The Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation (GBIC) has given its highest recognition award to John Evans, special advisor to the University of Vermont president, president of the Vermont Technology Council and former dean of UVM’s Larner College of Medicine.

GBIC presented Evans with the 2017 C. Harry Behney Lifetime Economic Development Achievement Award. The award was made at GBIC’s 63rd annual meeting on June 21 at the Echo Leahy Center on the Burlington waterfront. Approximately 300 members of the northwest Vermont community attended. 

Given each year since 1995 in honor of past GBIC president C. Harry Behney, the Behney Award recognizes Vermont leaders for their significant contributions to advancing the state's economic wellbeing and promoting a climate that enhances the economic vitality of the state of Vermont. 

GBIC honored Evans for advancing innovation, entrepreneurship and dynamic economic development in the region and the state. He is one of the founding members of the Vermont Technology Council and is the founder and creator of VCET, the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, where he continues to serve on the VCET Board of Directors. Evans is also a member of the GBIC Board of Directors and is a professor emeritus at the Larner College of Medicine.

“GBIC recognizes Dr. Evans for his incredible leadership in research, innovation and entrepreneurship in our region and in Vermont,” said GBIC president Frank Cioffi. “As the founder of VCET, Dr. Evans blazed the trail to advancing innovation & technology based economic development in our state. We honor and thank Dr. Evans as one of Vermont’s most outstanding leaders in advancing economic development. His contributions have been so transformational to Vermont and Vermonters.”