David Longfritz has been appointed vice president of marketing for life and annuity at National Life Group.

Longfritz joins the senior leadership team of National Life Group’s Protection and Retirement Divisions and will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Mehran Assadi.

“David brings to National Life Group a deep background in marketing across many platforms,” Assadi said.

Ata Azarshahi has been appointed vice president, strategic accounts and business development at National Life Group.

Azarshahi works with National Life Group’s Retirement Division in Addison, Texas, and reports to Executive Vice President Wade Mayo, head of the Retirement Division.

“Ata will be actively involved in the financial management of the business and will be working closely with me and the entire Retirement Division senior leadership team,” Mayo said. “Ata is a senior leader with over 25 years of insurance industry experience.”

Kathleen Alfano has been hired as vice president and chief underwriter at National Life Group.

Alfano works with National Life Group’s new business acquisition team in the Protection Division and reports to William Whitsell, senior vice president of operations.

In just over three years’ time, Zachary Garafalo has gone from the dais at the 2010 Southern Vermont College commencement to an invited speaker at the White House as an emerging leader of the Obama Administration’s Champions of Change initiative.

Gov. Peter Shumlin announced today that Burlington businessman Al Gobeille will take over as Chair of the Green Mountain Care Board, directing the board’s charge of curbing health care cost growth and reforming the way health care is provided to Vermonters. Gobeille will become Chair immediately. Anya Rader Wallack, the Board’s first Chair, announced her departure from the Board in the spring and will now wrap up her service to the Board as Gobeille takes on the Chair role.

Attorney Peter D. Van Oot of the northern New England law firm of Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC has been elected to the Nature Conservancy Vermont Chapter board of trustees. He began his two year term in April.

Clayton English, Pharm.D., BCPP, an Assistant Professor at the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Colchester Campus, has been named the 2013 Vermont Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (VtSHP) Pharmacist of the Year.

The award is given annually to a pharmacist who demonstrates extraordinary dedication to the profession of pharmacy, contributes to pharmacy programs, cooperates with the entire health care team, and furthers the profession of pharmacy through community service.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) has chosen Jan (Blittersdorf) Blomstrann, CEO of Renewable NRG Systems, Inc. as the 2013 recipient of the Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business. Named for the late owner of Hemmings Motor News and a founding member of VBSR, the award is given to a VBSR member who best exemplifies Terry Ehrich’s commitment to the environment, workplace, progressive public policy and community.

Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Norman J. Baldwin, P.E., a 22-year veteran of the Department of Public Works (DPW) as City Engineer and Surveyor. Baldwin currently serves as Assistant Director of Public Works for DPW’s Technical Services Division. The City Engineer and Surveyor position will become open on August 26, 2013 upon the retirement of current DPW Director Steve Goodkind. Goodkind, who has served as DPW Director since 1999, also has served as City Engineer and Surveyor since 1983.

Lutheran Social Services of New England (LSS) proudly announces that Dana Ramish has joined the company as chief operating officer and executive vice president.

Ramish has held senior leadership roles in several hospitals and health systems, and most recently served as CEO of a senior living community in Boston. Ramish received his Bachelor of Arts from Kalamazoo College and a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.