Current News

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont has received the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association 2009 FEP Plan Excellence Award for outstanding performance, company officials announced today.
The award recognizes the Vermont Plan’s contribution to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association’s Federal Employee Program (FEP), the largest privately underwritten health insurance contract in the world. Approximately half of all federal employees and retirees who receive their health care benefits through the government’s Federal Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) are members of the BCBSA program – receiving coverage through their local Blue Plans.

The Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) and Sovernet Communications reported today that their public-private partnership, Vermont FiberConnect, will receive a $33.4 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. The grant will allow Sovernet to develop, own, maintain, and operate a 773 mile fiber-optic middle mile network in southern, central, and northeastern Vermont. The project will connect over 340 community anchor institutions in the project area, including State owned buildings, public safety towers and all public and private K-12 schools, public libraries and colleges that elect to participate in the project. Another $13.7 million will go to Vermont Telephone Company (STORY).

Brian Harwood of Waterbury, has been elected chair of the board of directors of Vermont Public Television (VPT), Vermont’s statewide public television network. One of the state’s best-known radio personalities and a Vermont Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame member, he is morning host on WCVT Classic Vermont. He was formerly chair and CEO of hmc2 advertising in Stowe. Since his retirement from the firm, he serves as chair emeritus.
Harwood succeeds James Wyant of Pointe Claire, Que., who continues on the VPT board as past chair.
Pamela Mackenzie of S. Burlington, Vt., was elected vice chair. She is the area vice president for Comcast in Vermont and western Massachusetts.
Source: VPT 7.2.2010

Federal agencies have awarded two Vermont telecommunication organizations a total of $47.1 million in federal economic recovery grants to build fiber optic networks that will help form the core of Vermont’s broadband network. The new funds will be used to wire ‘anchor institutions’ across the state and bring high-capacity, lightning-fast, affordable broadband bandwidth closer to end users.

Vermont and other New England states will face increasing pressure on pension plans as their populations get older and, consequently, they retire at an increasing rate. By 2030 in Vermont, 38 percent of the population will be 60 or older, the second highest in New England next to Maine’s 40 percent. The national average at that time will have climbed to 33 percent. Vermont and New England must come to terms financially with this phenomenon earlier than the rest of the US, according to a report released yesterday by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston entitled: “Population Aging and State Pensions in New England.”

Chittenden Bank, Vermont's largest bank, will be changing its name to People's United Bank on July 17 after 106 years of representing the Vermont county's name. People's United, based in Connecticut, bought Chittenden Bank in 2008, making Chittenden a division of People's United in January 2009.
Letters were sent to Chittenden Bank customers yesterday, June 30, stating the change, ‘We are pleased to share some exciting news with you. As you may know, Chittenden Bank has been operating as a division of Peoples United Bank since January 2009. On July 17, 2010, the name of Chittenden Bank will change to People’s United Bank."
The letter was signed by People's United Interim President Jack Barnes and Michael Seaver, whose former title, president of Chittenden Bank, has been changed to Vermont President, People's United.
A new online banking system for Chittenden customers will be installed on July 17 and be available starting July 19.

In testimony to be filed July 2, the Vermont Natural Resources Council asserts that groundwater pollution at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant violates the state’s recently-enacted groundwater public trust law.
“Every Vermonter owns Vermont’s groundwater,” said Jon Groveman, VNRC’s legal counsel and water program co-director. “If Vermont Yankee is claiming they have not violated Vermont law because the groundwater they have polluted has not spread to drinking water wells off their property, they are wrong,” he said.
In 2008, the legislature passed Act 199, which declares groundwater to be a public trust resource.
VNRC is filing the testimony in a Public Service Board docket investigating the leaks of radioactive substances at the plant. The docket is part of a broader PSB review of whether Vermont Yankee should continue operation.

Kelliher Samets Volk was awarded the Yankee PRSA’s 2010 Summit Award for its successful public relations campaign utilizing social media on behalf of client Stowe Mountain Resort.
Awarded annually, the Summit Award recognizes excellence in a specific area of focus. This year, the award recognized excellence in the use of social media as the primary tool utilized in a public relations campaign.
‘We were very impressed with KSV’s execution of the campaign,’ said Martin Murray, Yankee PRSA awards committee chair and senior corporate news representative at PSNH. ‘KSV used the right tools, and used them more effectively, than many other agencies, in the opinion of the judges.’
Summit Award judges included Katie Delahaye Paine of KDPaine & Partners, Berlin, NH; and, Rich Brooks of flyte new media, Portland, ME.

The chief executives of Vermont’s leading businesses appear increasingly optimistic toward all three of the survey’s metrics: sales prospects, capital expenditures and employment levels for the summer months and fall months, when compared against first quarter 2010 forecasts. The mood was assessed near the end of the second quarter and released today by Vermont Business Roundtable Chair Bill Stritzler and President Lisa Ventriss.
According to Roundtable President, Lisa Ventriss, ‘Overall, these data represent the third straight reporting period in which indicators have been trending positively for sales, capital expenditures, and employment levels. In particular, a strengthening in the sales forecasts from our CEO members; now more than two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents expect their sales to increase in the next six months, compared to 63 percent from the first quarter. That bodes well for Vermont products and services.’ Ventriss said.

Kimbell Sherman Ellis, LLP, (KSE) a national government affairs and strategic communications firm, announced today a joint venture with Anya Rader Wallack, founder and president of Arrowhead Health Analytics of Fall River, MA. The venture positions the firms to jointly serve and empower clients affected by the recently passed national health care reform legislation and closely links Wallack and KSE, the firm where she began her career in 1989.
Wallack has a deep knowledge of health policy, including Medicaid and the impact of national health care reform on the 50 states. She established Arrowhead earlier this year after serving as interim president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation (BCBSMAF) and executive director of the Massachusetts Medicaid Policy Institute (MMPI). Her clients include health care foundations, state governments and health care provider organizations.

Michael R. Tuttle, President and CEO of Merchants Bank, today announced that Merchants Bancshares, Inc, the parent company of Merchants Bank, was ranked 12th among the “Top 200 Community Banks,” as published in the June 2010 issue of US Banker Magazine. US Banker Magazine publishes an annual ranking of community banks based on their three-year average return on equity. These top 200 are selected from the over 7,000 FDIC-insured banks in the category of under $2 billion in total assets.
“This ranking is a reflection of the great work our people do every day. We are especially proud that this ranking is based upon a three-year average return and therefore demonstrates our sustained commitment over time to strong financial performance,” commented Mr. Tuttle.

Vermont Senators Patrick Leahy (D) and Bernie Sanders (I) and Representative Peter Welch (D) reported Wednesday that Vermont local governments are set to receive $896,432 for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) – the federal payments to local governments that help compensate communities for nontaxable federal lands within their boundaries. Fifty-six towns and counties in Vermont will receive payments, ranging from $214 to $70,513.