SVHC Foundation Welcomes Two To Its Leadership Team

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Bob Van Degna and William T. (Tom) Ziegler

BENNINGTON, Vt. — Bob Van Degna and William T. (Tom) Ziegler, both of Dorset, Vt., have joined the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Foundation Board of Directors.

"The SVHC Foundation's board of directors is comprised of experienced and compassionate individuals," said Leslie Keefe, SVHC's vice president of corporate development. "Bob and Tom are exceptional additions to this group, and I know our efforts together will further the foundation's mission to engage our community to support our health system."

Van Degna grew up in Niskayuna, N.Y., attended Cornell University, served in the U.S. Army, graduated from Harvard Business School and worked for Fleet Bank, where he spent 15 years as the managing director of the company's private equity group. He is an aspiring artist, working primarily as a photographer and documentarian of Turning Pages. In addition, he is a board member of the Southern Vermont Arts Center. He and his wife Mary-Anne have four children and six grandchildren.

Ziegler retired after a 30-year career in commercial/corporate real estate. He worked for Texaco and GTE Corporation managing large-scale real estate projects domestically and internationally. In addition, he worked in leadership positions at Cushman & Wakefield and JLL. In addition to his professional work, Ziegler served as chair of the Salisbury School Annual Fund and helped transform the fund in ways that led to $55 million in growth to the organization’s endowment. Ziegler and his wife Nancy are members of the Dorset Field Club and the Green Mountain Horse Association.

The SVHC Foundation Board of Directors consists of 20 members. Directors are nominated by members of the board. The SVHC Foundation's mission is to engage in development and fundraising activities exclusively for the support of the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Corporation.

 


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Turtles Must be Left in the Wild

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says keeping native turtles as pets is prohibited because it can harm the turtle and pose threats to wild turtle populations.
 
"Capturing a wild turtle and keeping it as a pet, even if only for a short time, is not only bad for that individual turtle but it could hurt entire turtle populations as well," said Vermont Fish and Wildlife herpetologist Luke Groff.  "Releasing captured turtles back into the wild can spread wildlife diseases and also affect the genetics of the local population." 
 
Groff explains that adult turtles usually have well-defined home ranges and know where to find food, mates and shelter.  However, a turtle released in unfamiliar habitat may roam great distances, increasing the odds it will cross roads and risk being run over.
 
For turtles, the loss of even a couple mature females can have serious consequences because they are slow to develop, especially at northern latitudes where the growing season is short. 
 
"Many of Vermont's turtle species do not reproduce until they are at least 10 years of age," says Groff, "and older, sexually mature females are critical to the long-term persistence of some of Vermont's turtle populations." 
 
Two common species you are likely to see are the Painted Turtle and Snapping Turtle.  The Wood Turtle, Spotted Turtle and Spiny Softshell are rare in Vermont, and the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department urges you to report sightings of these species to the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (vtherpatlas.org).  If you see some of Vermont's native turtles in the wild, feel free to take a photo home with you, but leave the turtles in the wild.
 
For more information on Vermont's native turtle species, visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife's website or contact Vermont Fish and Wildlife herpetologist Luke Groff at Luke.Groff@vermont.gov.
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