Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Mary Cohen, a longtime NeighborWorks and community leader, was appointed Wednesday to be interim Executive Director of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, effective April 1. The appointment was made during a Board of Directors’ retreat that examined the chamber’s strengths, weaknesses and future, and fills the position left vacant by the resignation of Tom Donahue.

“Mary will provide stable, proactive and energetic leadership to the Chamber staff and the Chamber as a whole while the board determines its course for the long-term,” President Dave Correll said.  “Her willingness to step in quickly will ensure we have professional leadership in place immediately, through this transition period.”

“This will allow the board ample time to thoughtfully consider a variety of options on the table to ensure we do what is best for our members and the vitality of the region.”

Vermont Business Magazine Even while the unemployment rate in February showed no change from last month, the overall news was generally positive, with a greater labor force, more employed and fewer jobless. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for February was 3.4 percent. This represents no change from the revised January rate (3.4 percent).

Vermont Business Magazine The regional electric grid operator has released its annual report and identified the many challenges obvious to many observers: too much reliance on natural gas, on the one hand, while on the other great strides have been made in energy efficiency. ISO New England's 2016 Regional Electricity Outlook, an annual report on the state of New England’s power system, reviews the innovative solutions ISO and regional stakeholders are pursuing to ensure reliable electricity for the region’s homes and businesses—today and into the future. In particular, the report highlights that natural gas pipeline development is out of step with demand.

Vermont Business Magazine An enduring and strong commitment to social justice and public service at Saint Michael’s College will be exemplified at this year’s Commencement ceremony by the College’s choice of speaker and honorary degree recipients. Dr Frederick M (Skip) Burkle, a 1961 Saint Michael’s graduate whose extraordinary career advancing global health initiatives earned him an honorary degree from the College in 2009, will return to be this year’s Commencement speaker for the ceremony on Sunday, May 15 at 10 a.m. in the Ross Sports Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has convened a group of Windham Region manufacturers for the first ever Southern Vermont Business Roundtable. The Roundtable meetings are divided into industry specific working groups, and designed to support workforce needs, as well as identify any existing programs and resources that will help recruit, train, or retain new and incumbent workforce.

Vermont Business Magazine Sentinel Asset Management, Inc, part of the National Life Group based in Montpelier, announced Thursday that it has signed the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment, known as PRI. The PRI initiative is recognized as the leading global network for investors and financial industry participants who are committed to integrating environmental, social and governance considerations into their investment practices and ownership policies.  

“We are delighted to welcome Sentinel Asset Management to the PRI,” said Fiona Reynolds, managing director. “They have long demonstrated a commitment to ESG and sustainability issues and are an excellent example of investment managers who understand that taking a long-term view of the market, which looks at ESG considerations, can lead to attractive returns for investors.”

Vermont Business Magazine The two Vermont hospitals in the University of Vermont Health Network wound up with $28.9 million more in revenue than expected for fiscal year 2015 and are seeking approval from the Green Mountain Care Board to direct approximately $15 million of that to support community partners serving the most vulnerable and complex patients. Part of the excess funds would also bolster state efforts to change the way health care is paid for and delivered. The additional revenue resulted from providing more patient care than anticipated in the state-approved budget for FY15. Increased patient load was attributed to increased insurance coverage through Vermont Health Connect and the Medicaid expansion and the relatively ineffective flu vaccine from 2015. The Health Network will address the remainder of the budget adjustment – $14 million – as part of its FY 2017 budget submissions to the GMCB, looking to continue its trend of reducing rate requests to commercial insurers.

Vermont Business Magazine In hypothetical head-to-head general election contests, either Democratic candidate would defeat any Republican challenger, a new poll released by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont leads Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, with 51.1 percent to 37.4 percent. In a Hillary Clinton versus Trump scenario, 47.7 percent report they would support the former US Secretary of State, comfortably topping the 38.4 percent who said they would back Trump.

​Vermont Business Magazine Gail Sheehy, pioneering journalist and world-renowned author, will be the commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree at the University of Vermont’s 2016 spring commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22, on the University Green. A 1958 University of Vermont alumna, Sheehy launched her career in New York as one of the first women journalists in national media in the 1960s, at the birth of the second-wave feminist movement. A prolific writer, she has authored 17 books and hundreds of magazine articles; she is a founding writer of New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. Her seminal work Passages was named by the Library of Congress as one of the 10 most influential books of our times.

Vermont Business Magazine Trout habitat will be improved, water will be cleaner and invasive plants will be better controlled, thanks to funding from Vermont’s 2016 Watershed Grant Program. The program, established by the Legislature in 1998 and financed by a portion of the sales of the Vermont Conservation License Plates, provides funding to non-profits and towns wanting to improve aquatic habitat, water quality and flood resiliency. 

Vermont Business Magazine Continuing to help bridge the gap between meeting the needs of today's car shoppers and the business goals of automotive dealers, Burlington-based Dealer.com today announced it is delivering a more connected website experience that makes the digital retailing process more engaging, secure and efficient. The new features and functionality will create a more complete online to in-store deal-making experience that aligns with today's consumer expectations and accelerates the path to purchase.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin marked Disability Awareness Day (March 23^rd) by further solidifying Vermont’s leadership as a model employer of people with disabilities. The governor signed an Executive Order establishing a Disability Employment Working Group. The working group will be tasked with recommending hiring practices that will increase access to State employment for individuals with disabilities.

Vermont has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and a higher-than-average workforce participation rate. Those numbers represent good news for the Vermont economy but create a small labor market in the state that can make finding qualified employees a challenge for Vermont employers. More than 82,000 Vermonters have a disability, representing a group of potential employees often overlooked by employers. Currently, fewer than 35 percent of Vermonters with disabilities are employed.