Present

Wednesday, November 6th 2024

The Coggins Auto Group & Consolidated Communications, in partnership with the Southwestern Vermont Chamber, invite the region to celebrate those that make up the Heart of The Shires - our nonprofit and community leaders!  This luncheon will provide connections, networking and celebratory conversations with those in attendance.

The 2nd annual Heart of The Shires Luncheon encourages and recognizes leaders in nonprofit, social, governmental and community positions, while highlighting the many accomplishments in community building, population health, civic service and more!

Presented at the conclusion of the luncheon the Southwestern Vermont Chamber, Coggins Auto Group & Fidium Fiber will hand out the Heart of The Shires award recognizing the community organization of the year, the Community Leadership award, and the Lindy Lynch Volunteer of the Year award.

Location

Lincoln Hall
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
1005 Hildene Rd
Manchester, VT

Schedule of Events

●      12pm - 12:30pm: Arrival and networking

●      12:30pm - 1pm: Lunch and Welcome

○      Welcome from the SWVT Chamber, our venue hosts, and sponsors!

●      1pm - 1:30pm: Keynote

●      1:30 - 1:45: Awards

●      1:45 - 2pm: Ongoing networking and conclusion

Lunch By Pangaea

First Course

• Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad (GF, V)

Lunch Menu

• Ham and cheddar panini served with apple mustard compote

• Chicken salad wrap on garlic herb tortilla with basil mayo

• Vegetable strudel crispy pastry filled with seasoned vegetables

Dessert

• Brownies (GF)

• Marble Cheesecake

Beverage Station

• Coffee, Tea, Juices

Keynote - “The Future of Vermont’s Rural Economy - Building an Innovation Ecosystem”

Matt Dunne, founder & executive Director of Center on Rural Innovation

Matt Dunne is the founder and executive director of the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), a national nonprofit committed to advancing economic prosperity in rural America through the creation of inclusive tech economy ecosystems that support scalable entrepreneurship and tech job creation.

Matt served 11 years in the Vermont House and Senate, enacting the state’s first broadband grants, brownfields revitalization funding, and downtown redevelopment program. He helped grow a Vermont-based software company to over 100 people and was Associate Director of the Rockefeller Center on Public Policy at Dartmouth College.

In 1999 Matt was appointed director of AmeriCorps*VISTA under President Clinton, where he led PowerUp, one of the first national efforts to bridge the digital divide, and launched an Entrepreneur Corps to focus on micro-finance in high-need communities.

In 2007, he started Google’s Community Affairs division out of a former bread factory in White River Junction, Vermont, where he led all local U.S. philanthropy and engagement, including the Google Fiber rollout and orchestrating educational and development initiatives in Google’s data center communities across rural America.

Matt has a B.A. from Brown University and is a lifelong Vermonter who lives on the 100-acre farm where he was raised. Matt Dunne leads the Center on Rural Innovation, a national nonprofit helping small towns build inclusive tech economy strategies that support innovation, tech entrepreneurship, workforce development, and tech job creation.

AWARDS

NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED! Join us at the Luncheon to see who receives each award!

Thank you additional supporters and sponsors