Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The fourth graduating class of Castleton University passed across the stage at its 232nd Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 18. Former Vermont Governor James Douglas addressed the more than 3,500 guests in attendance and thousands more streaming the ceremony online.

Vermont Business Magazine GW Plastics President and CEO Brenan Riehl was the keynote speaker at the college's 153rd annual commencement for the applied science and engineering technology program ceremonies on Saturday inRandolph Center. Riehl leads the multi-national company, which is one of North America's top precision thermoplastic and silicone contract manufacturers. As an employer-partner to Vermont Tech, GW Plastics offers credit-bearing training for their incumbent workers, provides scholarship and internships to Vermont Tech students, and hires many graduates. Currently, approximately 20 employees are graduates of the college.

Vermont Business Magazine Looking out over a sea of graduates and their families, UVM’s 2019 Commencement speaker Darren Walker noted the many differences among the personal stories of those gathered on the University Green on a breezy Vermont Sunday morning. Differences in where they are from and where they are going next with their lives, differences in their academic majors and their career goals.

Vermont Business Magazine On February 1^st Vermont Federal Credit Union launched Seed Money, a down payment assistance program offering first-time home buyers up to $7,500 towards closing and down payment costs. The new program is available to first-time home buyers with a household income of $125,000 or below who are purchasing a single family home or approved condominium. The Credit Union is offering 3% of the purchase price up to a maximum of $7,500 for first-time home buyers who meet these qualifications, are doing a conventional mortgage through the Credit Union, and don’t qualify for other down payment programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Border Regional Commission Federal Cochair Harold B. Parker announced today that Rich Grogan of Vermont will become the first Executive Director of the Northern Border Regional Commission. Grogan is currently the Executive Director of Community Capital of Vermont. Grogan will oversee the administration of more than $20 million a year in federal funds invested in northern border communities from Niagara Falls to the Gulf of Maine. The Commission, which consists of the presidentially-appointed Federal Cochair and the four governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, will charge Grogan with developing a long-term strategic vision for revitalization in partnership with community and economic development organizations across the region.  

​Vermont Business Magazine Responding to increased demand to service home sellers and buyers in Addison County, Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty is pleased to announce the opening of a Real Estate Sales Center in Vergennes. Headquartered in Burlington, the firm also operates a Real Estate Sales Center in St. Albans. 

Leonine Public Affairs The regularly scheduled 18-week legislative session came to an end this week. The legislature will be going into overtime with a number of policy bills not quite ready for the finish line. Conference committees will meet on Monday and Tuesday of this week and the House will hold token sessions on Monday and Tuesday to advance the calendar. The Senate will return on Tuesday and the House will return on Wednesday, which should allow the legislature to adjourn by the end of the week.

Vermont Business Magazine A cloud-based accounting company in Burlington was recently named the 2019 Vermont Minority-Owned Business of the Year. Reconciled, founded and owned by Michael Ly, provides bookkeeping, accounting & CFO services to small businesses throughout the US. “Reconciled provides consistent, accurate remote accounting services while removing the burden of having to manage a part-time bookkeeper. We hire only US-based accounting professionals who possess an accounting certificate from an accredited institution and/or equivalent bookkeeping experience.”

Ly hatched the idea for Reconciled while working as an accounting consultant. Ly noticed many of his clients had poor bookkeeping records. Rather than constantly asking for more financial documentations and making corrections, Ly felt he could serve them more effectively if he did their bookkeeping for them online. 

by Cinda Donton, Eldercare Clinician, Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging May 20 marks National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day, creating an opportunity to raise recognition in our communities around the importance of supporting older Vermonters in maintaining good mental health. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Public Service Department today announced the next meeting of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT NDCAP) has been scheduled for Monday, May 20, 2019, from 6:00 PM to 8:50 PM in the Vernon Elementary School Cafeteria / Auditorium, 381 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon, VT.  (Use “387 Governor Hunt Road, Vernon, VT for accurate Google Maps driving directions to this meeting site.)

Vermont Business Magazine Construction on the University of Vermont’s long-awaited Multi-Purpose Center project is scheduled to begin as early as next week, University officials announced today at a small, ceremonial groundbreaking held Saturday morning. More than 20 years in the making, a $4 million gift from UVM alumnus Chuck Davis (Class of 1972) and his wife Marna allowed the UVM Foundation to meet—and exceed—the initial fundraising goals stipulated by the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. UVM has raised over $32 million for the new facility. UVM has raised over $32 million for the new $95 million facility.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) has obtained an Act 250 permit from Vermont’s Natural Resources Board authorizing a planned renovation and expansion of its Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) Deerfield Valley Campus, a family medicine practice, which provides primary care for patients of all ages.