EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MATT HARRINGTON NAMED VERMONT BUSINESS MAGAZINE RISING STAR

Pictured with the VBM Publisher Ray Boutin and Governor Scott.

South Burlington, VT- Executive Director Matt Harrington of Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce located in Bennington, Vermont was named a Vermont Rising Star on November 9th at an awards ceremony in South Burlington. The award was started by the Vermont Business Magazine 7 years ago to highlight the hard working, innovative cohort of young professionals working in both non-profit and business communities.

The 2017 class of Rising Stars (40) was selected by a panel of judges for “their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and their communities.” Harrington is one of two Chamber Directors selected for the honor in the state.

“I’m humbled and honored,” Harrington said. “Like my father has said, ‘just get up and go to work everyday.’  That’s what I feel like I’ve done so this award came as quite a shock. I feel like I’m just doing the job I was asked to do.  It’s very nice to be recognized for the hard work and to be in such a class of innovative young professionals.”

Harrington’s participation in the community as executive director spans from ongoing business development, innovative destination marketing and tourism-based initiatives, focusing on the incoming young workforce, to educational programming and creating a vision for the future of Southern Vermont. He is also the host of the award-winning show “Bennington Made” which has been nationally recognized.

Harrington is also the author of Survival of the Hive: 7 Leadership Lessons from a Beehive, and is owner and operator of Growing Millennial Leadership, an effort to encourage workplaces to adapt their culture to a new era of leadership, talent and workforce growth.  

Entering his third year as the Executive Director for Area Chamber, Harrington has made a strong push for regionalizing the Chamber to better serve the entire Bennington County which stretches from Bennington and the valleys to Manchester and the mountains.

Harrington also added, “As much as I love planning innovative programs around membership development, strategic economic development and of course, tourism growth, I really love growing people, leadership and talent within our organization and board.  The most fulfilling day is one where I can see our team using their diverse talents to truly create something new, exciting and effective. Stay tuned, we’ve only just begun.”

For more information on what Harrington and his team at the Chamber are doing you can check out their website www.bennington.com or call 802.447.3311.