2024 Caring & Connecting Conference
Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 10:00am-5:00pm at the Hampton Inn Colchester
The WBON 2024 Conference will provide opportunities for education, inspiration, and meaningful connections to help you balance the many facets of your life—your business, employees, loved ones, and community—while ensuring you don’t neglect yourself. The conference will feature diverse resources and lived experiences from those who have navigated the challenges of multigenerational caregiving, major owner or employee illness, natural disasters, or the growing issues of homelessness and substance abuse in their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in yourself and your business. Together, we’ll empower each other to overcome obstacles and thrive in every aspect of our lives.
Conference Photos
AGENDA | |
|---|---|
| 10:00-10:15 | Welcome/Overview of the day |
| 10:15-10:45 | Keynote Presentation |
| 10:50-11:45 | Caregiving for Friends and Family |
| 11:45-12:00 | Business, Caregiving and Public Policy Update |
| 12:00-12:45 | Lunch |
| 12:45-1:40 | Self-Care Presentation |
| 1:45-2:40 | Caring for Your Business and Employees Interactive Presentation |
| 2:40-2:55 | BREAK |
| 3:00-3:55 | Caring for Your Community Panel |
| 4:00-4:20 | Surveys/Raffle Prize Drawing |
| 4:20-5:00 | Networking, Resources and Tools for caregivers, employers and employees |
| 5:00-On | Evening Social at The Lighthouse Restaurant (next door to venue) |
Meet Our Presenters
Our Emcee
Vickie Wacek, Owner/Teacher, RevolVT
Since the start of her professional journey, Vickie has had the honor of growing and struggling through numerous professions and life experiences. She has helped small-business Vermonters generate over $100 million in revenue while she was the Executive Director of BNI Vermont, she has worked on contracting crews in 4 different New England States, she has performed all over the United States as a professional singer, she has introduced over 1,000 bodies to the beauty that is pole fitness and dance, and she has touched the lives and voices of over 100 Vermonters through one-to-one private vocal instruction. All of this she’s endeavored in just 17 years. She has a deep curiosity for human beings of every ilk; from business to personal. And today she intends to use her years of performance and business experience to bring you joy throughout today’s WBON conference!
Her key to success is based on the following quote: “I love you! You’re probably thinking you don’t even know me. But if people can hate for no reason, I can love.”
Keynote
Diffusing Emotionally Charged Conversations in Your Community
Mary Danko, Director, Fletcher Free Library
Mary Danko (she/her), a dynamic and transformational leader, currently serves as the Library Director at the Fletcher Free Library and is the current President for the the Vermont Library Association. Mary has contributed to the library community through past roles as President of the New England Library Association, Board President of the Green Mountain Library Consortium and various committee roles in the Vermont Library Association, including Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee. Mary holds a BA from Dartmouth College, a MLIS from Syracuse University, and a MBA from Champlain College. She recently received her eCornell certificate in Leadership and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Training. Mary is passionate about all things having to do with public libraries. She can still remember when her Mom took her to Pajama Story Time at her childhood library in Ohio.
Caregiving for Friends & Family
Jennifer Jacobs, Consultant & Owner, Adaptiva HR
Jennifer lives and works (mostly remotely) in southern Vermont where she grew up. Rural at heart and curious by nature, she brings both a practical and expansive approach to her consulting work. Jennifer seeks to fully understand her client’s needs and strengths before guiding and supporting them. Throughout her professional career (which has been a winding road!) she has been committed to joining others on their journey of growth and learning. Jennifer weaves together technical expertise, decades of related experience, and a long history of practicing mindfulness in her work as an HR (people & culture) consultant. Jennifer has degrees in teaching and counseling and is a Board Certified Coach. She has been an HR Consultant for 10 years.
Pat Heffernan, CMC®, President, Marketing Partners
Pat is a change strategist, writer, president and co-founder of Marketing Partners. Prior to establishing her own business in 1982, Pat served as Associate Dean at Vermont Law School. She holds an MBA, BA and holds the designation of Certified Management Consultant (CMC®). She has received VBSR’s prestigious Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business Practices. Pat serves actively on a number of community and state boards and commissions and was a Founder and first President of WBON and VBSR. She was a long-time member of the Governor’s Commission on Women and the S.B.A. Region Advisory Council. She was recognized by the S.B.A. as Vermont’s Women in Business Advocate, and has served on the Vermont Economic Progress Council, on two delegations to the White House Conference on Small Business, as a national board member of the Institute for Management Consultants, and as a member of the UVM Advisory Board for the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences. She currently serves as Board Chair of the American Sustainable Business Council.
