The Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) held its 35th Annual Meeting recently at the Capitol Plaza. The CVEDC Small Business of the Year Award, Leo C. Laferriere Community Service Award and the President’s Award were presented prior to a vivid discussion from three key panelists on the topic of “Drivers of the New Economy”.
Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott gave opening remarks and assisted with presenting the awards.
The Leo C. Laferriere Community Service Award was presented to Karen Williams-Fox, owner of Woodbury Mountain Toys on State Street in Montpelier. Williams-Fox was in attendance to accept the award for her outstanding service with many community organizations including the Toys for Tots program, Everybody Wins, VT Works for Women, Prevent Child Abuse, and the Kellogg Hubbard Library. The Community Service Award is given in honor of Leo Laferriere a founding Director, First President and lifelong advocate of economic, environmental, education and recreational initiatives in Central Vermont.
The CVEDC Small Business of the Year Award was presented to Lars Hasselblad Torres of Local 64 on State Street in Montpelier. The award was presented to Hasselblad Torres in recognition of his outstanding growth, and positive economic effects and meaningful contributions to the Central Vermont Community. Hasselblad Torres created Local 64 as a professional co-working environment for Central Vermont freelancers, independent creatives, and startups seeking a dynamic downtown presence. To date, over 41 individuals utilize this space on a day to day basis.
The CVEDC President’s Award was presented by CVEDC Chair Beverlee Pembroke Hill to what Hill referred to as the “Fab 5”. Carol Ellison, Fred Connor, Steve Gurin, Peter Hood, and Kevin Lord all received recognition for their outstanding contributions to CVEDC’s sister corporation, CVIC (Central Vermont Investment Corporation).
The “Drivers of the New Economy” panel included: Edmar Mendizabal, creator of the Vermont Game Developers Association, John McCann, owner of the North Branch Winery, and Tom Garden, developer of the Williamstown Solar Farm. Mendizabal said he “stumbled upon Montpelier by accident when he had to find a restroom off I-89,” and decided to make Montpelier his home siting that there are “amazing opportunities here”. Mendizabel, an avid game creator, came to Vermont from New York City shortly after his parents relocated to Vermont. Once settled in the Green Mountains, he sought out others with similar talents in the gaming industry and shortly after, created the Vermont Game Developers Association.
Tom Garden, founder of the 16 acre Williamstown Solar project spoke about the “multiplier effect” and the importance of renewable energy in our economy.
“We have a viable opportunity to do solar in Vermont” said Garden, as he spoke about the $8 Million dollar investment in VT talent, and how he has changed a $2,000.00 property tax piece of land to a $30,000.00 property tax solar farm.
John McCann, owner of North Branch Winery spoke of his engineering days with General Dynamic and how being laid off from his job forced him to think creatively and eventually converted him from a shirt and tie blue collar worker to grape picking gloves and faded blue jeans agricultural wine guru.
McCann echoed Mendizabel’s comments on the “quality of life” here in Vermont. McCann commented on how he wants to “remain small while being big” in a State with over 17 bonded wineries and 30 in production. His business, North Branch Winery, began in 2007 with just 1600 bottles of wine. Today, they are making just over 12,000 bottles of wine.
The three panelists spoke of our State with a commonality of optimism and quality of life, which circled throughout the room as they spoke of the “new economy” and what lies ahead.