Posts by Liz DiMarco Weinmann
The Godnick Center: Fighting Adult Loneliness
While many area residents and visitors sadly noted the end of the ski season, others are rejoicing that summer is finally here. We’re the ones who counted the days until we could enjoy Vermont’s picturesque scenery, quaint downtowns, and abundant arts offerings – in comfortable sandals and sundresses. There are older adults reading this, however,…
Read MoreVermonters Value Our Nonprofits
One evening last week, I received a phone call from one of our region’s most thoughtful volunteer fundraisers, a soft-spoken community leader I admire tremendously. After we discussed the purpose of her call — to secure hosts for an event to benefit a vital housing nonprofit — we proceeded to other topics. When she signaled…
Read MoreWorkforce Development in VT: Responsibility of Universities
It doesn’t require a deep dive into current Vermont economic data to see why VSU’s administration has made workforce development a key focus of its mission — a human-centered one, despite various academics’ objections. As the daughter of immigrants, both of whom worked labor-intensive jobs when my siblings and I were young, I was taught…
Read MoreRutland Regional Planning Commission’s Devon Neary Promotes Pride of Place
Director of Rutland Regional Planning Commission lives his passion for Rutland, shares his vision with others By Liz DiMarco Weinmann It was in March of last year that Devon Neary first contacted me, with a thank-you note on Facebook, in response to an op-ed I had written about the accomplishments of the region’s emerging leaders.…
Read MoreVT State University Library Decision – Many Unforced Errors
By Liz DiMarco Weinmann Editor’s note: Liz DiMarco Weinmann, MBA, is principal and owner of Liz DiMarco Weinmann Consulting, L3C, based in Rutland, serving charitable and educational institutions: lizdimarcoweinmann.com. Pop quiz: The story behind the Vermont State University administration’s decision to eliminate all but a few select print materials from its libraries, in favor of…
Read MoreVT League of Cities and Towns’ Ted Brady Powers VT Forward
By Liz DiMarco Weinmann What most people notice when they meet Ted Brady, especially on Zoom, are his open-hearted smile and generous laugh, plus his unwavering focus on listening intently before he comments or asks any questions. Brady, 45, is coming up on two years as executive director of Vermont League of Cities and Towns…
Read MoreMentor Connector’s John Woodward Invests in Our Youth
By Liz DiMarco Weinmann Long before recently launched Vermont nonprofits began promising to help disengaged youths “feel valued and experience belonging,” there was Mentor Connector. Working with families, educators, caretakers, business leaders, and other nonprofits, Mentor Connector offers a broad variety of programs led by trusted experts who have been helping youths feel valued, nurtured…
Read MorePedestrian Safety Is Essential, Especially in Winter
Seniors are in a hovel when people don’t shovel. It’s an extraordinary public service that Arwen Turner and Come Alive Outside’s many spirited allies are providing in encouraging seniors to become more active outside in winter, per a recent Herald article. Anyone who has met Arwen Turner knows this exuberant leader could convince even the…
Read MoreJoshua Collier, Hitting the High Notes for Barn Opera
By Liz DiMarco Weinmann Tawdry treachery! Dastardly deeds! Sinful sex! Unrequited love between distraught divas and vain villains! More melodramatic mayhem than in whole seasons of Law & Order and Lifetime Movies! Yes, please! More to the point, “Bravo!” Growing up in an Italian household, I have been listening to opera since I was 5,…
Read MoreNonprofit wish list 2022
The lyrics of the holiday ballad “Grown-Up Christmas List,†reference fervent hopes for peace and a better world, a poignant contrast to blaring jingles that play on endless repeat. The song, written three decades ago by renowned composer David Foster, speaks to universal humanitarian quests: “No more lives torn apart…That wars would never start…†and…
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