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Emily Carris Duncan, Textile Artist & Business Owner
Emily Carris Duncan is an artist, educator, and co-founder of High Pastures previously The Art Dept Collective, a non-profit interdisciplinary studio practice and retreat space dedicated to supporting the work of marginalized creative practitioners. Her work explores the materiality of trauma primarily using textile techniques like natural dyeing, quilting, knitting, yarn spinning and embroidery. Inspired by the work of artists like Alison Saar, Kara Walker, Lorna Simpson, Rosie Lee Tompkins, and the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Carris Duncan links the personal and cultural legacy of slavery while mulling the question of where trauma lives after the act. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally including at the Cooper Union in New York, Islington Art Factory in London, The Colored Girls Museum, Past Present Projects, Vox Populi in Philadelphia, EFA Project Space in New York, Space Gallery in Portland ME, and Penn Museum in Philadelphia. Carris Duncan was the 2020 visiting fellow at The Center For Experimental Ethnography at the University of Pennsylvania and a 2021 Resident Artist in Natural Dye at Stone Barnes and is a member of the Smithsonian African American Craft Initiative. She currently lives and works in Vermont.
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Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner, VT DAIL
Dr. Jill Bowen as commissioner of the Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL) within the Agency of Human Services (AHS). Dr. Bowen comes to Vermont from Philadelphia where she has served as commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS) for more than three years. Prior to her work in Philadelphia, Dr. Bowen held positions in New York City, including as senior adviser for mental health with the Office of the Mayor, chief transformation officer for NYC Health + Hospitals, and as associate executive director for organizational innovation and excellence at Kings County Hospital Center. Dr. Bowen is co-editor and co-author of the first book exclusively devoted to mental health and lean healthcare, Lean Behavioral Health. She has taught at academic institutions, presented at professional conferences and co-authored several articles over the years. She currently hosts a podcast: “Community Conversations with Dr. Jill Bowen.
Business, Caregiving and Public Policy Update
Mary Claire Carroll, Co-Chair, WBON Public Policy Committee
Mary Claire Carroll is a portrait and landscape photographer, working under the business name of Carroll Photos, LLC in Richmond. Her images show how light and color highlight the beauty of our Vermont landscapes, and the strength and grace of each individual’s face. Mary Claire describes herself as an volunteer activist focusing on issues around women and work( think equal pay and paid family and medical leave), children and families, women’s health, women owned businesses, and most recently, Alzheimer’s. She has served on a number of Boards including, the Vermont Commission on Women, Vermont Works for Woman board, and currently serves on Voices for Vermont Children Board. She co-chairs WBON’s Public Policy Committee with Pat Heffernan, and represents WBON on Vermont’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Coalition.
Self-Care Presentation
Julia Fuller, Owner, TULA Wellness Collective
After graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences, Julia moved to Burlington, Vermont to work in the medical field. She worked at UVM as a Dialysis Technician when she discovered her passion for swimming. Through this she developed her core philosophy to help people feel their strongest by nurturing the mind-body connection. Beyond the realm of fitness, Julia is an avid explorer of the outdoors, engaging in activities like rock climbing, hiking, swimming, cliff jumping, and camping alongside her friends, husband, Jackson, and loyal dog, Loxley.
Ashley L. Arnold, Certified Well-Being Coach
Ashley L Arnold is a certified coach trained in positive psychology-based coaching. Her coaching practice supports people to put their best foot forward, cultivate a growth mindset, & optimize alignment in their lives. In essence, Ashley’s coaching supports clients to find their unique brilliance & sweet spot between personal & professional priorities. Furthermore, it helps people identify and establish routines, systems, & structures that help them perform and feel well while moving forward in life.
Caring for Your Business and Employees Interactive Presentation
Christina Ubl, Managing Partner, Clute Wealth Management
As Managing Partner and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Clute Wealth Management (CWM), Christina works with clients to help them develop financial strategies. She enjoys the opportunity to work with individuals and small business owners on a daily basis helping them to pursue both their financial and personal goals. Christina earned the CDFA® designation in 2013, which helps her work collaboratively with clients and their attorneys throughout the divorce process. Christina currently holds a Governor-appointed position on the SUNY Plattsburgh University Council; she is also a member of the Plattsburgh TDC Board. In addition to these board positions, Christina is a member of numerous organizations including the Financial Planning Association, CVPH Foundation Planning Committee, Association of Divorce Financial Planners (ADFP), WBON and Plattsburgh Rotary. Christina lives with her husband and two daughters in Morrisonville, New York. Christina manages client assets through LPL Financial. Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.
