VAB Summer School 2025 Recap

100 VAB members gathered Tuesday, June 10, 2025 on the Saint Michael’s College campus for VAB Summer School 2025, sponsored by Nielsen!
 
The school day kicked off with breakfast sponsored by BMI, then a Kahoot pop quiz asking attendees how well they know the VAB. The members with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd most points at the end of the game won $60, $40 and $20 cash!
           
Attendees went to their first period classes from 9:20-10:35AM. Sellers learned about “Building Today’s Breakthrough Sales Culture” from Steve Wexler of WEXL Coaching; content creators learned about “Crossing the Creative Chasm” from Toy Ray of JDA Media and station owners, GMs and HR learned about “Recruiting in a Future Forward Workplace” from Lisa Fields of Media Staffing Network.
 
          
Following a short break, attendees went to their second period classes from 10:45am-12:00PM. Tom Ray taught “Selling Through Uncertainty” while Steve Wexler taught “Creating and Presenting Breakthrough Content”. Station owners, GMs and HR attended a split class with the first half being what they need to know about the 2024/2025 Vermont state Legislative session presented by MMR and the VAB and the second half being about “Understanding Emotional Compensation for Retention & Culture” taught by Peter Anderson of Inner Citadel Consulting.
 
Attendees then refuled with a buffet lunch sponsored by Inner Citadel Consulting and as they ate, the VAB held our annual meeting where a quorum of members approved the minutes from last year’s meeting, got a briefing on the financials and elected a VAB Board of Directors to serve a two year term from July 1, 2025-June 30, 2025. The newly elected board is:
  • Dana Nahumck (WCAX-TV) as President
  • Ryan Rothstein (WPTZ-TV & WNNE-TV) as Vice President
  • Jay Barton (WCX-TV) as Treasurer
  • Vijay Singh (Vermont Public) as Secretary
  • Peter Case (WKKN-FM & WTHK-FM) as Director-at-Large
  • David Goddette (Vox AM/FM/Digital) as Past President

VAB Executive Director Wendy Mays presented the annual report of member benefits and then gave a second Kahoot pop quiz, this time on the information presented in the annual report, awarding members with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd most points at the end of the game with $100, $50 and $20 cash respectively!

At 1:15pm, the 17 winners of the VAB Content of the Year competition were revealed…

2025 VAB Content of the Year Competition Award Winners:

Television:

Outstanding TV Interview
WCAX-TV
“Death with Dignity”
Writer/Producer/Talent: Darren Perron
Editor/Videographer: Joe Carroll

Outstanding Digital Platform Video by a TV Station
WCAX-TV
“Let’s Build Homes”
Producer:  Matt Greene

Outstanding TV PSA
WPTZ-TV
“Vermont Army National Guard – 1LT Calli Murphy”
Producer: Dave Fleming

Outstanding TV Community Event Promo
WPTZ-TV
“Vermont City Marathon”
Producer: Steve Kuntz

Outstanding TV Program Promo
WFFF-TV
“Gameshow Block”
Producer: Morgan Hills

Outstanding TV Special Feature Promo
WPTZ-TV
“Women’s History Month”
Writer/Producer/Editor: Bailey McGregor
Videographer: Steve Kuntz
Talent: Marissa Vigevani

Outstanding TV Branding Promo
Vermont Public
“2024 Year End Sizzle”
Producer: David Littlefield
Editor: Kaylee Mumford

Outstanding TV Commercial – 2nd Place
WFFF-TV
“VTel – Service”
Writers: Shaun Danforth, Andrea Spaans
Producer/Editor: Shaun Danforth
Talent: Kyle Monier, Kristen Bruso & Tanya Noyes

Outstanding TV Commercial
WCAX-TV
“Automaster – Legacy”
Producer: Matt Greene

Radio:

Outstanding Digital Platform Video by a Radio Station:
Vox AM/FM/Digital
“Join the Y Today”
Producer: Will Skolochenko

Outstanding Radio Interview
WVMT-AM
“Tim Matheson on The Morning Drive”
Producers:  Anthony Neri & Kurt Wright

Outstanding Radio PSA
WDEV AM & FM
“Vermont Army National Guard – Task Force Saber”
Writer/Talent: MG Gregory Knight
Producers: Don Harrison, Luiz Fernando Chen Viera, T.J. Olsen
Editors: Myers Mermel & Caroline McLain

Outstanding Radio Non-Profit Fundraiser Promo
WWFY-FM, WJKS-FM
“23rd Stuff-a-Truck Food Drive”
Writer: Matt Houseman
Producer: Rich Witt
Talent: Dave Foxx

Outstanding Radio Contest Promo
WRFK-FM/WWFK-FM
“Winter Wonderland”
Writer: Matt Houseman
Producer: Rich Witt
Talent:  Pete Gustin

Outstanding Radio Branding Promo
WIZN-FM
“The Beast”
Writer/Producer:  Kevin Mays
Talent: Mark Peeples

Outstanding Radio Commercial – 2nd Place
WEZF-FM
“Escape Room 60 – Scary Story”
Writer/Producer: Amanda Lee
Talent: Mike Czarny, Vox Staff

Outstanding Radio Commercial
WOKO-FM
“Apex Pest Solutions – Aunts for Dinner”
Writer:  Kate Lanza
Producer: Jon Brooks
Talent: Kate Lanza, Jon Brooks, Chris Stewart

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