Current News

Vermont Business Magazine During its winter board meeting on February 2, 2025, Norwich University’s Board of Trustees unanimously elected Mr. Alfred J. “Al” Gobeille ’86 as the next Chair of the Board of Trustees. He will succeed the incumbent Chair, Mr. Alan DeForest ’75, who has served in the role for the past nine years, at the conclusion of his tenure in April. Gobeille’s election follows a thorough process developed, vetted, and executed by the Board of Trustees. A distinguished alumnus of Norwich University, class of 1986, and parent of a 2018 graduate, Gobeille brings a wealth of experience in leadership, public service, and entrepreneurship. His career spans decades and includes both public and private sector work. 

Vermont Business Magazine Special Olympics athletes, organization leaders, Unified Sports® partners, and family members from across the United States and the District of Columbia will converge on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., from February 3-5, 2025, for the annual Special Olympics “Capitol Hill Day.” This flagship event, organized by Special Olympics, includes more than 250 participants and volunteers from 48 states and the District of Columbia. 4 representatives from Special Olympics Vermont including SOVT athlete Connor Turnbaugh and SOVT President & CEO, Sarah McCaffrey will be attending to represent the state of Vermont!

by Cathedral Square CEO Kim Fitzgerald How can this be? Long-term care communities support our most vulnerable. For far too long, direct care staff have been underpaid and underappreciated. During the pandemic, they were our heroes – caring for people 24/7. During COVID outbreaks, they went to work in gowns and shields, continuing to offer compassionate care, often risking their own lives. They could not and would not leave their shift until someone relieved them. On behalf of everyone at Cathedral Square, I cannot thank them enough. Unfortunately, this continues to be their reality every day. For many, flu and COVID outbreaks are a thing of the past, but not for long-term care communities. They care for those who can’t feed themselves, those who need help dressing, and bathing, or getting in and out of bed. They care for our loved ones, those who taught us, protected us, and raised us.

by Mark Whitworth I’m gonna flap my arms and fly over the Statehouse dome. And if I should fail, I will punch myself in the face. That is the essence of Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act. The “flap my arms and fly” portion of the GWSA is a set of unachievable carbon emissions reduction targets. The “punch myself in the face” part is the GWSA’s invitation to sue Vermont at taxpayer expense when the unachievable targets are not met. We will then face the prospect of a judge ordering the Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources to make rules that accomplish the impossible. It won’t be pretty.

by Treasurer Mike Pieciak As Vermont’s Treasurer, I am committed to making investments that lower costs, strengthen our economy, and support healthier communities. I believe every Vermonter deserves a fair shot at success, regardless of the situation they are born into. Yet, for too many Vermonters, the cost of health care stands in the way of investing in their future. Vermont has some of the highest health care costs in the country, forcing Vermonters to either forgo necessary treatment or be burdened with medical debt through no fault of their own. We’re all just one health crisis away from being hit with medical debt, and that debt can linger for years, dragging down credit scores and making it more expensive to buy a home, start a business, and build wealth.

Vermont Business Magazine Peter Varkonyi and Lauren Stevens built a bond over local produce, and developed a business plan to bring fresh, local ingredients to their community. With help from SCORE mentor Juan Florin, Peter and Lauren launched Brownsville’s Butcher and Pantry in November 2018, a market and café for their community offering fresh produce and in-house butchered meat. Peter and Lauren had experience, Peter an executive chef and Lauren a farm manager, but as first-time entrepreneurs they lacked confidence they were taking the right steps that would lead to success. They reached out to the U.S. Small Business Administration Resource Partner SCORE for advising and were connected to Juan Florin, a locally based mentor with a successful track record in the hospitality industry.

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk On Tuesday, Governor Phil Scott delivered his budget address to a joint session of the House and Senate. If you’ve been paying attention over the years, you won’t be shocked to hear that he stuck to a familiar palette of affordability, with tasting notes of tackling property taxes, public safety, and education reform. And given the recent election results that saw more than two dozen seats flip from Democrat to Republican, let’s just say the governor enjoyed a noticeably warmer reception than in years past. And he seemed to strike an affable tone to match. Governor Scott kicked things off with a bit of Budget 101 for the new members, breaking down the difference between one-time money and base funding.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank, with branches across Vermont, is partnering with Greenlight Financial Technology, Inc. to help the next generation build healthy financial futures. Starting today, eligible Community Bank customers now have complimentary access to Greenlight’s award-winning family finance app and debit card, available through the Greenlight for Banks program, which teaches kids and teens how to earn, save, give and spend wisely – all with parental supervision. Using the Greenlight app, parents can send money instantly, automate allowance payments, manage chores, set flexible spending controls, get real-time notifications of all transactions, and more. Kids get hands-on money management experience, along with access to Greenlight Level Up, an in-app financial literacy game with a best-in-class curriculum, educational challenges, and rewards. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) recently led Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.),  Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) in reintroducing the Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience (WEATHER) Act, legislation that calls for the development of an index-based insurance policy that is more responsive to crop and income losses faced by farmers as a result of extreme weather. This would be especially beneficial to farmers in Vermont following floods in July 2023 and July 2024, which impacted nearly 31,000 acres of farmland across the state and resulted in at least $50 million in agricultural losses and damages.

Vermont Business Magazine On January 18, more than 50 GlobalFoundries (GF) volunteers hosted 38 FIRST LEGO League teams for the Vermont State Championship. Over 270 elementary school students and their coaches brought their LEGO robots and Innovation Projects to GF's Essex Junction location for a day of exciting competition and fun. GlobalFoundries is the state program sponsor of FIRST® LEGO® League and the first-time host of the Vermont State Championship. This was also the inaugural event for GF Vermont’s newly refurbished common area and event space. Event Master of Ceremonies, Kevin Cofelice, got the day started with Opening Ceremonies, where over 700 VIPs and guests heard from GF Vermont’s Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations Chris Gillman, Fab 9 Vice President and General Manager Ken McAvey, State Coordinator of FIRSTinVT Joe Chase, and a special keynote from Guy Shaffer, a FIRST alumnus and Equipment Engineer at GF Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Champlain Valley Fair, and the ten best days of summer, returns on August 22nd through August 31st, 2025, with thrilling midway rides, savory fair food, tremendous vendor offerings, educational agricultural shows and exhibits, plus incredible grandstand performances and events. We are excited to share some early information on what’s coming in 2025. Classic rock will open the Fair on August 22nd with 38 Special & Loverboy! For those looking for a night of fun and laughter, Gabriel ‘Fluffy’ Iglesias will take the stage on Friday, August 29th. Country artist Dustin Lynch joins the lineup on Saturday, August 30th. Rapper and DJ Lil Jon will rock the stage and close out the Fair on Sunday, August 31st. We will continue to share information as we secure additional shows and fill out the 2025 Bud Light Concert Series lineup. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fans rejoice! Ben & Jerry's is launching a BRAND NEW product lineup at retailers nationwide: Sundaes – all the joy and indulgence of a decadent ice cream sundae without the hassle of building it yourself. Just pop open the lid! Ben & Jerry's Sundaes line includes four delectable, over-the-top concoctions – each flavor features chunks and swirls, with a decadent whipped topping layer and even more chunks sprinkled on top, of course.