POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – April 1, 2022 – The Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce has named two DCC employees to receive this year’s “Forty Under 40 Mover & Shaker” awards. The annual recognition celebrates 40 of the region's best professionals under the age of 40 who embody the greatest talent in their industries. This year’s class includes Assistant Professor of Speech Margeaux Lippman and Outreach Coach Vincent Pedi, as well as seven DCC alumni!

Lippman has been part of the DCC faculty since 2015, teaching a variety of public speaking and communication classes. She has also founded and fostered a thriving speech and debate team at Dutchess, as well as a regional debate league. Her efforts have not only fostered these skills among numerous DCC students, she has also extended these initiatives to include interested students from high schools across the area, as well as Dutchess BOCES, reaching over 75 students per year.

Lippman is also active in other areas of campus service, including shared governance activities, leadership regarding women and gender issues, assessment efforts and union service, in addition to various general volunteer support.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to learn vital civic involvement skills like debate, and community college students are no different,” Lippman says. “Teaching, coaching and mentoring students to develop those core skills is my life’s work, and the most gratifying thing I experience is seeing that epiphany moment when students realize that their words matter – when they take those first steps into inhabiting the role of an empowered, informed civic participant.”

Vincent Pedi is a member of DCC’s Admissions team, where he supports gender diversity recruitment at DCC. In his role, he encourages those who identify as female to explore technical careers that historically have appealed more to males, such as engineering, construction, or aviation, and those who identify as male to do the same in fields such as nursing or human services.

Pedi has a particular focus in the workforce development student market, many of which are adult learners. He also holds information sessions at the DCC @ Fishkill site and leads tours of DCC @ HVR Airport, home to DCC’s pilot, aviation maintenance and aviation management programs.

Vincent’s community service has included years of volunteering as lead instructor with the Chamber Foundation’s Youth Leadership Program. Each academic year, he instructs approximately 40 Dutchess County high school juniors in an 8-month career and college readiness program, covering areas such as résumé writing, interviewing, and career planning. In December 2021, Vincent was appointed to serve on the City of Poughkeepsie’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and continues to offer and donate career counseling and résumé assistance services locally in the Hudson Valley and throughout the United States.

“Working at DCC has been a dream come true,” says Pedi. “As an alumnus, my experiences as a student shaped who I am today. The work is always rewarding, and I love helping prospective students and upholding our outstanding reputation in the community.”

“When working with prospective students, I convey one simple truth,” he adds. “A DCC education will only lead to success, both personally and professionally. Simply put, you’re never making a mistake when it comes to adding to your education, and DCC absolutely serves that mission for our community.”

DCC alumni receiving honors­­­ are business administration graduates Daniel Bush ’10 (branch manager, Hudson Valley Credit Union) and Jennifer Gableman ’10 (president, auctioneer and licensed real estate broker, Absolute Auctions & Realty); Liberal Arts and Humanities graduates Satara Brown ’12 (founder of Rebuilding Our Children and Community, Inc.,) Hillary Henderson ’02 (senior development executive, annual campaign manager, Sunrise Association,) Lauren Hoheusle ’10 (founder and owner, Chakra Bowls) and Christina A. Mazzarella, Esq. ’11 (associate,  Mackey, Butts & Whalen,) and Fire Science graduate Michael Mancari ’10 (founder and president, M.M.G. Fire Equipment).

The honorees will be recognized during a special ceremony to be held the evening of Thursday, April 14, at the Changepoint Theater in Poughkeepsie. Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased on the Chamber’s website. Proceeds from the event will support the programs and services of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce as well as The Chamber Foundation, Inc.

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