Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that Commissioner Michael Schirling will be leaving his role leading the Vermont Department of Public Safety (DPS) next month. Schirling will take a senior role at the University of Vermont, following his departure as commissioner on June 18. Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Morrison will serve as interim commissioner. Schirling was first appointed by Governor Scott as secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) in January 2017. In August of 2019, the governor named Schirling to his current role leading the Department of Public Safety.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT)—an organization dedicated to improving lives in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties—will distribute $880,000 in 2022 to 33 organizations that are meeting an array of interconnected needs in our community. The partner funding, which the United Way board of directors unanimously approved at its May meeting, will support organizations that address United Way’s key strategies: meeting basic needs (housing, food, transportation), supporting families, promoting mental health, reducing substance misuse and promoting financial stability. These strategies were determined by input from hundreds of community members.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced a multistate settlement with Ford Motor Company regarding claims that Ford falsely advertised the real-world fuel economy of certain model years of C-Max hybrids and the payload capacity of certain Super Duty pick-up trucks. Attorney General Donovan, who co-led the investigation into Ford along with the attorneys general of Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Maryland, and Arizona, has alleged that Ford misrepresented the numbers to make its cars appear more fuel efficient in real-world driving conditions and tried to make its trucks seem capable of hauling more than was possible. The State of Vermont will receive over $760,202 as its share of the $19.2 million multistate settlement announced today.

$1 million state grant to help Vermonters gain, enhance professional skills
Vermont Business Magazine Thanks to a second year of funding from the state, Vermont residents seeking to build new skills to advance or change their career can take up to two free courses at the University of Vermont beginning this summer. The university’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) division will coordinate the courses, which focus on sectors that are growing faster than the workforce they need to thrive.

Vermont Business Magazine At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, our mission is to help you and your family live happier, healthier lives. Your financial wellness is an important part of your overall health and well-being, so we’ve partnered with GradFin to provide comprehensive student loan services to eligible Blue Cross members, including Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness. The Blue Cross and GradFin program is unique in that its services are available to insured members and those in their household, even if the household members are not enrolled in the insurer’s medical benefits.

Vermont Business Magazine US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $770 million to help create new and better market opportunities for rural businesses and people in 36 states and Puerto Rico. The investments include $640 million for 122 projects to help people living in socially vulnerable communities. The Vermont Economic Development Authority used a USDA Business & Industry Loan Guarantee to fund Babaroosa Immersive, LLC, with $4.75 million to establish a permanent art facility in Vermont targeting local, regional, and external markets.

​Vermont Business Magazine Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) nurses Melanie Gagnon, RN, BSN and Sharon Baker, BSN, RNC-OB were each honored for their compassionate care and peer support with a DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® during National Nurses Week, which ran from May 6 through May 12, 2022. Traditionally, DAISY Award ceremonies include patients, colleagues and family members and are held on the units. However, Gagnon’s ceremony – which was on Monday, May 9 – and Baker’s ceremony – which was on Tuesday, May 10 – were posted on the hospital’s social media channels.

Vermont Business Magazine Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI), in cooperation with its supplier The J. M. Smucker Co., has voluntarily recalled 11 store-prepared items due to possible Salmonella contamination, including in Vermont. The store-prepared items were available for purchase at the following banners: Albertsons, Safeway, Lucky, Haggen, Carrs-Safeway, Eagle, Tom Thumb, United, Amigos, Market Street, Albertsons Market, Andronico's Community Markets, Vons, Pak 'N Save, Shaw's, Star Market, Randalls, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME, King's and Balducci's.

​Vermont Business Magazine The Senate Committee on Committees has appointed Alex Hilliard of Poultney to serve on the Vermont Commission on Women (VCW), the state’s non-partisan commission working to advance rights and opportunities for women and girls. Hilliard is a personal trainer, entrepreneur, and parent of three. As owner and operator of VT AthletaFit, a year-old personal training studio business located on the second floor of the Reclaimed-Poultney Community Skills Center, Hilliard offers in-person or virtual personal training sessions, coaching advice for well-rounded fitness, and training to prepare for sports or for an active lifestyle.

Vermont Business Magazine Union Mutual was recently honored by the Vermont Department of Health and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports with a 2022 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award – GOLD Level. This is the Company’s fourth consecutive top-tier wellness honor. According to the Vermont Department of Health, the annual Worksite Wellness Awards create a standard of excellence for worksite wellness initiatives and recognize Vermont employers’ efforts to enhance productivity, bolster a healthy environment and improve employee wellbeing.

Vermont Business Magazine On April 29th, Bill Smith, Senior V.P. Chief Marketing and Retail Officer of New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU), and Sarah Ricker, Senior Community Relations Specialist, presented a check for $31,500 to Vermont Children’s Hospital. On hand to receive the check were Dr. Lewis First of the University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and “Wild Bill” Sargent of WOKO. The funds were collected during the annual NEFCU Big Change Roundup.

Vermont Business Magazine Just as the rain began to fall on Thursday, April 14, Danielle Ploof, a middle school science teacher at Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, MA, stopped by Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) to spread some sunshine in the form of 50 handmade blankets for children using the Emergency Department. The blankets were made through a cooperation among Brady’s Smile, a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; Deborah Ploof of Blue Spruce Grange in Essex Junction, VT; and middle school students at Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, MA.