Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Benjamin Jealous, civil and human rights leader, former NAACP president and CEO, and 2018 Maryland gubernatorial candidate, will give the keynote speech during a week of activities, speeches and events commemorating Martin Luther King during the University of Vermont’s annual MLK Week. All events except for Bassem Yousef at the Flynn Theatre are free and open to the public.

Benjamin Jealous. (Photo: Marvin Joseph, The Washington Post/Getty Images)

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University has announced that New York Times bestselling author and historian Alex Kershaw, who penned “Citizens & Soldiers: The First 200 Years of Norwich University,” will give the commencement address to the Class of 2019 in Norwich’s bicentennial year. A graduate of Oxford University, Kershaw is the author of 10 books, including the New York Times best-sellers “The Bedford Boys,” “The Longest Winter” and “Avenue of Spies,” and biographies of Jack London, Raoul Wallenberg and Robert Capa. It was recently announced that Kershaw’s book, “The Liberator,” will be made into a four-part animated WWII drama series for Netflix.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors announced Wendy Mays of Shelburne, Vermont will be the organization’s new Executive Director on Thursday. Mays, a native of Middlebury, has been the Promotions and Special Events Director at Hall Communications Radio Group in South Burlington, VT for 20 years. Elected to the VAB Board of Directors in 2012, Mays has served as Member at Large and Vice President and has been the Chair of the Events committee, which produces the VAB’s annual meeting and convention in May as well as the Hall of Fame Awards Banquet each December.

Wendy Mays photo by Andrew Cate Photography

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Jay Peak Receiver Michael Goldberg received permission on Monday to retain an outside financial firm to help him sell the resort. The Miami court authorized Goldberg to retain Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc. Houlihan Lokey is a financial firm specializing in, among other things, mergers and acquisitions. It’s an international firm based in Los Angeles. The agreement is only for Jay Peak and not Burke Mountain Resort. There is no timeline for the sale, which could take a couple more years.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) today completed the sale of Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee to subsidiaries of NorthStar Group Services, which will decommission the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station site. The sale completion is a major step toward the safe, timely and efficient decommissioning of Vermont Yankee, and is a positive outcome for the Town of Vernon, Windham County, the State of Vermont and other stakeholders. The sale is a first-of-its-kind in the nuclear power industry – a permanent ownership and license transfer to a company that is slated to perform timely and efficient decommissioning and site restoration.

Vermont Business Magazine Vail Resorts, Inc (NYSE: MTN), which owns teh ski operations at Stowe Mountain and Okemo in Vermont, today reported certain ski season metrics for the comparative periods from the beginning of the ski season through January 6, 2019, and for the prior year period through January 7, 2018. The reported ski season metrics are for its North American mountain resorts, and the metrics exclude results from Perisher and its urban ski areas in both periods. The data mentioned in this release is interim period data and is subject to fiscal quarter end review and adjustments.

Vermont Business Magazine This week, Vermont Police Academy (VPA) Executive Director Richard Gauthier made public comments in response to a Burlington police officer’s lawsuit against the VPA that run counter to the findings of an investigation completed by the Burlington Police Department, and raise concerns about his ability to oversee an investigation into the harm caused by VPA’s training practices.

Vermont Business Magazine Seeking to honor a leading Vermont environmentalist and the legacy of a legendary wildlife advocate, Green Mountain Power is calling for nominations for the 10th annual GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award. Named for famed osprey advocate Meeri Zetterstrom of Milton, the GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award is given to one person, business, group or non-profit that has made a significant contribution to Vermont’s environment. The award is accompanied by a $2,500 donation to the winner’s environmental cause.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Reps Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) along with more than two dozen of their colleagues in the House and Senate introduced sweeping reforms Thursday that would dramatically reduce prescription drug prices in the United States. The plan to reduce the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs includes three bills: The Prescription Drug Price Relief Act; The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act; and The Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington School District Board of School Commissioners and the Burlington Education Association (BEA) jointly announce that on January 10, a new contract teachers’ contract for the 2019-2020 school year was ratified by both parties. The renewed collective bargaining agreement covers the maximum length of time allowed by Vermont law for this round of bargaining.

The new contract provides an average salary increase of 3.5% and expanded HRA benefits and support for teachers.

Focuses on civility, affordability, labor force, more people broadens tax base, early education, clean water, electric cars

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Following an elaborate ceremony featuring foreign dignitaries from Mexico and Canada, the introduction of past Governors Shumlin and Douglas, swearing in of constitutional officers and his own swearing in, Governor Phil Scott today delivered his second inaugural address, calling for collaboration to address Vermont’s most significant challenges. To address Vermont’s demographics - and the ripple effects of those trends on the economy and affordability - the governor emphasized a sense of urgency to expand Vermont’s labor force.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 9, 2019, the Secretary of State Jim Condos and Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Michael Pieciak signed a memorandum of understanding outlining their collaborative efforts to explore emerging blockchain technology and its use in the digital recordkeeping practices of the captive insurance industry.