Henley Lynch is an incoming senior at the University of Vermont (UVM), where she’s majoring in Economics and Global Studies with a special focus on economic development and policy analysis. As president of the UVM Political Science Club, a member of the Vermont Rowing team, and a proud Chicago Blackhawks fan, she brings a dynamic mix of leadership, academic rigor, and team spirit.

This summer, Henley interned with the Department of Economic Development (DED) at the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), where—through the department’s workforce development initiatives—she was introduced to Vermont’s captive insurance ecosystem and gained a hands-on understanding of how it works. She researched domicile performance, supported the Vermont Captive Insurance Emerging Leaders (VCIEL) initiative and various marketing projects, and assisted with logistics for the 2025 VCIA Annual Conference. At the conference, she staffed the State of Vermont booth and supported Vermont-sponsored events, seeing firsthand how the state and industry work together.

We spoke with Henley about what she learned, what surprised her, and how the experience is shaping her next steps.

How did you hear about the captive insurance industry?

I had connected on LinkedIn with Brittany Nevins (Captive Insurance Economic Development Director) before I even applied to ACCD, and I’d heard murmurs about captive insurance through her page. When I started my internship, I was given a lot of reading on Vermont captives so I could begin to understand how they work. I probably wouldn’t know what a captive insurance company even is if not for this internship.

What made you interested in this captive insurance development internship with Vermont?

I consider my research and data analysis skills to be strong, so when I found out this internship would have me reading captive insurance publications, writing reports, and entering data into spreadsheets, I knew it was a great fit. I also think, given Vermont’s interest in attracting young people to the captive industry, that exposing business or economics students to captives through summer internships is a great way to retain talent in the state.

Has anything surprised you so far about the industry?

I had no idea that Vermont was so prominent in the captive insurance industry! It seems like a small and random state to have this much regulatory oversight, with some of the top businesses in the world basing their captives here. And yet, I met someone at the VCIA conference who had been attending for all 40 years. So clearly, Vermont’s legacy speaks for itself and people stay in this industry.

Would you recommend the Vermont captive insurance industry to other young people as a future career path?

I would. While my internship focused more on attracting captives to Vermont than on captive ownership or management, it seems like an innovative sector for the right accounting or finance student. Since I want to continue working in economic development at a municipal or small-state level, I’m looking at states with captive legislation as potential places to relocate after graduation. Vermont is a wonderful place to live and work, though!

What did you enjoy about the VCIA Annual Conference?

To think that this is one of, if not the biggest, captive insurance events in the world kind of blows me away, and it was only a fifteen-minute bike ride from my apartment. It was great to see all the organizations I’ve been working with come together in one place, and I had the opportunity to meet other summer interns involved with captives. The evolving captive insurance industry looks very promising.

What do you do for fun in Vermont?

I discovered how magical Vermont summers are when I moved into my first apartment after sophomore year. I spent almost every day at the beach, in the Bolton swimming holes, or hiking around Niquette Bay State Park. During the school year, the Vermont Rowing team practices every day on the Lamoille River. If I’m not outdoors, I’m exploring Burlington cafes or hanging with friends at our favorite college bars.

To learn more about working in the Vermont captive industry check out our careers page at vermontcaptive.com/careers/.