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Vermont Business Magazine First diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease at the age of 14, William Celley of Bennington always knew that dialysis was in his future. And for the past eight years, he faithfully made his way to the Renal Dialysis Unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) three times a week to receive lifesaving 3- to 3-1/2-hour dialysis treatments. That calculates to over 4,000 hours spent away from the comfort of his home and the company of his family, including three children ages 17, 15, and 5. Very much a realist, Celley had learned to accept his absences from home as the cost of keeping his kidneys functioning and, quite literally, staying alive. But, thanks to new at-home dialysis technology provided by SVMC, Celley is now enjoying more time at home and better health.

Public Assets Institute Vermont’s economy grew 2.8 percent, after adjusting for inflation, in 2022—the second year of growth after a drop in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at the end of March show that Vermont’s gross state product—the total value of all goods and services—saw the highest growth rate in New England. In 2022 Vermont’s gross state product also surpassed $40 billion for the first time, a rise from 2021 of more than $3.5 billion in unadjusted dollars.

Vermont Business Magazine In July 2022, the Vermont State Police completed its investigation into the June 17 use-of-force incident that resulted in significant injuries to Marshall Dean in Newfane. VSP treated the matter as an officer-involved shooting. Per standard protocol in such cases, state police turned over the full investigative file to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office for review. The Attorney General’s Office has concluded its review and today directed the Vermont State Police to cite Sgt. Ryan Wood and Trooper Zachary Trocki of the Westminster Barracks on charges of misdemeanor simple assault and misdemeanor reckless endangerment. The Attorney General’s Office determined the use of force was not justified given the circumstances of the incident.

Vermont Business Magazine New data from the Vermont Department of Health that measures students’ health risks and behaviors provides a unique snapshot of Vermont youth’s health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) shows that students know how to get help from an adult if they need it, are involved in extracurricular activities, and generally feel valued by their communities. However, areas of concern include continued substance use, the number of students reporting active thoughts of self-harm and significant disparities in mental health among populations such as LGBTQ+ students. The biennial survey of Vermont high school and middle school students asks questions covering a broad range of topics, including substance use, mental health, unintentional injuries, violence, physical activity, nutrition, and factors such as school and family connectiveness and post-graduation plans.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington is one step closer to a new high school and technical center. Today, demolition began on the first of five buildings on the sprawling campus of the former high school and technical center. EnviroVantage, the company overseeing demolition, has been working for months, marking, removing, abating asbestos, and creating remediation plans for contaminated building materials. Last Friday, the company received final air clearances for asbestos, meaning the building was ready for exterior demolition to begin. BSD expects the project’s construction manager Whiting-Turning to begin construction this July while EnviroVantage continues demolition, remediation, and removal of material. The District expects substantial completion of the project to be done in November of 2025, with students and staff slated to begin in the new building in January of 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) will hold its 2023 commencement ceremony at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House in Northfield, Vermont on Saturday, June 3. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. More than 450 students will be awarded associate degrees. The College has announced that this year’s keynote speaker will be Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies, a South Burlington-based company working to electrify aviation. A native Vermonter, Kyle is an entrepreneur, aerospace engineer, pilot, and former NHL athlete who holds a degree in materials science and engineering from Harvard University. Kyle and his team at BETA are focused on building solutions that move goods and people more safely, efficiently, and with minimal environmental impact to help shift the transportation paradigm and turn the corner on climate change.

Vermont Business Magazine Kathy Underwood, CEO of Ledyard Financial Group and Ledyard National Bank, announced at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders on May 18th that she will be retiring on July 3, 2023. Josephine Moran, President of Ledyard, assumed the role of President & Chief Executive Officer effective May 18, 2023. Underwood will continue to serve on Ledyard’s Board of Directors. Moran joined Ledyard on January 31, 2022, as President and Chief Banking Officer. Moran was elected to the Ledyard Board of Directors in January. Moran’s promotion to CEO was part of a succession plan several years in the making. Ledyard is based in Hanover, NH, with a branch in Norwich, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont fell again over the weekend, according to GasBuddy. Vermont prices averaged $3.46 per gallon, down 2.2 cents per gallon from last week's $3.48/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.25/g while the highest was $3.69/g, a difference of 44.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline is unchanged in the last week, averaging $3.51/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine According to data released by Forbes Advisor, Vermont is the safest state to drive in the US and is second overall only to Washington, DC. Fatal car accidents are on the rise nationwide. In 2021, more than 39,500 fatal car crashes occurred on U.S. roads, a 10% increase from 2020. In some states, dangerous driving tends to be more common, putting everyone at greater risk when they get behind the wheel. Texas tops the list of worst drivers by state. Five of the top 10 states with the worst drivers are in the South, including Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky and South Carolina. Seven of the top 10 states with the best drivers are in the East Coast area, including Washington, DC, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group Chairman, CEO and President Mehran Assadi announced Thursday at an all-employee meeting simulcast between the Vermont and Texas campuses the company’s first national sponsorship, National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. The sponsorship aligns National Life with the Stars in messaging and programming over four years beginning with the 2023 season. Founded in 1848, National Life marks 175 years in 2023 and this sponsorship is one of many ways the mutually held company is highlighting the anniversary over the course of the year.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Calling all farmers! Registration is now open for the 9th Annual Vermont Open Farm Week! This year’s event is scheduled to take place from August 6-13, 2023. Open Farm Week provides an excellent opportunity to connect with your community, engage with customers, and highlight the unique aspects of your farm. You can choose any day during the week to host an event, or host on multiple days during the week if your schedule allows! To ensure a memorable experience for visitors, Open Farm Week events must include an activity that is not part of the regular farm schedule. This could include tours of fields or barns, tastings, cooking demonstrations, workshops, direct product sales, and more.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine How does a self-described delinquent kid from Bellows Falls become a revered comics master with a profound effect on American popular culture? Ask Rick Veitch, who last month finished his three-year term as the fourth Cartoonist Laureate of the State of Vermont. As an aside, the cartooning world adores Vermont precisely because it has a cartoonist laureate; it's the only state in the union that honors the art in this way. The state is cartoon-rich, also having the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS) in White River Junction, as well as being the home of celebrated cartoonists (and past laureates) like the late New Yorker cartoonist Ed Koren and cartoonist and playwright Alison Bechdel; graphic novelist Tillie Walden is now the state's fifth cartoonist laureate.