Vermont Woodworking School (VWS) has hired Daphne Zencey to fill the new role of Administrative Director. Zencey will run the day to day operations at VWS, to include managing the programs, community classes and the 15,000 square facility—a historic dairy barn turned woodworking school— located in Fairfax, Vermont. Daphne comes to Vermont Woodworking School with a wide variety of relevant experiences. Most recently she worked in the Museum Division at the Army’s Center of Military History in Virginia.

People's United Bank today announced that John DeFranza has joined the bank as Senior Vice President of Small Business Administration (SBA) lending, responsible for the development of enhanced SBA loan products and increasing lending efforts across the footprint. He will also be responsible for SBA product training, both internally and externally as well as building industry relationships.

The Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) announced the promotion of Samantha “Sam” Roach-Gerber to Director of Innovation, a role in which she will continue to accelerate innovation and entrepreneurship throughout Vermont. Since starting as VCET’s Manager of Community Engagement and Operations in February 2016, Roach-Gerber has expanded membership to over 170 members across three locations, launched and co-hosted VCET’s podcast, Start Here, and spearheaded the Female Founders Speaker Series, which highlights some of Vermont’s most innovative women entrepreneurs.

Callie Froebel, RN, received Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC)’s third DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in a surprise standing room-only ceremony June 29. Froebel, a nurse on CVMC’s medical-surgical unit, earned the honor for caring for and comforting a patient who had reached the end of life. Froebel, a nurse for two years, was nominated anonymously. She’s been employed at CVMC for the past year.

Charlie Moore, a railroad executive with more than 40 years of experience in the railroad industry, has been named president of AllEarth Rail, LLC. “We are very excited to welcome Charlie Moore as president of this new company. His knowledge, experience, and love for Vermont’s railways makes him the perfect choice for AllEarth Rail," said David Blittersdorf, founder of AllEarth Rail.