Vermont Business Magazine announced the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is comprised of 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities.

“We are thrilled by the response to this initiative to recognize these up-and-coming leaders,” said VBM Publisher John Boutin. “We received many outstanding nominations and the judges had a difficult time getting it down to only 40. The latest census report shows that Vermont is the second oldest state in the US, but these young professionals show that Vermont is not losing its young talent. For these young professionals it’s not just about business. It’s about them making a difference in their communities.”

“This is the second year for this award and based on the success of last year’s award, we had an increase of over 25 percent in nominations this year.” Boutin said.

FAST FACTS: Of the 40 honorees, there were 22 men and 18 women. There are 19 from Chittenden County, 6 from Washington County, 6 from Rutland County, four from Bennington county, two from Windsor County, two from Orleans County and 1 from Caledonia County. The average age of the winners is 30 years old. The oldest is 39 and the youngest is 10 years old.