Current News

CyberSkills/Vermont and Northern New England Tradeswomen are running their third class of Step IT Up, a joint venture to give women the skills for a career in Information Technology.
The first two classes were held at Dale Correctional facility and prepared women for careers in Web Site development. The current class prepares the ten participants for jobs in the growing desktop publishing arena.
Step IT Up consists of two main components: computer instruction, from basic MS Office to Quark Express delivered by CyberSkills/Vermont in partnership with KnowledgeWave; and Women's Resources, the job-readiness element crucial to the success of the program, provided by NNETW. The women will receive coaching on resume writing, interviewing, customer support, and conflict resolution. Both CyberSkills/Vermont and Northern New England Tradeswomen will be working with employers to find internships and jobs for the graduates of this program.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce will hold a press conference in Room 10 at the State House on Monday, December 15 at 10:30 AM to release the Top Five Economic Development Initiatives for 2004.
Paving the way to job creation and retention, the initiatives focus on: permit reform, competitive business climate, tax policy to ensure business investment, energy costs and taxes, and travel and tourism.
Recognizing that the legislative climate is ripe for compromise, Vermont Chamber Board Chair Kevin O’Donnell of The Old Tavern at Grafton and Vermont Chamber Government Affairs Committee Chair Jim Pratt of Cabot Cooperative Creamery will confirm the need for the Chamber initiatives, based on experience and business member feedback.
The new President of the Vermont Chamber, Duane Marsh, will be available, as well as Vermont Chamber Board Members, Government Affairs Committee members, and senior Chamber staff.

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra announces the hiring of Patrick Keogh as
Sales and Marketing Director for the statewide, non-profit organization.
Keogh graduated from Champlain College with a degree in marketing
Management and recently held the position of Sales and Marketing Director for
Thrifty Car Rental of Vermont.
Primarily, Keogh will be responsible for
carrying the message of the VSO throughout the state, and ensuring strong ticket
sales throughout the communities in which the VSO performs.
Under the leadership of internationally acclaimed violinist and conductor
Jaime Laredo as Music Director and Anthony Princiotti as the Orchestra’s first
Associate Conductor., the Vermont Symphony Orchestra produces nearly 50
orchestra concerts, nearly 200 educational presentations and dozens of ensembles
performances annually throughout the state.

The Stern Center for Language and Learning has made some changes in their
management team. Mary Allen Stifler, M.A.T., formerly Director of
Development has moved to a newly created position as Vice President for
Program Administration. The Development Department has been restructured
with Megan Cluver, B.A., taking the position of Development/Community
Relations Coordinator.
New to the organization are Laurie Caswell Burke,
Ed.M. and William Billings, B.S. Ms. Caswell Burke, formerly Giving World
Coordinator for the April Cornell Giving World Foundation, is the Stern
Center’s Development Officer. Mr. Billings is the new Marketing
Director.
He comes to the Stern Center from L3 Communications in the Boston area
where is was the Marketing and Sales Director.
Also joining the Stern
Center management team is Earl Walters, B.S., replacing John Connell as

Vermont businesses were recognized recently by the Vermont Travel Industry Conference (VTIC) for marketing and business excellence in promoting travel to and within Vermont. The award winners were also acknowledged for their efforts in gaining exposure for the wealth of activities to experience in our state.
The Awards Selection Committee, comprised of members of the tourism industry, selected the winners for their commitment to the Vermont economy, as well as respect for the environment and achieving exceptional levels of customer service. Recognizing that the travel and tourism industry is a critical factor in our state economy, the committee selected the winners based on effectiveness, creativity, innovation, and results.
Marketing Excellence award winners include:
Co-op Marketing (an effort using pooled resources promoting a common product or experience): Killington Chamber of Commerce and Topnotch Resort

Barbara G. Ripley has joined the law practice of Eggleston and Cramer, Ltd in Burlington. Ripley has experience in both public and private law.
She previously served the State of Vermont as Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources and Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry. Over the past 4 years, Ripley has been an attorney at Wilson & White in Montpelier, where she focused on environmental and land use matters as well as stakeholder process facilitation and mediation.
At Eggleston and Cramer Ms. Ripley specializes in assistance with environmental and utility regulatory and government relations; and negotiation, collaboration, and problem solving in environmental, municipal, and nonprofit affairs.

