ROBYNN Beams
Favorite Part of Job? Vermont & Vermonters! I'm so lucky that my job takes me all over the state. Meeting new people and learning new things about the Green Mountains keeps my job interesting, fun and exciting. To top it all off, at the end of the day I get to share my work with thousands of people across our great state.
Tell us something fun about yourself that few people know: I quilt! I've made 6 quilts so far and hopefully when I retire from Roller Derby & have more time on my hands I'll make several more.
Favorite Downtime Activity: Downtime is pretty scarce for me, but ultimately anything that takes me out into VT's mountains, parks and lakes makes me a very happy person.
Favorite Vermont Escape: Waterbury Reservoir and Little River State Park. It's beautiful, it's quiet and it's close. Perfect little slice of Vermont.
Favorite Social Media: My favorite social media is Instagram. This is probably no surprise, as I am a Photojournalist. I love that the average person can broadcast their own day to day stories and lives through photographs.
Favorite Website: One of my current favorite spots on the web is 'Twentypast' Facebook page. It's "a collection of Vermont photos from the end of the 20th Century".
Vermont Business Person you would most want to Network with: Madeleine M. Kunin. She's an amazing person! She's accomplished so much in her life time, and continues to make a difference in the lives of her fellow Vermonters. She's unstoppable & I love that about her.
Career Highlights: I'd say my career highlights include meeting memorable Vermonters. People like Connie Kapusta, who despite battling cancer still worked to run her business, Connie's Kitchen in Hardwick. Also, Old time Vermonter Eliott Morse who fought to preserve the 1803 Robinson Sawmill in Calais, VT. Meeting people such as this & relaying their stories is why my job is continuously rewarding.
Community Involvement: For the past 5 years I have been a skater and leader for the Green Mountain Derby Dames Roller Derby League. In addition to being a team captain for 5 years, I've served as VP and President for the league. My experience has brought me to guest coach and teach several other area Derby teams across Vermont, New Hamshire and New York. Last year I and organized a Regional Roller Derby Tournament, brining over 1000 people from all over the world to Essex Junction for the event. I served as GMDD's Nonprofit Organizer. Our league has partnered with dozens of VT nonprofits and has donated nearly $20k.
John Boutin, Publisher of VBM, Lisa Gosselin, VT Dept. Economic Dev. and Rising Star Robynn Beams.