Freeman French Freeman has hired Bill Wolpert of Williston as Project Architect. Bill comes to the firm with more than a decade of experience and is particularly strong in the higher education and healthcare design fields. Recent projects include the new Redstone Lofts on the UVM campus and a new Emergency Department at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, New Hampshire. At FFF Bill will join the design team working on the Moran Center at Waterfront Park in Burlington and a new student center and residence at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont.

Small Dog Electronics focuses their business on the cutting edge of technology, mobile devices, and cloud computing, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve forgotten about more “classic” means of communication. Don Mayer, CEO of Small Dog Electronics, recently began dishing out technology advice and answering listener questions in a new 1 hour radio show on WDEV with Small Dog’s Director of IT & Consulting, Rebecca Kraemer, appropriately named Small Dog Speaks.

Acute care nurse practitioner Amanda Flyckt has joined the hospitalist team at Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. Hospitalists are providers who care for hospitalized patients, or inpatients.

A native of Washington state, Flyckt earned her undergraduate degree in microbiology at Washington State University in Pullman, and then her master’s in acute care nursing from Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Finn & Stone Insurance Agency is pleased to announce that Jonathan Ams has recently earned the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC). A CIC designation is a mark of distinction that represents a commitment to professional excellence and leadership within the insurance industry.

The Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care (VPQHC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Catherine Fulton as the new Executive Director.

The Richards Group is pleased to announce the addition of Steve Burnett to the firm’s Investment Advisory team. Steve will advise both individual investors and employer sponsored 401(k) and 403(b) plans. He will be working throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts and will be based in The Richards Group’s Norwich, Vermont office.

“I’m looking forward to working with a growing investment and retirement plan client base. The Richards Group is known for its expertise and exceptional service, and I’m excited to have joined the team,” says Burnett.

Central Vermont Community Action Council (CVCAC) and the District Office of the US Small Business Administration are pleased to announce Laura Lind-Blum as the new Director of the Vermont Women’s Business Center (VWBC). Lind-Blum, known in the women’s business community as “the Idea Midwife,” brings many years of experience helping women entrepreneurs find innovative strategies for nurturing their businesses.

Champlain College will confer three honorary degrees during its 134thCommencement on Saturday, May 5, celebrating the accomplishments of a Dublin scholar, a Burlington physician, and a Burlington performing arts center founder and director. Some 450 seniors are expected to receive their bachelor and associate degree diplomas during the ceremony at Memorial Auditorium.

Yankee Magazine’s March/April issue, on newsstands now, features 20 individuals who repair broken treasures—from clocks to books and more—in an article called “The Fixers.” The 10-page article opens with a full-page photograph of Ray Bates, shown sporting a loupe, an eye-piece that helps him view the inner working of the pre-Industrial Revolution clocks that he repairs along with the help of his son, Richard.

Team Leader, Brian Armstrong is pleased to announce that Kimberly Hart of Burlington has joined Nate Malley of The Nate Malley Team at Keller Williams Realty Green Mountain Properties. Kimberly Hart grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York and has spent over four years enjoying everything the greater Burlington area has to offer along Lake Champlain. She holds a Master's degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of Albany.