Six attorneys with the law firm Paul Frank + Collins have been named among the top litigators in Vermont in the fourth annual publication of Benchmark Litigation.
The attorneys recognized are:

S. Crocker Bennett, personal injury and products liability

Robert Cain, general commercial litigation

Robert DiPalma, commercial litigation, intellectual property

John Sartore, arbitration, civil and criminal litigation, mediation

Litigators Sonya Sibold and Nolan Burkhouse were also identified as Future Stars

The Stern Center for Language and Learning held its 27th Annual Meeting.

Newly elected officers are:

• Bob Crews of South Burlington, Chair. He is Senior Vice President –

Principal at Hickok and Boardman Group Benefits.

• Eve Pratt Hoar of South Burlington, Vice-Chair and Treasurer. She is

Program Manager Physician Advisory Boards at ALLSCRIPTS.

• Elaine Ittleman of Charlotte.

Newly elected to the Stern Center Board of Directors are:

• Chris Gannon of Shelburne. He currently serves as Vice President,

The American Heart Association’s named Joy Blandford to the position of Director of Go Red for Women and the Start! Heart Walk in the state of Vermont.

Blandford, originally from Atlanta, Ga., began the job in late September.

“I enjoy healthy living and all the information that surrounds it, and how to get there,” Blandford said. “The American Heart Association provides a lot of that, which makes this a perfect fit for me. It’s also a challenging job, and I’m looking forward to engaging more people in helping us reach our goals.”

Jeffrey Corrigan has accepted the position of Vice President of Human Resources at the Brattleboro Retreat. Corrigan had filled the role on an interim basis since October while the Retreat conducted a national search to replace Kathleen Brooks who retired in September.

Corrigan has nearly 30 years of experience in leading human resources in healthcare settings. A Connecticut native, Corrigan and his wife currently reside in Maryland and are launching plans to relocate to southern Vermont in the coming year.

Mary Burns, President & CEO of the Greater Burlington YMCA, has recently been appointed to two committees with national reach by YMCA of the USA (Y-USA)—the national resource office for the Y.

A love of children and a desire to make a difference in a community setting drew Elizabeth Baez to health care and specifically the pediatrics practice at the Gifford Health Center at Berlin.

Baez, a pediatric nurse practitioner, has joined experienced Barre-area pediatrician Dr. William Gaidys at the Gifford health center off Airport Road in Berlin.

DuBois & King, Inc., consulting engineers, announce that Timothy W. Dall, P.E., LEED AP, a Senior Engineer in the firm’s Structures Group, has received the designation of Model Law Structural Engineer (M.L.S.E.) by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Mr. Dall also received certification by the Structural Engineering Certification Board (SECB). The M.L.S.E. and SECB achievements recognize Dall as a professional engineer with specialized education, experience, and licensure.

Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) is pleased to announce the appointment of two Faculty Chairs for its new MFA programs. Dr. Tamar Diesendruck, a distinguished composer whose work has been performed around the world, will head the program in Music Composition. Matthew Monk, a professor at Rhode Island School of Design and an acclaimed practicing designer, will lead the program in Graphic Design.