Twenty-seven Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders were recognized on May 20 during the eighth annual Southern Vermont Economy Summit.
The winning leaders from Windham County are Hailee Galandak-Cochran of Bellows Falls; Negina Azimi, Francesca Bourgault, Kayla Brookins, Caz Clark, Ana Mejia, and Maureen Velsor of Brattleboro; George Sprague of Guilford; Nathaniel Scull of Putney; Stacey Reeve of Westminster; and Julie Koehler, Samantha Kondracki, and Luis Lascari of Wilmington.
This annual recognition event, conducted by the Southern Vermont Young Professionals and the Shires Young Professionals, celebrates young people from the Bennington and Windham regions.
Individuals were nominated based on their work as community leaders and volunteers and for their professional accomplishments and commitment to serving the region.
The celebration was sponsored by the Community College of Vermont, Vermont Community Foundation, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
When nominated, each emerging leader was asked to share their thoughts and hopes for southern Vermont. Many cited the region's strong community fabric as one of our most valuable assets.
Mejia, homeownership specialist at Windham & Windsor Housing Trust in Brattleboro, aims to uplift Vermont's BIPOC population. "I am really concerned about widening racial disparities in wealth, income, and homeownership, especially in our predominantly white state of Vermont," she said.
Working alongside volunteers, Mejia develops programs to support communities of color in achieving their homeownership goals and to prepare to serve on nonprofit boards or state commissions.
Retaining younger residents and strengthening available career pathways were frequently noted as vital to this region's future, and many of the 2025 emerging leaders have taken it upon themselves to mentor others in their workplaces.
"By encouraging young people to build their confidence and develop their skills, I hope to contribute to a future where they not only stay in Vermont but actively help shape its continued growth and success," said Reeve, a quality systems engineer at Chroma Technology in Rockingham, who grew up in Grafton and returned to the area after college.
"I was fortunate to find a remarkable employer nearby, allowing me to build my career close to home," she said.
Many of emerging leaders have grown up here and say they have chosen to stay or return because of their fierce love for and belief in this place. An equal number are fairly new to Vermont, and "have sought opportunities to support and enhance the communities they've so quickly fallen in love with," Summit representatives said a news release.
Scull works as a food hub operations manager at Food Connects."Southern Vermont's environment of mutual respect for each other's creative spirit is one that has helped me grow personally and professionally," he said.
"[Vermont] is a dynamic and beautiful place. It is in this space that I choose to live, foster friendships, and raise a family. I happily root myself here."
All of the 2025 Southern Vermont Emerging Leaders will be nominated for Vermont Business Magazine's Vermont Rising Star awards. Visit sovermontzone.com/emerging-leaders to learn more.
This Milestones item was submitted to The Commons.