

Duong recently graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in public communication. In her new position, she will be the network's first point of contact for BIPOC community members and oversee all of the organization's social media platforms.

Davis & Hodgdon Advisory Group, a business and financial services firm with locations in Williston and Rutland, has announced the appointment of Matthew S. Cleare as partner.

Cleare has been in the finance industry for 16 years, specializing in accounting, business management and strategy, tax and finance. He will join a partnership team that includes Mandy Bradley and Managing Partner Bret L. Hodgdon.

Sculptor and multimedia artist Leslie Fry heads a list of five recipients of this year’s Vermont Arts Awards sponsored by the Vermont Arts Council. Fry, of Winooski, will receive the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, the highest honor given to an artist by the state. The award has been presented annually in conjunction with the governor’s office since 1967.