Economic development group marks 50-year anniversary

Among the day’s highlights:

• Peg Demars received the Brooks-Potter Volunteer Service Award in recognition of all the volunteer activities in which she has participated over the years. The award is given to “an individual or business that has set a superior example of volunteer service in our county.”

Demars has been active with the Lamoille Area Cancer Network, Lamoille Home Health and Hospice, Lamoille Community Food Share, the Vermont Dairy Board and Lamoille County Mental Health, and has been a justice of the peace and a member of Morristown’s Board of Civil Authority.

She has been a member of Holy Cross Church for 40 years and most Sundays Peg and her husband, Sonny, make coffee for after services.

The award was accepted on Peg’s behalf by daughter Heather Decker, as Peg and Sonny were traveling in Greece.

• The H.A. Manosh Lifetime Achievement Award was given jointly to husband-and-wife Richard Dreissigacker and Judy Geer. It is awarded to “an individual who has spent their career making an enormous contribution to the economic development of Lamoille County and beyond.”

As the co-founders of Concept 2, along with Dick’s brother, Peter, Richard and Judy have certainly done that. At the recent sculling World Championships, 86 percent of contestants were using Concept 2 oars, and the Concept 2 brand has become synonymous with rowing machines worldwide.

They also purchased the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and turned it into a nonprofit, providing healthy outdoor opportunities for kids and grownups, plus an outstanding training center.

Judy also served on the Morristown School Board for 15 years and both Dick and Judy helped coach skiing at Peoples Academy and helped to establish the ski trails at the school.

• To mark its 50th anniversary, the Lamoille Economic Development Commission commissioned a video detailing its 50-year history and providing information on what it is doing today. The videographer was Irving Payne of Modaja Communications in Jeffersonville; the script was written by Elisa Clancy of 3W Promotions of Hyde Park; the voiceover was done by Roland Lajoie of WLVB Radio in Morrisville. The video may be viewed at bit.ly/ledcvideo.

• The keynote address was given by Gov. Phil Scott, who talked at length about the workforce and the state’s economic development needs.

Plaques were presented to outgoing board members John Kingston, David Silverman, Laurie Hammond and Allen Horsley.

New board members are Mark Vandenburg, Greg Tatro, Rhonda Bennett and Jim Black, and the new board president is Steve Clokey.