Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Once again, SRDC is partnering with the Mt Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC) and area towns to develop the list of Priority Projects for state and federal fund eligibility. The Priority Project process is going on in each region in the state and the final product is provided to the Agency of Commerce & Community Development (ACCD), who will share with other funders for consideration in making decisions on grant programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Calibrate Partners, a Vermont-based Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) consulting firm, announced today a joint-partnership with Philadelphia-area based RAS Associates, a full-service Public Relations & Marketing agency. The firms will provide ESG consulting services to domestic and international clients. Calibrate Partners will focus on helping organizations design ESG strategies aligned with shifting regulatory requirements and that resonate with millennial and Gen Z customers, employees, and investors. RAS Associates will focus on marketing the partnerships’ services and will manage crisis communication for Calibrate clients when needed.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network announced today that it will bring a Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer to its leadership team, advancing a commitment to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture for employees, patients and the communities served. Jackie Hunter, who most recently led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts with Banner Health in Arizona, will become the health system’s first leader focused on furthering this essential work.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement regarding the reopening of the land border with Canada for non-essential, fully vaccinated travelers on November 8: “Last night the White House informed me that, next month, fully vaccinated Canadians will be able to cross our land border once again. This is a significant step forward on the path from pandemic to endemic management of COVID-19 and will mean a great deal to many Vermonters and our communities." The US border has been closed since March 2020 as the pandemic hit. On August 9, 2021, Canada began allowing fully vaccinated US visitors for non-essential travel.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has signed a proclamation declaring, once again, October to be Independent Country Store Month in Vermont, recognizing how important the state’s country stores are to the cultural, economic and social lives of Vermonters. In signing the proclamation, at the request of the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association, Scott acknowledged the integral role independent country stores have as an essential piece of Vermont communities and the tourism industry. He also highlights how they have played an integral role in supporting their communities during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Vermont Business Magazine COVID-19 cases fell today, but deaths, hospitalizations and ICU patients increased. The Vermont Department of Health on Tuesday reported 132 COVID-19 cases (down 90 from Monday) and four more deaths for 339 statewide. There had been five consecutive days with cases over 200. There were 49 people hospitalized (up eight) with 16 in the ICU (up four). Cases in the Northeast Kingdom and the southern four counties have been relatively high in recent days.

From left: Debra Reardon and Reardon Family, Burlington Electric General Manager Darren Springer, Lund President and CEO Tricia Coates and Vermont Gas CEO Neale Lunderville. Courtesy photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Lund and community leaders broke ground today on a new pavilion at the agency's Residential Treatment Program. The pavilion, which will provide new, covered outdoor space for families and staff at the program, will be dedicated to the memory of James B. Reardon, a Lund board member and budget advisor to four Vermont governors.

"Jim cared deeply about all of Vermont's children. It's what motivated him in public service and what inspired him to work with Lund," said Lund President and CEO Tricia Coates. Lund is based in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, joined representatives from Middlebury College, Encore Renewable Energy, Green Mountain Power, the state of Vermont, and the town of Middlebury on October 12 to break ground on a new five-megawatt solar project in Middlebury that will provide the college with about 30 percent of its total electricity usage. The collaborative partnership will help the college reach its climate goals while expanding local, renewable energy production in Vermont. Middlebury College will buy 100 percent of the electricity generated at the site as part of its ambitious Energy2028 initiative, which calls for the college's use of 100 percent renewable energy by 2028.

Vermont Business Magazine Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) has announced that Hannah Bianchi has been named as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Hospital. Bianchi had served as MAHHC’s Director of Provider Practices since 2017. The announcement follows the retirement of Paul Calandrella, who had been the Hospital’s COO since 2012. As COO, Bianchi is responsible for overseeing daily Hospital operations and HR decisions, and for managing the administration of various departments and the entire Hospital.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Health Network announced today additional measures to reduce delays in patient access to outpatient and inpatient care, and help ensure access to emergency care in the face of record patient volumes and other challenges. The Network’s Access Action Plan includes new investments in staffing, technology and infrastructure, and enhanced partnerships with health care institutions outside of the Network and with state and local governments. The Action Plan addresses three main goals: hire successfully amid national staffing shortages, reduce wait times for specialty care, and improve hospital inpatient and emergency capacity.

Vermont Business Magazine On September 27, 2021, Norwich University was awarded a two-year $18.5 million grant from the National Security Agency as the lead institution to continue to develop the Department of Defense (DoD) Cyber Institutes at the six Senior Military Colleges (SMCs). This grant builds upon the grant awarded in September 2020, designating Norwich University as the lead in establishing the DOD Cyber Institutes to create a pipeline of qualified cyber professionals in current and projected critical work roles. In Fall 2020, the six DoD Cyber Institutes were established at Norwich University, The Citadel, University of North Georgia, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M and Virginia Military Institute.

Vermont Business Magazine By the side of a freshly painted Vermont historic barn on Pudding Hill Road in Lyndonville, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) and the Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) celebrated the Vermont Barn Painting Project and the many partners who have collaborated to assist Vermont barn owners in preserving these historic structures on Vermont’s working lands.