The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recently recognized two Vermonters for their extraordinary efforts to support the health and wellbeing of their co-workers. The award recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by a review committee using an objective scoring rubric.
Meaghan Diffenderfer, Human Resources Administrative Coordinator for the City of Burlington, is described by her nominator as “a cornerstone of our employee wellness efforts, consistently championing a culture of care, connection, and shared joy.” Standout examples of Diffenderfer’s impact includes her leadership in providing city employees with access to locally grown produce through Community Supported Agriculture farm shares, advocating for more play and downtime woven into the workday, promoting work-life balance, and encouraging cross-department engagement throughout the city of Burlington.
Maura O’Brien, has led the employee wellness department for the State of Vermont for the past 20 years. According to her nominators, O’Brien’s leadership over the past two decades has transformed Vermont state employees’ wellness initiatives, incorporating holistic and inclusive opportunities, wellness screenings and vaccination clinics serving thousands of state workers, challenges to get people moving, mental health care reminders, and health & wellness coaching to help state employees set and achieve health goals.
Pictured, left to right: Meaghan Diffenderfer, Maura O’Brien