Sara Byers, Chair

Sara Byers is Co-Owner and President of Leonardo’s Pizza, her family’s pizza delivery business. In addition to the boards Sara serves on, she is also an appointed member of Vermont’s Capital Debt Affordability Advisory Committee. In 2015, Sara was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce Degree from Champlain College. She has also received awards from Mercy Connections, Women Helping Battered Women, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Chittenden County.

Rebecca Towne, Vice Chair

Rebecca Towne is Vermont Electric Cooperatives’s Chief Executive Officer. She has nearly two decades of utility experience in Vermont, with a strong focus on team building, leadership and strategic innovation. Most recently, Rebecca was vice president of organizational strategy at Vermont Gas Systems. Prior to her work at Vermont Gas, Rebecca spent 14 years in roles of increasing responsibility at Green Mountain Power, including Chief Talent Officer. She joined VEC—the second largest electric utility in Vermont and one of two electric cooperatives in the state—in October 2018. Rebecca holds a BA from Swarthmore College and an MS from St Michael’s College. She serves on the board of the United Way of NorthWest Vermont. A seventh-generation Vermonter, Rebecca grew up in Cambridge and today lives in Essex.

Neale F. Lunderville, Treasurer

Neale F. Lunderville is the President & CEO of VGS (Vermont Gas Systems). He previously served as General Manager of the Burlington Electric Department, and, prior to that, as Co-Founder and CEO of NG Advantage LLC. In 2011, he was appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin to lead Vermont’s recovery efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. Neale also served in two top cabinet posts for Governor Jim Douglas: Secretary of Administration and Secretary of Transportation. 

Neale serves as a director on several Vermont and regional boards and is an Honorary Commander for the Vermont Air National Guard. He graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. and was given their 2012 Alumni Achievement award. 

John D. Sayles, Secretary

John D. Sayles joined the Vermont Foodbank as the CEO in March of 2009 after serving ten years in senior appointed positions with the State of Vermont – Policy and Planning Director and Deputy Secretary at the Agency of Natural Resources and Telecommunication Director and Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Public Service.  Prior to coming to Vermont, John practiced law in Maryland, both in private and government practice.  He is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and Frostburg State University in Maryland. He moved to Vermont in 1999, and lives in Montpelier.

Seth E. Bowden

Seth Bowden was elected the Roundtable’s third President in May 2021 when he joined the organization. Prior to that, Seth worked in economic development as the Executive Vice President of the Greater Burlington Industrial Corp (GBIC). During his 13 years with the organization, Seth led their research and publication efforts, and has successfully worked with numerous regional employers to gain access to economic incentives and training funds.

He brings a history of working collaboratively with state agencies and partner organizations on public policy goals in the fields of workforce training, early childhood education and child care, and higher education.

His work in outlining Vermont’s labor force challenge has been shared extensively with legislators, community leaders, and was the foundation for GBIC’s workforce development efforts. In addition to supporting Vermont’s value adding employers, he prepared and edited the State’s Higher Education Task Force report and was a co-author of the Vermont Science and Technology Plan for EPSCoR. He has served as the Chair of the Economic Subcommittee for ECOS and Co-Chair of Vermont’s Science and Technology Plan Committee.

Seth volunteers with a number of organizations and committees in his community, and is an avid skier and biker. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Vermont, with minors in Economics and English.

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Sherra D. Bourget

Sherra D. Bourget is the Operations and Communication Director for the Vermont Business Roundtable. In her role at VBR, Sherra manages day-to-day operations, member services, event planning and communications. Born in Indiana and raised in Northern Virginia, Sherra began her career in the Metropolitan D.C. area, first as a service manager for a premier spa and patio furniture company, and then in sales for the largest distributor of prefabricated fireplaces and surrounds on the East Coast. She relocated to Vermont in 1999, and received her post-secondary education at Champlain College (summa cum laude), earning a B.S. in Multimedia / Graphic Design. She is a 2016 graduate of Leadership Champlain and member of the Society for Human Resources Management. She resides in Fairfax, overlooking Mt. Mansfield and the ski trails of Smugglers’ Notch Resort, with her husband and daughter.

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Mary Anne Sheahan

Mary Anne Sheahan, MSA, PMP is the Executive Director of the Vermont Talent Pipeline, a role developed by the Vermont Business Roundtable in January 2018. She leads the statewide initiative of Talent Pipeline Management (TPM). VTPM is an employer-led, data-driven implementation model to fill the skills gaps in industry’s most critical jobs.

Now operating in three industries of Construction, Healthcare and Advanced Manufacturing, VTPM is building a pipeline of skilled talent. Training resources from secondary, post-secondary and higher education are developing industry recognized skill for new entrants – and for the advancement of incumbent workers. 

Mary Anne was trained in Talent Pipeline Management by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in Washington, DC. Most recently she served as Executive Director for Leadership Champlain and the Director of Workforce Development for the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce. She was previously VP of Academic Operations at Middlebury Interactive Languages, running five summer language academies in the US and overseas. She has also consulted as a Project Manager and Process Improvement Consultant for major initiatives in Vermont businesses including Banknorth Group, Burton Snowboards, and the University of Vermont. Mary Anne has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is certified as a Project Management Professional and an Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner.

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Abby Stevens

Abby Stevens is the Program Manager for the nursing apprenticeship pipeline utilizing the Vermont Talent Pipeline Management framework (VTPM). VTPM is an employer-led, data-driven implementation model to fill the skills gaps in the industry’s most critical jobs. Abby joins the VBR team with a background in enrollment management for non-traditional and adult learners. After working with undergraduate students in Nevada, Abby transitioned to working with transfer students at her alma mater, the University of Vermont. Most recently, she worked with adults transitioning careers into technology-focused fields nationwide. Outside of work, you can find Abby playing in her weekly pickleball league, exploring Vermont dirt roads on her bike, and trying out new dessert recipes. Abby holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of Vermont and is certified in Data Analytics from General Assembly.

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