KSE Partners, LLP, Vermont’s leading government affairs, communications and research firm, announced today that Todd Bailey, Leif Johnson and Nick Sherman have all become partners.

“This is an exciting time for our firm,” Senior Partner Bob Sherman said. “Todd and Nick have been major players in the Vermont political scene and the State House for years. Leif has been the head of our Washington office and the architect of our multistate practice for the past decade. Together they bring youth, talent, vision and new direction to our partnership.”

Dartmouth College has established the John E. Wennberg Distinguished Professorship in honor of the founder of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice and The Dartmouth Atlas.

“There could be no better way to salute Jack and the pioneering work he’s done in helping define the map of American health care,” said Philip J. Hanlon, president of Dartmouth College, in announcing the Distinguished Professorship Oct. 14 at a conference in Wennberg’s honor, entitled Location as Destiny.

Jim Gifas, Executive Vice President and Head of Treasury Solutions for RBS Citizens has been named to the 2013 Elite 8 by Bank Systems & Technology, a leading publication for information and analysis of technology in the financial services industry.

The Bank of Bennington is pleased to announce the promotion of Linda Bow to Vice President of Loan Operations. Bow joined the bank in 2003 and recently received her Wharton Leadership Certificate as part of completing a three year program at The Stonier National Graduate School of Banking. Jim Brown, President of The Bank of Bennington said, “Linda’s promotion is well deserved. She has been a strong contributor to the Bank since she started here in 2003.”

Debbie Mintz, director of Chittenden County’s Students FIRST Project and long-time employee of HowardCenter’s Child, Youth and Family Services, recently received the Juanita Evans Memorial Award for Contributions in School Mental Health. The award, which recognizes an individual “who has significantly impacted the advancement of school mental health policy, research, and/or practice,” was presented at the 18th Annual Conference of the Center for School Mental Health on October 4 in Arlington, Virginia.

Bob-White Systems names Jana Koschak to run its newly-opened dairy & food testing lab. Located in South Royalton, VT, the dairy & food testing lab is the only private lab of its kind in the state where producers and processors can have the quality and composition of their milk analyzed. Koschak, a Greenhorns researcher and former cheesemaker, is working to obtain state certification for the lab to provide customers with accredited results. Photos of Koschak are attached.

Koschak will oversee the following tests:

Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont Foundation announced that Kevin McAteer has been appointed chief development officer for Health Sciences, effective December 9. McAteer is the first person to hold this newly-created position. He will be responsible for directing all aspects of fundraising for Fletcher Allen and its Foundation, the University of Vermont College of Medicine, the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Vermont Cancer Center.

Stephen M. Frey, AIA - LEED AP, owner of Arocordis Design, a Montpelier based architectural, workplace and interiors firm will be speaking at NEOCON East, the premier design exposition and conference for commercial interiors on the East Coast. He will be sharing recent work assisting National LIfe Group in modernizing their headquarters helping them transform it to reflect their tradition of corporate social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

This coming October 24th the Trapp Family Lodge will host a special Harvest Celebration Dinner. The feast features cider lacquered pork belly, poached farm fresh eggs, kale-pepper salad and braised grass fed beef; all products of the Trapp Family farm. Overseeing the kitchen for this tribute to local, Vermont table fare is Cody Vasek, the Trapp Family's new chef.

Smugglers’ Notch Resort president Robert F. Mulcahy has announced his plans to retire at the end of October. Over the course of a 44-year affiliation with the resort, Mulcahy has played a key role in developing Smugglers’ into an award-winning and internationally recognized family vacation destination.