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Sena Meilleur, Managing Principal, OneDigital
Sena Meilleur is a Managing Principal at OneDigital, a national team of experienced, local employee benefits advisors who create greater value for employers and inspire individuals to become more engaged health care consumers. Sena entered the benefits consulting business in 1997, and worked in client account management for over fifteen years. She became a Certified Wellness Program Coordinator in 2008, and earned her Registered Employee Benefits Consultant designation in 2009. Sena’s passion is working with Vermont employers of all sizes to develop and enhance their benefits platforms to meet the employer’s strategic goals. With the advent of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, compliance added another layer of complexity to employee benefits; in 2015 Sena became a Chartered Healthcare Consultant with a focus on the Affordable Care Act as it applies to employer groups. Outside of work, Sena enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her husband, Kevin, and their two dogs.
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Sarah Kearns, Business Advisor, Addison County VtSBDC
Sarah, a business advisor at Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), has more than two decades of experience working in both large companies and start-ups. She provides one-to-one advising to small business owners at any stage of their business, and mentors young entrepreneurs who are just starting out. Prior to moving to Vermont in 2006, Sarah worked in the Boston area for Converse, Inc., focusing on business development in Latin America. After her time at Converse, she worked for a series of start-up companies primarily on the strategy and business development of consumer products. During that time, she also completed her M.B.A. at Babson College. Sarah lives in Middlebury with her husband David. She has two children who are now away at college, but two Labrador retrievers who are at home. You can generally find Sarah at all different types of arts events, or picking up her own paintbrush just for fun! Sarah speaks Spanish and has advanced proficiency in French.
Caring for Your Community Panel
Liz Gamache, Chief Development Officer, United Way of NW VT
As Chief Development Officer at United Way of Northwest Vermont, Liz leads a team focused on building trusted relationships with business and individual donors who support our local community through charitable giving at all levels. They help by sharing data, insights, and advice about emerging needs and ongoing trends. Liz has focused her career on providing service to Vermont-based, mission-driven organizations. She has owned several small businesses and led an economic revitalization effort while serving as the mayor of St. Albans, VT from 2012-2018. Liz has also held leadership positions in Vermont’s energy sector and serves on non-profit boards including Preservation Trust of Vermont, Agewell, and Champlain Housing Trust.
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Abbey Duke, Owner of Sugarsnap Catering and State Legislator
I grew up in Iowa in a small town and then went to college in Minnesota. Thirty years ago, I moved to Vermont with a sense of adventure, thinking it was for a short time. But I quickly felt at home. I found interesting work, joined a club Ultimate frisbee team, and hiked and cross country skied whenever I could. Life was good – and simple. But then, over the years, I started putting down roots and piling on responsibilities. I bought a house, had a civil union, started a business and had a couple of kids. I have lived in our district (or within one block) for 26 years. I live in the Village Green neighborhood in the New North End with my partner and two teenage children, both students at Burlington High School. I have spent the past 20 years building a local business, Sugarsnap Catering, and raising my family. With our parks, lake, schools, neighborhoods and neighbors, this is a truly wonderful place to live. Over the past decade, I have been getting increasingly involved in the community. I was the Chair of the Ward 7 Democratic Committee for a number of years. Until recently, I was the Chair of the Burlington Parks Commission and I am on the Board of Directors of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Kelly Klein, CEO, Groennfell and Havoc
Kelly Klein has been a Vermont business owner for over a decade as the founder and CEO of Groennfell Meadery, based in St. Albans. She is also a mother, spouse, commercial landlord, Girl Scout troop leader, and the Small Business Community Representative on the VT Climate Council.
Lindsay Kurrle, Secretary, Vermont ACCD
Lindsay Kurrle was appointed Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development by Governor Phil Scott in 2019. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kurrle led the Governor’s Economic Mitigation and Recovery Leadership team and Task Force responsible for among many things the distribution of more than $300 million in economic relief funds to Vermont Businesses. She also served on the Governor’s Restart Leadership team helping to shape policy decisions around how the state would safely reopen in the wake of the crisis. From 2017 to 2019, Lindsay served as Commissioner for the Vermont Department of Labor and prior to becoming the state’s Labor Commissioner, Lindsay was a business owner for 15 years and an Auditor for the international accounting firm KPMG. Kurrle is an outspoken and strong advocate for growing Vermont’s economy and strengthening communities. Secretary Kurrle lives in Middlesex, Vermont with her husband and three children.
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Our Conference Underwriters
Our Keynote Sponsor
Our Lunch Sponsor
