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Vermont Business Magazine VMEC is seeking a new CEO! Patricia Giavara, the Interim Director & CEO, and the VMEC Advisory Board are seeking candidates to lead the organization. And we'd love your help in getting the word out! Please forward this e-blast message to those you believe are candidates for this position, share the link below or visit our LI page to like and share the Director and CEO hiring posts.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office today announced it has concluded its review of the officer-involved shooting incident that occurred on August 25, 2021, in Rutland, Vermont. The Attorney General’s Office has declined to prosecute Rutland City Police Department Corporal Christopher Rose for charges related to the fatal shooting of Jonathan Mansilla. Based on the facts and circumstances and consistent with Vermont law, the Attorney General’s Office has concluded that the actions of Corporal Rose were justified.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard resort in Eastern North America, has received a positive snow control announcement from FIS (International Ski Federation), the governing body of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup. With this announcement, Killington Resort can assure international race teams and ski racing fans traveling to central Vermont for Thanksgiving weekend that both the Giant Slalom and Slalom races will take place as scheduled on November 27 and 28.

Vermont Business Magazine Commissioner of Finance & Management, Adam Greshin, has announced a public forum for comment on FY 2023 State budget development. The governor is required to enable public participation in the development of goals and in the general prioritization of spending and revenue initiatives.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today directed the Agency of Human Services to implement a Universal Booster Program for COVID-19 vaccinations and is strongly encouraging every Vermonter over the age of 18 to get a booster. Anyone who has received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is eligible two months after their first dose. Individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are eligible six months after completing their initial vaccination. The state also will remove the longer list of criteria for boosters on the state’s website and will implement a simplified registration process.

Vermont Business Magazine Renowned digital workforce accelerator, Upright Education, has partnered with Norwich University’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies (CGCS), a national leader in online graduate education, to offer technology bootcamps that fast-track adults into high-growth technology careers. Through this unique partnership, Norwich University Online will offer award-winning accelerated learning programs in software development (coding) as well as user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design (UX/UI) to adults seeking new careers in these fields.

Vermont Business Magazine The Campaign for Vermont (CFV) has released a new report that compares the wages and benefits of teachers and state employees to the private sector and what that means for the current discussions around pension reform. The report found, among other things, that public employees make around $12,000 more per year in wages alone than the average private sector employee (this gap grows further when benefits are considered). In retirement, this number jumps to over $20,000 per year.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) Tuesday issued the following statement ahead of the US Senate’s consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act: "Many of my colleagues tell the American people, day after day, how deeply concerned they are about the deficit and the national debt. They tell us that we just don’t have enough money to expand Medicare, guarantee paid family and medical leave, and address the climate crisis to the degree that we should if we want to protect the well-being of future generations. Yet, tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will be voting on an annual defense budget that costs $778 billion – $37 billion more than President Trump’s last defense budget and $25 billion more than what President Biden requested."

Governor Phil Scott I want to reiterate how important it is for Vermonters to use common sense and take precautions as we approach the holidays, so we don’t adversely impact our ICU capacity. The number one commonsense thing you can do is get vaccinated. The data speaks for itself: About three quarters of Vermont’s hospitalizations and about 70% of our cases are among the unvaccinated. So, the best way to protect yourself and your family is still to get the vaccine. It’s also important to get your booster. As you’ve heard us say, if you’re over 18 and it’s been six months since you received your second dose of Moderna or Pfizer or two months since J&J, we want you to get boosted. Vermont currently leads the nation in boosters among those over the age of 65 but we can, and need to, do better because its already having a positive effect. In the past 30 days, even as total cases have increased, the case rate for those over 65 has actually declined about 2.5%.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is reporting 187 COVID-19 cases, which was down from Monday's 222, and down from Sunday's 298 cases. There were 463 COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 505 cases Friday, which was the second highest case count on record after they spiked to 591 Thursday. The 15 worst days have all come since mid-September, following from the Delta variant surge that began in July. Legislative leaders are balking at a suggestion from Governor Scott to call a Special Legislative Session to allow for municipalities to enact their own COVID requirements, including local mask mandates. The request to do so came to Scott from the Vermont League of Cities & Towns. The governor called the suggestion "an olive branch" in order to find some compromise over this contentious issue.

Vermont Research News The full impact of Senator Leahy's remarkable political career won't be known for some time. One clear thread is the commitment to social justice and democratic principles as Phil Baruth describes in the one biography of the Senator written so far -- "Patrick Leahy, a Life in Scenes." In a future research newsletter we will explore more of Senator Leahy's far-ranging impacts on Vermont, the nation and the world. Send your ideas here. UVM photo of Marcelle and Patrick Leahy with Paul Bruhn during the 1974 campaign.