Meet Whitney Valentine-Wafer, the newest member of the VMEC Team!
Beginning her employ with us on April 1 as CFO, Whitney brings over 20 years of finance, accounting, and business operations to VMEC, specializing in a mix of non-profit organizations and for-profit organizations, with a specific for-profit emphasis on manufacturing and inventory-based businesses.
For the three years prior to joining VMEC, Whitney’s focus was acting as a consultant and fractional CFO to small to medium-sized businesses, helping them build scalable and sound financial and business operations.
New to Vermont in 2022 after spending the previous 15 years in Northern California, Whitney lives in White River Junction. In her spare time, she is a sewist and a mixed media artist. She can be reached at [email protected] or (802) 478-0101.
Whitney is stepping into the CFO position due to the impending retirement of Rebecca Stygles, VMEC’s CFO for the last 22 years. Rebecca will maintain a part-time status beginning July 1, 2024 before she fully retires before year’s end, an exact date to be determined.
VMEC welcomes Whitney to its team and wishes the very best to Rebecca in her well deserved future retirement! 
Supply Chain 101: Procurement Processes & Planning
Thursday, April 18
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Webinar
FREE!
To help manufacturers better understand the basics of a well-managed supply chain and identify where resources should be focused to bring the most benefit to their organizations, CMTC (California’s MEP Center) and Manufacturer’s Edge (Colorado’s MEP Center) have partnered to develop a three-part “Supply Chain 101” webinar series. VMEC has been invited to partner in this second webinar of the series.
During the hour-long complimentary webinar, you will learn about:
- Supplier Relationship Management
- Supplier Qualification & Due Diligence
- Supplier Terms & Conditions/ Contract Management
- Supplier Performance Reviews & Scorecards
In addition, if you are interested in learning more about CONNEX™ Vermont and the Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network (SCOIN), please reach out to Mark O'Hearn, VMEC Business Growth Advisor - Supply Chain.
Register for this valuable opportunity at April 18 - Supply Chain 101 and feel free to view, download and post the event flyer.
Interested in Job Relations training in the evening this summer?
Results are achieved through people. People can be complex. Leading people isn't easy. But we have an easy solution for you!
VMEC is seeking to offer an in-person, multi-evening Training Within Industry Job Relations (TWI JR) learning opportunity and we'd like to know of your interest and availability for this Leadership Development course. You will learn how to:
- Create an inclusive work environment where people of various backgrounds, experiences and abilities contribute to their fullest potential
- Engage people to meet expectations for continuous improvement
- Utilize a consistent and coachable methodology for resolving people-related problems
- Increase the confidence of new and existing leaders to effectively build strong job relations and resolve people issues
- Strengthen your ability to attract and train employees with limited experience
The course is limited to eight participants, would likely take place in the Chittenden County area and is broken into 5 - 2 1/2 hour sessions, covering two main components: foundations for establishing good relations that reduce problems and a 4-step method for how to handle problems when they do arise.
If you'd like to learn more about TWI JR and the potential of this summer-time evening learning opportunity, contact VMEC's Carla Wuthrich by May 1 so planning for your next job-related training can begin!
Part of the nationwide MEP National Network and hosted by Vermont State University since 1995, VMEC operates as a not-for-profit with a primary mission, “to strengthen and empower Vermont manufacturers.” A local resource and trusted adviser to manufacturing enterprises of all sizes, the VMEC team brings expertise in consulting, coaching, hands-on implementation support, training and education for leaders and workers. VMEC is the official representative of the MEP National Network in Vermont.
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center | Post Office Box 12, Randolph Center, VT 05061