Burlington, Vt. – The Lake Champlain Chamber proudly announces the graduation of the Leadership Champlain Class of 2025. This year’s 35-member cohort completed a rigorous nine-month program focused on community engagement, systems thinking, and leadership development.
Leadership Champlain is the Chamber’s flagship leadership development program, with over 1,200 alumni across more than three decades. The program brings together professionals from diverse industries across the region to deepen their understanding of local issues and strengthen their leadership capacities.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this group of leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to their personal growth and their communities,” said Cathy Davis, president of the Lake Champlain Chamber. “Each graduate brings something unique to the table, and we know their impact will continue to ripple across Vermont for years to come.”
The Class of 2025 includes professionals from a wide range of sectors, including business, finance, education, nonprofits, and healthcare:
- Ryan Sauer, 89 North, Inc.
- Will B. Jeffries, Blumenthal Enterprises
- Kaitlin Mangan, Christine Burdick Design
- Valerie Masiello, City Market Co-Op
- David Blow, Community Bank, N.A.
- Bre Sykes, Copper Leaf Financial / Davis & Hodgdon Advisory Group
- Stephanie Higgins, Donahue and Associates
- Caroline Henne, Echo Consulting LLC
- Lucy White, GlobalFoundries
- Laura Silverstein, GlobalFoundries
- E. Kendall Enersen-Watts, Gravel & Shea
- Patrick Tracy, Greater Burlington YMCA
- Sharon Lifschutz, Lund
- Matthew Johnson, M&T Bank
- Nicole MacTavish, Patricia A. Hannaford Regional Technical School District
- Kathy Zhou, Paul Frank + Collins P.C.
- Rob Mahoney, PC Construction
- Jeremy Grant, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC
- Imani James, Redstone Property Management
- Will Harrison, Rock Point Advisors
- Adam Saba, Saba Marine
- Chris Lei, Saint Michael’s College
- John Patterson, Shelburne Farms
- Alex Gilman, Special Olympics Vermont
- Ariana Frascatore, Tetra Tech
- Caroline Aubry, Tetra Tech
- John Carney, University of Vermont Health Network
- Kevin Lavery, University of Vermont Health Network
- Dillon Boisvert, United Way of Northwest Vermont
- Phiona Atuhaire, Ph.D., University of Vermont
- Joey Hartmann, Vermont Air National Guard
- Sarah Marshall, Vermont Federal Credit Union
- Olivia LaVecchia, Vermont Housing Finance Agency
- Sandra Lucia, VGS
- Carole Ricciuti, Working Fields
The graduation celebration took place on June 10 at the Film House at Main Street Landing, where graduates, alumni, and community partners gathered to mark the cohort’s accomplishments.
The Lake Champlain Chamber extends its sincere gratitude to the generous sponsors who helped make the Leadership Champlain Class of 2025 graduation possible:
- Vermont Awards and Engraving – for providing personalized recognition for our graduates.
- In Full Bloom – for beautifully curating the floral arrangements that made the celebration truly special.
- Main Street Landing – for hosting the event in the stunning Film House venue.
Applications for Leadership Champlain Class of 2026 will be accepted on a rolling basis. Reach out to Alex Bunten, director of workforce and education, at [email protected] with any questions. For more information, visit leadershipchamplain.org.