Vermont Businesses for   
Social Responsibility    
 
P e o p l e .   P l a n e t .   P r o s p e r i t y .

Dear Members and Other Friends,

Our members inspire each other with their forward-thinking ideas, innovations and achievements. Please help us recognize some of these outstanding accomplishments by nominating someone for one of our annual VBSR awards. Each year, these awardees inspire all of us to reach higher and do more.

You may recall that after the new year we began growing our staff to have a full-time Communications Manager and also a full-time Membership Manager. Last month, we introduced Samantha Sheehan, our Communications Manager, and this month we are pleased to welcome Toby Aronson as our Membership Manager. Please call Toby with any membership questions or ideas (he loves talking to people!).

And lastly: it's not too late to buy our Buy Local coupon book or mobile app - coupons are good through August 31st, and for $20 you can save hundreds of dollars at locally-owned businesses. More importantly, every dollar you spend at a locally-owned business puts 45¢ into the local economy, versus 1¢ when you shop online.
Thank you,

   
Jane Campbell
Executive Director
Nominate Someone (or yourself!) for a VBSR Award!

VBSR Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Terry Ehrich Award for Lifetime Achievement  is given annually to a person exemplifying Terry Ehrich's sustained commitment to the environment, work
place, progressive public policy, and community. 

VBSR Inspiration and Innovation Award
The VBSR Innovation and Inspiration Award recognizes VBSR member organizations who have accomplished innovative and/or inspirational achievement in the following areas within the past three years: 
  • Planet (Environmental Impact) 
  • People (Social Impact) 
  • Prosperity (Economic Impact)

VBSR Young Changemaker Award
The VBSR Young Changemaker Award recognizes an individual under age 40 who has led the formation of a socially responsible enterprise that has been in operation three or more years. The awardee will be selected based on their ability to use the power of business to advance innovative solutions to society's challenges for the good of the planet, their employees, their community and economic growth in Vermont.

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Is it too early to think about the election?
Winter is still here, but it already seems like the 2018 elections are right around the corner. Several candidates for Vermont Governor and U.S. Senator have already announced their campaigns, hoping to unseat incumbents. And, like every two years, the 150 seats in the Vermont House and the 30 seats in the Vermont Senate are up for grabs, along with other top offices like state treasurer, secretary of state, attorney general, and lieutenant governor.

Now, VBSR is a non-partisan organization. We don't endorse or raise money for candidates for political office. But we do enjoy talking to candidates about policy - and the issues that our business community cares about. VBSR will look for opportunities during the campaign to connect our members with these candidates to talk about our vision for Vermont's economy and communities. 

What should be the top policy issue in the governor's race this year? For local House and Senate races? Send along your comments and ideas to VBSR Public Policy Manager Daniel Barlow  danielb@vbsr.org and we will pose them to the candidates later this summer when campaign season heats up.

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VBSR Announces Clean Water Advisory Council

We have recently created the VBSR/VBR-REF Clean Water Economy Council (CWEC) to advance clean water economy policies, including regulatory and market-based approaches.
 
VBSR's Clean Water Economy Council (CWEC) is a group of diverse voices in business, agriculture, and environmental advocacy, including Chris Miller, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream; Jed Davis, Cabot Creamery; Jen Kimmich, The Alchemist; Ricky Klein, Groennfell Meadery; and Lori Fisher, Lake Champlain Committee, as well as legislative advisors Sen. Chris Pearson of Burlington and Rep. Amy Sheldon of Middlebury. It will advise VBSR's Public Policy Committee and Public Policy Manager on clean water public policies and market-based approaches to improve the quality of Vermont's lakes and rivers.
 
The CWEC will act as a clean water think-tank for VBSR-REF and allow us to evaluate clean water policies through the lenses of both business and legislative action. Possible activities include reviewing legislation, brainstorming and assessing policy proposals, and serving as spokespeople on the business perspective.
 
The CWEC will focus on the tools and conditions necessary for a clean water economy with both short-term actions and larger systemic changes.  For more info, please contact Dan Barlow, our public policy manager, at  danielb@vbsr.org .

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BowlVBSR Get-Together hosted by Stowe Bowl April 11th!
  
VBSR members and friends are invited to a Networking Get-Together hosted by Stowe Bowl in Stowe, VT. Open to anyone interested in the triple-bottom-line approach to business; free for VBSR members, $10 for nonmembers. Hors d'oeuvres provided by our generous host, cash bar, bowling available!  Attendance is limited and will be first come, first served.   Register Today!  

Make a night of it! Sun & Ski Inn will also provide a discounted rate of $75 per night (excluding tax) from April 10-April 12 th for anyone looking for a staycation. That rate is available to try any room - call to book or book online today !

Stowe Bowl's 8-lane bowling venue is not your regular alley, but something a little more boutique, swanky, cozy, comfortable, loungy, and elegant. And looking behind the scenes, there's even more. This is a small business in the hospitality industry working to improve its environmental impact, community engagement and workplace quality.
Join us as we make new connections and learn about some of the ways a small business can use its power to "do good," and you might even play a game!

Sponsorships are available for this event, contact our Membership Manager Toby Aronson at TobyA@vbsr.org.
 