Burlington architecture firm Freeman French Freeman’s leadership in sustainable design has lead to staff member Jesse Robbins receiving LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification. Robbins attended the LEED Training Workshop at the University of New Hampshire and the GreenBuild Conference in Pittsburgh before taking and passing the exam.
The United States Green Building Council has established a point system that rates the overall energy efficiency of new and renovated construction. Approximately 5% of current construction projects in the U.S. are LEED-registered.. While no mandatory regulations stipulate that buildings be designed and built to LEED standards, FFF uses the system to promote sustainable design.

Colin Schmidt and Tom Wright started Saffire Mortgage, Inc. in November, 2002 in a closet with one telephone, one computer and one dream: Provide customers the highest-possible level of service and most competitive home mortgage rates.
One year later, Saffire’s 5,000 square foot office houses 15 employees with more than 80 years experience in the financial sector, 20 computers and some pretty impressive awards. In 2003, the company closed more than $100 million in residential home mortgages; achieved mortgage broker licensures in 15 states; was selected as a mortgage broker for 10 lending institutions; been recognized for “Great Leadership in Online Mortgage Origination” as a member of the Homecomings Financial E-Partner program, and; awarded Mortgage 101’s 3rd Quarter Customer Service Award as one of the top 3 (of two thousand brokers listed on the Mortgage 101 website) for customer satisfaction.

Kay Brown, C.M.S.C., C.P.C.S., manager of the Medical Staff Office at
Fletcher Allen Health Care, has been chosen to serve on the National
Certification Board of the National Association of Medical Staff Services
(NAMSS). In this position, Brown will be the Northeast representative and
will help draft and evaluate certification requirements for medical staff
services personnel throughout the country. She will be working with
hospitals of all sizes -- from large urban academic medical centers to
one-person Medical Staff Offices at small community hospitals. The
appointment is a three-year commitment.
"The challenge that has been
placed before me is an honor but also a formidable one. We will be
setting the standards for the future of medical staff professionals across
the nation," Brown said. "I look forward to representing the Northeast

Marlboro College named Ellen McCulloch-Lovell, a leader
in the arts, education and public policy in Washington D.C. and Vermont,
to be its eighth president. A 1969 graduate of Bennington College,
McCulloch-Lovell served as executive director of the Vermont Council on
the Arts from 1975 to 1983, during which time she co-created the Governors
Institutes, a program that gives high school students the opportunity to
work with artists, scientists and international experts in summer
institutes.
For the past 20 years, McCulloch-Lovell has worked in
Washington, first as chief of staff to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT),
followed by seven years in the Clinton Administration. She was first
appointed by the President to be executive director of the President's
Committee on the Arts and Humanities, then became deputy chief of staff to
the First Lady and ultimately deputy assistant to the President and

Vermont artist, Mike Biegel, announces his new website offering Vermont holiday greeting cards online at www.vermontholidaycards.com. The website features unique and distinctive seasonal cards illustrated by Mike Biegel from his Woodstock, Vermont studio.
The entire original holiday card renderings seen on www.vermontholidaycards.com are elaborately hand drawn using an old-fashioned crow-quill pen dipped in an ink-well. Every image is designed and illustrated at his Woodstock studio. Mike has been illustrating since 1984 after attending Syracuse University. Inevitably his journeys lead him to settle in Vermont where the lay of the land and the change of the seasons matched many of his favorite subjects to illustrate. His line of holiday cards reflect these themes and the fiction that accompanies them.

Vermont travel industry expert Sue Kruthers was named the 2003 Travel Person of the Year at the 21st Annual Vermont Travel Industry Conference (VTIC) November 19, 2003 in Stowe.
The VTIC is an independent non-profit organization comprised of a coalition of state, private, non-profit, and business organizations. Each year, a special committee selects the Travel Person of the Year based on the following criteria:
* Encourages travelers to visit the state

* Helps position Vermont as a friendly and fun place to visit

* Represents to Vermonters and visitors why Vermont is a desirable destination

* Promotes the value of tourism to the state’s economy

* Preserves, protects and promotes the good qualities of Vermont

* Works for cooperation with the travel industry among other appropriate industries in the state