Stephen J. Cutler, professor emeritus of sociology and former Bishop Robert F. Joyce Distinguished University Professor of Gerontology at the University of Vermont, has been selected for a Fulbright Specialists project in Romania at the University of Bucharest during October 2015.

Retail Confectioners International, a trade association serving the chocolate and confectionery industry, recently awarded the 2015 Henry J Bornhofft Memorial Award at their 95th Annual Convention. Brothers, Bill and Jeff Birnn of Birnn Chocolates of Vermont in South Burlington were the honored recipients.

Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has announced the appointment of Derek Kouwenhoven as Director of Clinical Services.

Kouwenhoven, a Registered Nurse, brings almost 20 years of experience working in emergency medicine and as a clinical manager in a hospital setting. He comes to CVHHH after 15 years at Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC). The agency’s former Director of Clinical Services, Brenda Smith, retired in June.

Governor Peter Shumlin and Agency of Natural Resources Secretary, Deb Markowitz recently recognized University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center as one of 13 recipients of the 2015 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence.

Beginning Friday, July 10th, Kristin Carlson, broadcast journalist turned communications and energy expert, and a native Vermonter, returns to TV in a new weekly talk show, “Connect… with Kristin Carlson,” on Vermont PBS. The program is scheduled to air Fridays at 8:30 p.m.

A longtime funeral home director has been honored by the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce for stellar customer service and an outstanding commitment and devotion to the Northeast Kingdom. Tom Barrett, a funeral director at Guibord Funeral Home in Lyndonville since 1996, was selected for the extraordinary manner in which he treats grieving families and his service as a call firefighter and his long association with the Caledonia County Maple Sugar Makers Association and Lyndonville Rotary.

Governor Peter Shumlin has appointed Ruth Finn of Barre to serve a third term as Commissioner on the state’s Vermont Commission on Women (VCW).

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) has announced the new Development Coordinator & Grant Writer Julia Connell, from Walpole, MA. Julia is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont Class of 2015, having majored in Public Communication. She was previously employed at the University of Vermont Foundation and has interned in the Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) of the City of Burlington. We are so excited for her to join our team of dedicated professionals!

The Vermont Veterinary Medical Association (VVMA) has awarded $58,000 in grants to three Vermont food animal veterinarians: Dr. Alison Cornwall of Middlesex, Dr. Megan Foy of Danville, and Dr. Jennifer Hull of Enosburg Falls. These grants were made possible through funding by the Vermont Legislature to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. The program is administered by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Veterinary Medical Association.

Comcast has announced that Jan Underhill has been named Director of Comcast University for the company’s Western New England Region, which includes more than 300 communities in Vermont, Connecticut, New York, Western Massachusetts and Western New Hampshire. Comcast University is the company’s internal employee training and development organization.

In this role, Underhill will oversee all aspects of Comcast University’s operations, supporting the more than 1,700 employees in the region.