The Vermont Arts Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 Vermont Arts Awards. These prestigious annual awards recognize outstanding individual and organizational contributions to the arts. Awards honor educators, artists, performers, advocates, administrators, volunteers, and scholars. In 2019, Vermonters will be recognized for their contributions in five categories. All awardees will be honored at a reception and ceremony co-sponsored by Middlebury College on Wednesday, October 23, at the Mahaney Arts Center at Middlebury College.

Army Veteran Shannon Blake, of Shelburne, VT, participated in the 2019 National Disabled Veterans TEE (Train, Expose, Experience) Tournament held in Iowa City, September 8-13. The 26th National Disabled Veterans TEE Tournament (NDVTEE) is an annual rehabilitative event sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The week-long event promotes rehabilitation by offering visually impaired veterans and those with other disabilities the opportunity to enjoy therapeutic adaptive golfing and other recreational sports.

Vermont State Treasurer Beth Pearce has been elected president of the National Association of Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers (NASACT), a nonpartisan organization made up of state government finance leaders in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

Origin, an award-winning outdoor sport and tourism-focused creative, content and strategic marketing agency founded in Whistler, Canada, announced today the hire of Ben Hewitt as senior writer. Ben joins Account Director and Strategist Laura Merino as the second U.S.-based Origin employee after Origin established a U.S. subsidiary in April.