Congratulations to our very own Lee Halpern for being recognized as one of VermontBiz’s Rising Stars 40 under 40! Lee's commitment to community engagement and business excellence truly exemplifies the spirit of this award.

Nominated by Executive Director Richard Berkfield (Rising Star Class of 2014), who wrote: “Lee Halpern has stewarded Food Connects through immense growth (and growing pains) with a positive, solutions-focused leadership style. He was recently promoted from Business Manager to Deputy Director. Lee has skillfully and compassionately navigated tough situations while wearing both his Human Resources and Financial Management hats. He has improved all aspects of Food Connects’ hiring and onboarding process while also developing a new Financial Management manual. Lee has built strong relationships with all staff members, covering shifts in the warehouse, working on programmatic budgets, project managing a $1 million capital project, and developing cash flow projections. He established the internal systems needed to support Food Connects’ projected growth from approximately $2 million in revenue when he started to close to $4 million two years later, with a projected $8 million by 2026.

Lee brings a positive yet realistic attitude to each challenge we face. It’s safe to say that Food Connects would not be the same without his leadership, hard work, and dedication to the mission and people of Food Connects.”

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Rising Stars initiative, which celebrates young professionals making significant contributions in their workplaces and communities. Over 180 nominations were received, and the panel of judges faced the challenging task of selecting the top 40 honorees. The awards ceremony will take place on November 7th, with the winners featured in the November issue of VermontBiz.

Of the 40 honorees, 24 are women, representing a diverse range of counties across the state. The average age of the winners is 34, with the youngest being 25 and the oldest 39. Lee’s inclusion in this prestigious list highlights his impact as an emerging leader in Vermont.

Thank you, Lee, for all the incredible work you have done to uplift the organization and for your unwavering commitment to making a difference in our community!

See the full list of winners at VermontBiz