LAURA Kessen
Company: Dealer.com | Step Into Action-VT
Title: Digital Strategist | Founder
Age: 33
Favorite Part of Job? Helping my team feel confident and achieve our goals. When I make another person's job easier -whether it be a client or teammate- I feel most satisfied in my role.
Most Inspiring Mentor: My parents. Through example they taught me that if I want something I have to be willing to work hard. They also showed me the importance of giving back to the community professionally and through service.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: In college I spent a month living out of kayak in Baja, Mexico.
Favorite Vermont Escape: Without a doubt Grand Isle. Nothing beats those sunsets!
Favorite Downtime Activity: Spending time on Lake Champlain with my family.
Person you would like to share a Vermont beverage with: Bernie Sanders.
What is the best career advice you have received? Don't take the job you know you will master, take the job you need to grow to succeed at. And above all else, be nice to everyone.
What motivated you to live and work in Vermont? The opportunity to propel my home state forward. The beauty of Vermont is unmatched. I can see myself living here forever.
Career Highlights: Registering Step Into Action-VT as a non-profit organization.
My first day at Dealer.com. I knew that I was joining one of the best companies in Vermont, and could not wait to see where it brought me. I still feel this way each morning when I walk in the door!
Community Involvement: In 2013 I was part of a group of volunteers who saw the recovery resources and centers in Vermont disappearing. We decided to host a fundraiser to give back to the community and assist these organizations financially. Step Into Action was the result. Over the past 5 years I have volunteered my time to help raise over $50,000 for recovery centers throughout the state. The event now serves as Vermont's main event during National Recovery Month. The day brings together people in recovery, community members, health professionals, families and friends to celebrate the positive role recovery plays in our lives and our communities. The purpose is now much more then raising money. It is a place to recognize that recovery is possible, and share the resources supporting this throughout the state.
In the past year I have also become involved with two other organizations. Each week I dedicate a few hours to Vermont Foundation of Recovery. I serve as a mentor for their sober living home for women. This Spring I had the opportunity to help clean up the grounds at Camp Takumta. Being involved with the community is an absolute passion of mine.