Tim Williams, president of Mesa Contract Inc. announced Chris Echo has achieved ownership status and is now a vested partner in the company. Echo will continue to focus on existing client relations for Exterus Business Furniture, a Mesa Contract Inc. subsidary.

Echo has over 14 years of direct commercial experience in the office and furnishings industry. He holds a BA in Business Management from Champlain College.

The SHRM Vermont State Council Earns 2008 SHRM Pinnacle Award
(Alexandria, Va., November 21, 2008) - The SHRM Vermont State Council has received a 2008 Pinnacle Award, sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) for excellence in state council and chapter, professional and membership activities.
The Pinnacle is the most prestigious council/chapter award offered by the SHRM, which represents more than 250,000 human resource (HR) professionals around the world.

FAIRPOINT DELIVERS NOTICE OF CUTOVER READINESS; EXPECTS CUTOVER AT THE END OF JANUARY 2009

Dworkin's Leadership Wins National Recognition
Former Vermont Public Service Board Chairman Michael Dworkin has won a national award recognizing his work in founding the Vermont Law School's Institute for Energy and the Environment.
The Mary Kilmarx Award is given annually by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners' Energy Resources and the Environment (ERE) Committee to someone whose work reflects the Committee's goals of promoting good government, clean energy and the environment.

Week Ending November 22, 2008
There were 1,562 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 355 from the week before. Altogether 9,492 new and continuing claims were filed,1,065 more than a week ago and 2,293 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 1,126 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 49 from last week.
The Unemployment Weekly Report can be found at:
http://www.vtlmi.info/