As part of the run up to this year’s American Spirit Awards, Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) Faculty Chair in Film and 2013 American Spirit Award nominee Laura Colella won a $50,000 grant from Film Independent in Los Angeles to help support distribution of her nominated film BREAKFAST WITH CURTIS. The award was presented to her by actors Jeremy Renner and Salma Hayek at a nominees brunch for the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards on January 12.

The Vermont & New Hampshire Upper Valley Region of the American Red Cross is pleased to announce that Suzanne Johnson has joined the staff as its Major Gifts Officer.

In her role as Major Gifts Officer, Johnson will be responsible for engaging potential donors in an effort to broaden the organization’s financial base, allowing it to advance its humanitarian mission in Vermont & New Hampshire’s Upper Valley.

Neel Desai, 18, and Michaela Forgione, 12, both of South Burlington, today were named Vermont's top two youth volunteers of 2013 by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide program honoring young people for outstanding acts of volunteerism. Neel was nominated by South Burlington High School in South Burlington, and Michaela was nominated by Mater Christi School in Burlington. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, now in its 18th year, is conducted by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Forty-six Vermont high school seniors have been nominated as candidates for the US Presidential Scholars Program for 2013. Candidates are selected primarily on their performance on the ACT or SAT standardized tests. Of the 3.2 million high school seniors in the US, only about 3,000, or fewer than one in 1,000, are selected as candidates for the honor.

HomeShare Vermont welcomes Shannon Treacy and Lisa Meyer to their team! With an aging population and more people wanting to remain in their homes, additional program staff will allow HomeShare Vermont to continue providing exceptional service as needs grow.

MorrisSwitzer~Environments for Health has announced the promotion of new partners Jennifer Arbuckle, Jason Carney, Thomas Morris, and Dale Taglienti.

“MorrisSwitzer believes in recognizing talent and promoting from within the organization,” says Dan Morris, managing partner. “We recognize the contribution by Jennifer, Jason, Thomas, and Dale. They have had a positive effect on projects, our clients, and for MSEFH overall. We applaud their appointment to partner and their continued professional growth.”

Jennifer Arbuckle, AIA, LEED AP