Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens today named veteran banker Marc Lubelczyk as its New Hampshire and Vermont president, succeeding Joseph Carelli, who will retire from the bank effective May 2. A New Hampshire native, Lubelczyk began his career at Citizens in 1993 after graduating from the University of New Hampshire. Over the last 32 years, he has held roles of increasing responsibility within corporate banking, establishing a strong track record as a trusted advisor to businesses of all sizes across New England. Lubelczyk earned his MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, unchanged from last week. They are up 2 cents/g from last month and down 52 cents/g from last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.79/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 50.0 cents per gallon. The lowest prices are in Rutland ($2.98/g) and Windsor ($3.00/g) counties. The highest are in Essex ($3.20/g), Franklin ($3.18/g) and Grand Isle ($3.21/g) counties, as prices generally get higher the farther north one goes. The national average price of gasoline has risen 1 cent per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.17/g today. The national average is up 5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 49 cents per gallon lower than a year ago

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University, a nationally recognized leader in the cyber domain, will officially break ground on the construction of the new 13,000-square foot Cyber Fusion Research and Development Center (CFC) on April 25. Senator Patrick Leahy, Lt Gen John J. Broadmeadow, USMC (Ret), 25th President of Norwich University, and Phil Susmann, President of Norwich University Applied Research Institutes (NUARI) will be speaking about the significant and far-reaching impact of this project. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont now has nearly 18,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on its roads, a 41% increase in the number of EVs on the road since last year, according to data from Drive Electric Vermont. The surge in EV adoption shows Green Mountain State residents are embracing the savings and simplicity of driving electric—and the environmental benefits of driving cleaner vehicles ahead of Earth Day. Governor Scott said at his regular press conference Wednesday that it's clear the state needs many more fast chargers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Climate Catalysts Leadership Program is a 6-month experience that provides new and emerging leaders with opportunities to build peer connections, strengthen leadership skills and receive project development support. Since the program’s inception in 2020, nearly 75 Vermonters have participated in this program sparking innovative projects in their hometowns and beyond. Participants bring a climate project they are interested in developing or that is already in progress. Your focus and project may be part of paid work or something you are doing as an elected/appointed leader or as a volunteer.

Vermont Business Magazine RSG, a leader in data-driven research, analytics, and modeling, has appointed Charlie Phippen as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Charlie officially stepped into the role at the White River Jct organization on March 17, 2025, bringing over 20 years of leadership experience in research, data, and consulting. Charlie has a proven track record of driving growth, modernizing operations, and expanding data-driven insights into new markets. Most recently, he served as CEO of Water Tower Research, where he led significant revenue growth, streamlined operations, and positioned the firm for long-term success. His background includes leadership roles at Coalition Greenwich, S&P, and Goldman Sachs, where he specialized in strategy, corporate development, and data-driven decision-making.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to block President Trump’s illegal tariffs. The case challenges four of President Trump’s executive orders that claim the power to increase tariffs worldwide without congressional action. The lawsuit challenges President Trump’s executive orders calling for higher tariffs on most products worldwide. These tariffs impose a 145 percent tariff on most products from China, a 25 percent tariff on most products from Canada and Mexico, and 10 percent tariffs on most products from the rest of the world. It also challenges President Trump’s plan to raise tariffs on imports from 46 other trading partners on July 9.

Vermont Natural Resources Council Today at noon, join the second-to-last webinar in VECAN’s winter series to get an update on what’s happening with the implementation of Vermont’s historic Climate Superfund Act and the important work underway to develop a Resilience Implementation Strategy, a joint initiative of the Governor and the Vermont Treasurer, led through a partnership between the Treasurer’s Office and the Climate Action Office. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) announces 18 businesses have been awarded a total of $679,095 to maintain and grow the agricultural and forestry sectors in Vermont. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) was created by the Vermont Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. WLEI is a collaborative effort between the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Housing Finance Agency Board of Commissioners approved awards on Monday, April 21, 2025, of federal low-income housing tax credits to build approximately 128 new affordable homes. Four out of seven proposed development projects were selected to receive $3.4 million in federal housing tax credits which will generate $31.5 million in equity for housing development costs. The funding comes at a critical time for Vermont as the state works to expand affordable housing options, particularly for low-income families, older adults, and households who have experienced homelessness.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has completed taking in applications for Vermont’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (VT-BEAD) Program. BEAD is a federal program that provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs in all states and territories. Vermont’s allocation of those funds is almost $229 million. That money will be used to serve all the unserved and underserved locations in the state. 96 percent of these eligible locations received at least one application, and 95 percent of eligible locations received an application that will provide fiber optic service.

Vermont Business Magazine Cannatrol, the innovators behind the cannabis industry’s only all-in-one solution for consistent drying, curing and storage, today announced the hiring of Michael Lucchino as executive vice president of sales and Kameron Simpson as product manager, as well as the opening of Denver offices for the North Springfield, Vermont-based company. The company's new Colorado hub in the Denver Tech Center will serve as a strategic base for the company's western operations and upcoming distribution hub for its postharvest systems, sales of which have demonstrated strong, steady growth since inception in 2021.