Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On June 1, 2026, Community Bancorp (symbol CMTV), the parent company of Community National Bank in Derby, was selected by the American Bankers Association (ABA) to join the ABA Nasdaq Community Bank Index (ABAQ). This index includes 222 community banks with $239.8 billion in market capitalization and is the most broadly representative stock index of the community bank industry. The index helps raise awareness of this key segment of the financial services sector among analysts and investors.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas connected with Vermont business leaders at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort today for the latest installment of the Wellspring Forum series. Each event in the series brings together top business and policy leaders for a thoughtful and engaging discussion on pressing economic issues and is moderated by Vermont Chamber President Amy Spear.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL) and the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (VAMHAR) have come together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the expansion of Recovery Friendly Workplaces in Vermont. This MOU agreement formalizes a shared commitment to helping Vermont employers create workplace cultures where people struggling with substance use challenges and people in recovery can thrive and where all employees feel supported, valued, and connected. Recovery-friendly workplaces encourage understanding, wellness, and support through education, training, and policies focused on recovery.

 Vermont Economic Development Authority It’s June and we definitely have earned the pleasant weather and sunshine today! The legislature wrapped up its work on Friday and we are pleased with the outcomes of three bills that we have been watching, S.328 which allows VEDA to finance multi-unit housing projects, S.323 which incorporates the Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation into VEDA, and S.327 that establishes a Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Tuesday pressed Tom Schultz, Chief of the Forest Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), about how the U.S. Forest Service’s reorganization plan  will hinder the agency’s capacity to managing the National Forest System, including Vermont’s Green Mountain Forest. “As a Senator from Vermont—and someone who sits in the seat of Senator Leahy, who was so instrumental in helping us—this is a vital institution for Vermont. This is a vital institution for the well-being of our environment. I urge you to take into account the impact locally, not just the impact financially, where: to save a dollar, you may lose a forest,” said Senator Welch.

Vermont Business Magazine Grants are now available for organizations and projects in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties through the Northeast Kingdom Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation. The fund awards grants of up to $5,000 to support projects that benefit the people and communities of the Northeast Kingdom. Priority will be given to projects that have emerged from the local community and/or respond directly to community needs. Nonprofits, schools, and grassroots organizations are encouraged to apply. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, announces a special exhibit unveiling ceremony celebrating Senator Patrick and Marcelle Leahy and their remarkable legacy of environmental stewardship and community connection. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, June 17, at 1:30 pm at ECHO. The unveiling of a permanent sign at ECHO’s front doors marks a milestone moment for the organization and the broader Vermont community. The installation tells the story of two individuals whose vision, advocacy, and deep personal connection to Lake Champlain have left a lasting mark on the region, ensuring that generations of Vermonters can access, appreciate, and protect one of our great natural resources.

Vermont Business Magazine On June 16, community leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, researchers, and students from across the region will gather at the University of Vermont for the annual RISE Summit. Centered around the theme “Partnerships for Rural Prosperity: Building Community-University Collaboration,” the summit will explore how partnerships can help strengthen rural communities and expand opportunity across Vermont and beyond. Hosted by UVM’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, RISE, which stands for Research, Innovation, Sustainability, and Entrepreneurship, brings together participants from a broad range of sectors to discuss solutions to complex rural challenges through collaboration, research, and community engagement. More than 800 people attended the summit last year.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Rutland County on Friday, June 5 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff. “Spending a day in each county gives us an opportunity to hear directly from Vermonters, see the good things happening in their communities and understand how decisions made in Montpelier are impacting them,” said Governor Scott. “In the past, challenges identified on these visits led us to make historic investments in wastewater systems to support economic growth, strengthen our CTE centers, collaborate on public safety issues and more.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants has announced it will merge with the state CPA societies of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island to form one regional organization: New England Society of CPAs, effective July 1, 2026. The regional organization is designed to expand value for members while building a stronger, more sustainable future for the profession. The merger unites five state societies into one member-focused organization that will provide enhanced advocacy, expanded learning opportunities, broader peer networks and increased resources for accounting and finance professionals, their organizations and future talent entering the profession. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University graduated 188 this month from its Level IV registered apprenticeship programs, which the university offers in partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor. Of that total, 133 electricians and 55 plumbers, representing 115 employer sponsors, were recognized at the graduation for having completed all four offered levels of training in their respective trade. Since 1999, Vermont State University (and its predecessor, Vermont Technical College) has partnered with the Vermont Department of Labor to manage the instructional component of the Registered Electrical & Plumbing Apprenticeship programs. Apprentices are required to complete 144 hours of classroom instruction during each of the four years of the apprenticeship for 576 total classroom hours.

Vermont Business Magazine June 2, 2026. The Rural School Community Alliance (RSCA) commends the Vermont legislature’s bipartisan support for local democracy and voluntary school district mergers with its passage of H.955. The RSCA has advocated for this result for the past 18 months: no forced mergers, and let the people decide by a vote of the electorate whether or not to merge into larger school districts. H.955 is a dramatically different result than was initially proposed. The legislature, and the Governor, ultimately listened to the thousands of voices of rural Vermonters who provided Vermont-specific evidence that forced mergers would not save taxpayers’ money, would undermine the vitality of Vermont’s rural towns, and would do a disservice to Vermont’s school-aged children.