Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Farzana Leyva, of Westfield, as Orleans County state’s attorney. Farzana has served as acting state’s attorney since Governor Scott appointed former state’s attorney Jennifer Barrett to the superior court. Leyva has worked in the Orleans County state’s attorney’s office since 2018, first as a law clerk and then as a deputy state’s attorney. Leyva graduated from Howard College School of Law, South Africa in 2005. She was admitted as an attorney to the South African Bar in 2007. In 2018, she passed the New York Bar Exam and in 2019 was admitted to the Vermont Bar. Leyva is a resident of Westfield and has lived in Orleans County since 2014.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are up one cent in the last week to $3.53 per gallon, as prices here have flattened out somewhat at the moment. Prices are up 19 cents in the last month and are 14 cents higher than a year ago. The national average price of gasoline has risen 9.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.49/g today. The national average is up 33.3 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 14.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual membership meeting with over 120 members in attendance at the Park McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion Carriage Barn on Friday, January 27th 2023. Per the bylaws of the 501c6 nonprofit organization, the board of directors must gather the membership annually to discuss the business of the organization.  Over the years the annual membership meeting has grown more into a social gathering with the Chamber promoting it as “The Biggest Business Night of the Year.”  The meeting also included live music, food and bar, a complimentary sparkling beverage for all attending and the illustrious Chamber Awards.

Vermont Business Magazine The World Wide Data Vault Consortium 2023, hosted annually by Data Vault Alliance at the Stoweflake Resort in Stowe, Vermont, USA, will open this year with a new Bonus Business Track on Monday, May 1st. A spokesperson for DVA explained this addition to the regular schedule, noting, "The Premium Business Monday Track of this year's WWDVC is a new venture for us in response to the current needs of our attendees. This program, separate from the rest of the conference, is all about how to talk Data Vault to the business side of your organization, in language they understand, and in a way that highlights how Data Vault is the optimal data warehousing solution for today's ever-changing world."

Vermont Business Magazine Consolidated Communications (NASDAQ: CNSL) a leading broadband and business communications provider, is sharing resources and tips for small businesses to enhance data privacy, as small businesses are proven to be especially vulnerable to costly data breaches. The Small Business Association reports that small businesses are three times more likely to fall victim to cyberattacks, which an IBM study found to cost U.S. organizations an average of $9.44 million in 2022. Small businesses are more likely victims of attacks, often as a result of a lack of resources and knowledge in regard to prevention measures. While large organizations may have more financial resources, there are ways for all businesses to increase protection over their data.