Vermont Business Magazine welcomes Nick Rivers to our Production Department. Nick grew up in the small, Northern New Hampshire town of Bethlehem and later graduated from Lyndon State College with a major in Digital Media and a minor in Graphic Design. Nick is an enthusiastic addition to our production team. He is excited to work in our fast-paced environment and anticipates many opportunities to utilize all of his skills.

Nick enjoys all Vermont has to offer in outdoor sports, hiking, biking, golf, disc golf and skiing.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock was well-represented at the New Hampshire Hospital Association’s (NHHA) annual meeting, held at the Mount Washington Resort at Bretton Woods September 18-19, with two of its leaders earning distinguished recognition.

Brian Harwood of Waterbury was elected chairman of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s Governing Board of Directors during the VSO Association’s Annual Meeting Wednesday night (September 21, 2010) at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Other officers include Victoria Young of Proctor, vice chairman, Sylvia Robison of Burlington, secretary, and Malcolm Severance of Colchester, treasurer.

Tong Chen, a middle and high school Chinese teacher at Leland & Gray Union High School in Townsend, was named by Commissioner Armando Vilaseca as the 2012 Vermont Teacher of the Year at a ceremony held today at the school.

Also honored were:

• Alternate Jeff Johnson, a physical education teacher at Mt. Anthony Union Middle and High School in Bennington.

• Finalists Mark Weikert, a physical education teacher at Flood Brook Union School in Londonderry; and Glenda Allen, a literacy and math teacher at Barre Town Elementary School in Barre Town.

The law firm of Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC, with offices in Burlington, Montpelier and St. Johnsbury, Vermont and Littleton, New Hampshire is pleased to announce that Katherine Amestoy has joined the firm as an associate. Katie is a recent Vermont Law School /magna //cum laude/ graduate. Katie's primary areas of practice will be in Corporate and Energy. She will be based in the firm's Burlington office.

John Mitchell, general manager of Champlain Oil (parent company of Jiffy Mart Stores) was honored at the recent Vermont Food Industry Convention with the National Grocers Association Spirit of America Award the Vermont Grocers Association Person of the Year. His career with Champlain spans 37 years and during that time has helped the company grow into the state’s largest petroleum distributor and one of Vermont’s larger convenience store retailers. He is a past board member of the Vermont Grocers' Association and is currently on VGA’s government affairs committee.

The Vermont Grocers' Association has elected Todd Keyworth of the Harborside Harvest Market as its new Chair. Todd owns the market in North Hero with his wife, Lisa. Also elected were Marcel Marquis of Shaw’s as Vice Chair and Dwight LaFountain of Jiffy Mart as Secretary-Treasurer.

Don Brown, of Highgate Springs, and Ellie Bliss, of Middlebury, were honored by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra during the VSO Association’s Annual Meeting Wednesday night (September 21, 2011) at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe. Brown and Bliss were awarded the VSO Volunteer of the Year Award.