Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-nine months after an organization known as the Democracy Builders Fund purchased the campus of Marlboro College and commenced an ill-fated educational project known as Degrees of Freedom on the property, stability has returned to the scenic campus under the aegis of a newly formed nonprofit called Potash Hill, Inc. Potash Hill, which acquired the real estate in September 2021 and takes its name from the hill that dominates the campus, is an offspring of Marlboro Music, the Philadelphia-based nonprofit that has been leasing space on the property for its world-renowned music festival since 1951.

Vermont Business Magazine At the annual national America’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) conference in San Diego, the board of directors re-elected Linda Rossi, State Director of Vermont’s Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC), as national Board Chair for a second term. Rossi was elected at last year’s national conference which took place virtually. She also previously served as both Secretary and Vice-Chair for the national board. As State Director of VtSBDC since 2013, Rossi has led her high-performing team to provide no-fee, one-to-one confidential advising, market-demanded training, and a vast array of digital and in-person resources that have inspired thousands of business owners, start-ups, and student entrepreneurs who now thrive in the Vermont marketplace and serve their customers with pride and quality.

Vermont Business Magazine Sunday marked the end of the 2022 Fox US Open of Mountain Biking event at Killington Resort. Making its return to Killington for the first time since 2018, nearly 600 athletes joined the family-friendly mountain bike festival Sept 15-18. Sunday concluded with the Open Class Downhill race where Dakotah Norton (USA) and Nina Hoffmann (DEU) took the top step of the podium, each taking home the $15,000 cash prize. The fan favorite Red Bull Best Whip, presented by YT Industries, took place on a perfect late summer Vermont evening as the massive crowd watched Eddie Reynolds and Brooke Anderson take first place in the men’s and women’s categories among invited athletes. With the largest ever Fox US Open cash purse of $80,000 on the line, athletes came to win and put on an epic show for the 7,000 spectators at Killington during the event.

Vermont Employee Ownership Center The New England architecture firm has long taken a different approach to its design work. Now it has joined the movement for a different type of ownership. A sampling of words that came to mind for Austin Design’s architects and designers when asked to briefly describe what architecture means to them: Purpose-driven. Enhanced living. Life-focused. Collaboration. The words stand out not only as helpful descriptions of what high-quality architecture can achieve, but also as reflections of some of the core ideals that continue to shape and propel forward the movement of companies becoming employee-owned, a movement which the team of 10 workers at Austin Design has joined as of early September.

Vermont Business Magazine Margo Baldwin, President and Publisher of Chelsea Green Publishing, has announced the establishment of The Chelsea Green Foundation, an independent private operating foundation that will perpetuate the legacy and the mission of the company and will support and expand its educational work in both the United States and United Kingdom. The Foundation will be based in Lebanon, NH, and function as a charitable trust under NH law. Founded by Margo and Ian Baldwin in 1984, Chelsea Green Publishing is the leading publisher of books on the politics and practice of sustainable living.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve has announced its 2022 award recipients for service and support to Vermont’s Guard and Reserve members. At their annual banquet held recently in Jericho, Vt. ESGR presented a total of 55 awards to over 23 employers who provided outstanding support over the past year. Guest speaker for the event was Major General Gregory Knight, Adjutant General, State of Vermont. Top award recipients receiving the “Pro Patria” award were Greensea Systems, Inc, of Richmond, small business private sector category, and General Electric Aviation, North Clarendon, large business private sector category. The Pro Patria is the highest award that a state ESGR office can present.

Vermont Business Magazine Shelburne Farms is excited to announce that it has been awarded a Save America’s Treasures grant of $500,000 in order to protect and preserve the historic Coach Barn by upgrading the electrical system and installing fire and life safety improvements. One of the great barns of America and one of Vermont’s iconic historic buildings, the Coach Barn is an inspiring and beautiful convening space for educators as well as for nonprofit and community organizations. It is home to the Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools, a hub for professional learning programs and resources for PreK-12 educators, including the Farm to School Institute. All of Shelburne Farms’ professional learning offerings prepare educators to facilitate learning experiences for students using a lens of sustainability.

Department of Fish and Wildlife The Vermont Warden Service issued charges today against Alex Gaudette, 25, of Bolton, for the hunting related shooting of James Cameron, 35, of Fairfax, in Huntington earlier this month. Gaudette faces felony charges of aggravated assault (13 V.S.A. § 1024) and negligent use of a gun (13 V.S.A. § 4009). He also faces a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment (13 V.S.A. § 1025). Gaudette will answer to the charges in Chittenden County Court on September 22, 2022. If convicted of aggravated assault, Gaudette could face up to 15 years of jail time and be fined up to $10,000, as well as losing his hunting license for five years.

Vermont Business Magazine All are invited to explore the possibilities of a new career with the region’s largest employers at Jobtoberfest. The event is scheduled for 1 – 4 p.m. Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at the gymnasium of the former Southern Vermont College, 982 Mansion Drive in Bennington. There are jobs available for people with all levels of education and skill, including students and those working full- or part-time elsewhere. Participating companies include Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), Allaire Health/Center for Living and Rehabilitation, Mack Molding, and United Counseling Service.

Vermont Business Magazine VITL has announced that the Vermont Health Information Exchange has been certified as a module of the Vermont Medicaid Enterprise as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Outcomes-Based Certification Program. Vermont is one of the first states to receive this certification for its health information exchange. Certification allows Vermont to receive enhanced federal funding to support ongoing Vermont Health Information Exchange operations in service of Vermonters and our health care community. Preparing for and achieving this certification required a strong partnership of the teams from the state’s Agency of Human Services and VITL, supported by the State’s Health Information Exchange Steering Committee.