SVHC Welcomes New Legal Counsel

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BENNINGTON, Vt. — Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) announced Jason Morrissey, attorney, as its legal counsel. 
 
In addition to acting as counsel to SVHC, Morrissey will continue operating his private law practice in Bennington. The late Tom Jacobs had served as SVHC's general counsel until his death in 2020.
 
"We are so grateful for Tom Jacobs' long and dedicated service to SVHC," said Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, SVHC's president and CEO. "We are fortunate to have someone of Jason's caliber to step in and fulfill this very important role within our organization."
 
Morrissey received his bachelor's in finance from the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and his juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law. He has owned his own law practice in Bennington since 2008. He started practicing law in Bennington in 2004 as an associate attorney at Cummings, Dailey & Cohen, LLP, where he later became a partner. Prior to moving to Bennington, Morrissey worked as a senior account manager and in other roles for steel companies in Pennsylvania and Maryland.
 
"Jason has the skills and experience to guide SVHC through the legal aspects of our operations," said Tommy Harmon, the chair of SVHC's Board of Trustees. "He will make a great advisor to both our Board and management team."
 
Morrissey serves on the boards of The Bank of Bennington and the Park Lawn Cemetery. He is vice president and trustee of the Cooper-Kelley Scholarship Fund, a member of the Vermont Bar Association's Real Estate Title Standards Committee, and Moderator for the Town of Bennington. He is a former member of the Bennington Select Board and former Director for Hospice of Bennington County.
 
"SVHC is such an integral part of our community," Morrissey said. "I look forward to contributing to the future of this great organization."
 
As general counsel, Morrissey will attend meetings of the SVHC Board of Trustees and consult on legal matters for the health system.
 

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Coggins Auto Group Celebrates Five Years

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
BENNINGTON, Vt. — The family-owned Coggins Auto Group is celebrating five years of operations: Coggins Toyota of Bennington and Coggins Honda of Bennington, and Coggins of the Berkshires in nearby Massachusetts.
 
Mike Coggins purchased three dealerships — Honda, Toyota and Ford — in 2020 with a goal to restore trust and a "true sense of community-minded dealership culture." 
 
"My primary focus from day one was bringing back that connection to the region," Coggins had said back in 2021. "This area values real relationships. They want to know the people they're doing business with. We set out to rebuild that trust."
 
The Ford dealership was sold off in 2023 and Coggins of the Berkshires, with sales and services for used cars, opened the same year in Pittsfield, Mass. 
 
According to Coggins Auto Group, the dealerships had social media ratings of two stars when they were purchased; now all Coggins locations are garnering more than four stars in customer satisfaction reviews. 
 
"We sell cars, and we fix cars, and our goal is just to make our customers happy, and keep our employees happy, and that's what's made this really work these last few years," said General Manager Scott O'Connell.
 
Coggins Auto Group is also involved in events that benefit the community, including its popular annual charity golf tournament that funds local charities and organizations such as the Bennington Little League.
 
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