JESSICA Andreola
Favorite Part of Job? There are two aspects of my job that I truly love. The first is all of the amazing people that I meet, from the guests to distributors and other local business people. The second is purchasing items which accentuate other design elements throughout the hotel.
Most Inspiring Mentor: One of my mentors is friend who pushed me to get my MBA. He is a very successful businessman and accounting professor who has assisted me in advancing my career and my role as a leader.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I make a mean half-sour pickle.
Favorite Downtime Activity: I love to cook and I love to eat, so after participating in a summer CSA I have a new love for experimenting and cooking with the ingredients (mainly fruits and vegetables)that I have on hand.
Favorite Vermont Escape: My favorite Vermont escape is picking strawberries at Last Resort Farm in Monkton.
Favorite Social Media: My favorite social media is facebook. It is a wonderful resource for finding out what is going on in Vermont and for keeping in touch with family and friends.
Favorite Website: Huffington post. Informative and humorous.
Vermont Business Person you would most want to Network with: Pete Johnson of Pete's Greens. He is a pioneer of local food and has done an incredible job getting his business recognized throughout the state.
Career Highlights: The highlight of my career has definitely been working on and at Hotel Vermont. I have been working on this project from the early stages of the brand study and have watched the building go from gravel to an operating hotel. Participating in the purchasing and design have been a huge highlight of working at an independent property. Many relationships have also been built as a result of this project. Getting to know our partners, community leaders and everyone else that it takes to put a hotel together has been a wonderful experience.
Community Involvement: Since my start in hotels, community involvement has played a large part in my career. From networking to sitting on boards, to hosting events, my involvement has definitely grown in parallel with my career. Both keeping young professionals in Vermont as well as working to make those who live in Vermont lives better has been the focus of my community involvement. I do try to focus my efforts on children especially those who are low income or have illness. I am also very lucky to have a company who supports my community involvement and is greatly involved in the community as well.
John Boutin, Publisher of VBM, Lisa Gosselin, VT Dept. Economic Dev. and Rising Star Jessica Andreola.