Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Following a national search, The University of Vermont Health Network today named Sunil “Sunny” Eappen, MD, MBA, as the health system’s next President and Chief Executive Officer. Dr Eappen, who comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, part of the Mass General Brigham network, will lead the organization forward in the next phase of its evolution into a more integrated and equitable health system. He will be responsible for oversight of all operations, including the flagship academic medical center, five community hospitals, children’s hospital, multi-specialty physicians group, and home health and hospice agency. His appointment will be effective November 28, 2022, and he will succeed John R Brumsted, MD, who is retiring after leading the health system for more than 10 years.

Vermont Business Magazine Michael Goldberg, the court-appointed receiver for Jay Peak Resort, announced September 8 that the original bidder, Pacific Group Resorts, Inc (PGRI), has made the highest and best final bid of $76 million to buy Jay Peak following an auction with multiple bidders on September 7. PGRI’s initial stalking horse bid was $58 million. The other bidders were not named. The prevailing bid remains subject to approval by the United States District Court in Southern Florida during a final hearing tentatively scheduled for September 16, 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) is thrilled to present the 2022 Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership to Zoe Richards, Chair of the Burlington Conservation Board and Director of Burlington Wildways, in recognition of her dedication to preserving and expanding access to Burlington’s natural resources and wild spaces. VNRC and Jens Hilke of the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife will co-present the award to Zoe at VNRC’s Annual Meeting at Hula in Burlington, on Thursday, September 22nd.

Vermont Business Magazine Letenda, a company that is reinventing public transit with clean and sustainable energy technologies, is pleased to announce its first order of electric buses to date in the United States. The Vermont Agency of Transportation will award a contract for 4 Electrip buses, a 30-foot (9-meter) 100% electric bus. These vehicles will be delivered to Green Mountain Transit (GMT) and Marble Valley Regional Transit District (MVRTD) and will be in service in the cities of Burlington and Rutland. These 4 vehicles are added to the 22 electric buses already in circulation or in the process of being supplied by pursuing the objective of reducing pollution.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Parks Forever has completed its 8th season of funding a student internship at Mt Philo State Park, the oldest state park in Vermont. This internship program memorializes Will Hagedorn, who grew up hiking and sledding on Mt Philo. During college he worked at Mt Philo State Park as an intern, a job he loved. Will died unexpectedly in 2013, at the age of 24. In Will’s memory, his family created the William Cameron Hagedorn Mt Philo Forever Fund at Vermont Parks Forever. Supported by family, friends, and generous donors, the fund offers an opportunity every year for a young person to connect with nature, practice environmental stewardship, develop teamwork and collaboration skills, and experience working with the public.

Vermont Business Magazine Drivers need to be alert and cautious because moose are on the move, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department. Moose are more likely to be crossing roadways at this time of year, especially after dark or early in the morning because this is breeding season for moose. “Motorists hit 49 moose on Vermont highways during 2021 and 23 so far this year,” said State Game Warden Major Justin Stedman. “We are asking drivers to be especially careful and for people to enjoy watching moose from a distance. Moose can be unpredictable and dangerous if you get too close and they feel cornered or get irritated.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation and the organizing committee for the Con Hogan Award for Creative, Entrepreneurial Community Leadership are pleased to announce that Joe Wiah will be honored with this year’s award. Wiah is Director of the Ethiopian Community Development Council’s (ECDC) Multicultural Community Center in Brattleboro. The annual award, established by a group of Con Hogan’s colleagues in 2015, celebrates his life’s work by recognizing a community leader who shares his vision of a better Vermont and seizes the responsibility for making that vision real. The awardee shows deep community involvement, generosity, enthusiasm, a collaborative approach, and a focus on data and measurable outcomes in their work.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report from the non-profit Energy Action Network finds that Vermont is not on track to meet its legally mandated emissions reduction requirements under the Global Warming Solutions Act. For the electricity sector, Vermont has already adopted an emissions cap policy (the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) and a performance standard (the Renewable Energy Standard), which together have helped to drive down emissions from Vermont’s electricity portfolio. However, Vermont’s largely fossil-free electricity portfolio produces only 2 percent of Vermont’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the transportation and thermal (heating) sectors together account for nearly three quarters of statewide greenhouse gas emissions.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont roads are getting more dangerous. Online insurance agent QuoteWizard found that traffic fatalities increased by 43% in the first half of 2022 - that’s the 3rd highest increase nationwide. Across the US, the increase in traffic fatalities is closely tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first statewide coronavirus lockdowns went into effect in March of 2020, which is when you start to see an increase in the number of speeding-related deaths. This increase becomes even more pronounced during the summer, before declining toward the end of 2020. Detailed speeding-related statistics are not yet available for 2021, but overall in the US, the number of speeding-related deaths increased by 11% in 2020, while the total number of miles driven went down.

VermontBiz Richard Bliss is a LinkedIn Top Voices Influencer, an experienced executive communications manager, and a social media coach. He has helped thousands of people master social media tools and become fluent in social conversations, building their platforms and confidence to effectively reach their audience, define their brand vision and strategies, and develop high-caliber sales teams. In addition to working with businesses and organizations in the US, he’s consulted startups and high-growth technology firms around the world.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) Public Transit program, Go! Vermont, is now providing a free enhanced app subscription to all bus riders to better plan and track their trips. Since 2019, the official rider app for Go! Vermont has been Transit. Now, with the free upgrade to Transit Royale, planning and tracking trips will be easier than ever. All Vermont riders who already use the app will have access to a free Transit Royale subscription, which unlocks additional features, special agency branding, new customization options, and complete access to the app in more than 300 cities worldwide.