Event Sponsorship includes: 
  • Logo on event web page
  • Logo on postcard, circulation 1,000
  • Logo on signage at the event
  • Organization name in press releases
  • 30 seconds at podium during the event
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6 months and counting to Save Money, Buy Local!
Your Local First Vermont Buy Local Book & Mobile app coupons expire August 31, 2018!  The 8 th edition was released on September 1st and contains over  $3,000 in coupons to 250 locally owned & independent Vermont businesses in nine different Vermont counties. Offers include a free flatbread at American Flatbread in Waitsfield, 50% off at Speeder & Earl's in Burlington, free admittance to Harris Hill Ski Jump, free popcorn at Latchis Hotel & Theatre in Brattleboro, a free smoothie at The Works Cafe in Manchester - and so many more!  Get the app from Google Play  or iTunes

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Your ad here!
You can sponsor VBSR's monthly newsletter, 



To learn more, contact our Membership Manager Toby Aronson 

This Newsletter is Sponsored by:
Norwich Solar Technologies 

Norwhich Solar Technologies

Norwich Solar Technologies provides turnkey services including Solar System Development, Design, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction, Financing, and Long-Term Operations and Maintenance.
 

Connecting our Sustainable Heritage to Economic Development and Jobs for Vermonters

Words like sustainability have become political triggers and turn-off words, when really sustainability is very much aligned with our heritage as Vermonters. Out of necessity and community-oriented values, Vermonters have lived a sustainable lifestyle for generations - long before the word became so overused and lost much of its meaning. Simply defined, sustainability is the ability for people to benefit from economic production and have a decent quality of life indefinitely without overloading the capacity of the Earth's ecosystem to a point where it cannot be renewed.

Vermont cannot survive as an island, there are too few of us and there is too much of what we need to live every day that is produced outside of our borders. But we can honor our values by relying more on our own resources, people, communities, businesses, and our regional neighbors as a way to guard against the broader forces that are outside our control.

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Build Capacity, Create Career Pathways

Summer is around the corner and students are on summer break. Looking for a talented intern for your company? 
The Vermont Intern Program  seeks internship opportunities for tomorrow's Vermont workforce. We post and promote positions and provide one-on-one assistance with creating internships and managing interns to success - a FREE service available to all Vermont employers.

The Vermont Intern Program offers:
  • ONE place to post internships attracting students and recent graduates across Vermont
  • Access to a large and diverse applicant pool
  • Support for applicants to save you time and generate higher-quality applications
  • Assistance with screening and pre-screening candidates (upon request)
  • Support for both the employer and intern throughout the internship
  • FREE VBSR Student Membership for any interns we place
  • Media presence with the VBSR audience
  • Recognition from our partners at the statehouse
Ready to get started?  Post an Internship here.

VBSR Members can also post available jobs on our website,  post a job here. 
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This Newsletter is Sponsored By:
University of Vermont Continuing and Distance Education 
  
Welcoming our Growing Team 

We are excited to introduce our new membership manager Toby Aronson

Toby Aronson, a long time Vermont resident, has a uniquely diverse background working in sales, non-profit management, arts publicity and music, and he is a small business owner. His record label NNA Tapes has received international recognition in media such as The New York Times & NPR. Previously a Sales Associate for Local First Vermont's Buy Local Book & Mobile App, Toby was responsible for continued growth in ad sales for the Chittenden & Stowe sales territories. Toby has also worked with the non-profit Vermont Symphony Orchestra in their education outreach programs, including the Musical Petting Zoo. As a professional musician, he has toured in musical groups throughout the United States and Europe, and is currently a regularly performing classical guitarist in Vermont. Toby's strong skills in outreach and communication and his familiarity with Vermont's business community make him an excellent advocate and recruiter for VBSR's triple-bottom line mission and membership. Toby actively embodies his passions for good food, good community, good art, and the great outdoors. Give him a VBSR welcome the next time you see him at an event! 

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Member News & Events

Eight climate change innovation entrepreneurs are participating in the Accel-VT business accelerator to help solve distributed energy challenges while honing business models for success in the marketplace. The businesses were competitively selected to participate and include Packetized Energy of Burlington, Dynamic Organics of Putney, and others from around the country.





Mercy Connections is pleased to share that Sara Byers, President and   Co-Owner of L eonardo's Pizza, will be thi s year's recipient of the  Catherine McAuley award. The award will be be stow ed at Mercy Connections Annual May Luncheon on May 3, 2018.

 




Champlain Community Services (CCS), a VBSR member, announces Vermont Car e P artner's annual conference "Stepping Forward Together: The Conversation Continues" will be on Wedn esday, March 14, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Dudley Davis Center at UVM. The event features
national, regional, and local speakers discussing health care disparities, cultural competence and ways we can improve our  service delivery, support and protection of all Vermonters. 



Over 130 Vermont businesses completed the latest semi-annual economic survey in January regarding the outlook of Vermont's small- to medium-sized businesses. Presented by Davis and Hodgdon Associates CPAs and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the survey shows that respondents desire to see changes made to Vermont's tax laws and overall business climate.
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Member Events

 
Welcome and Thank You to our Newest Members!

New Small & Large Businesses 
 
Carey Austin
Madeline Brumberg
Andria Denome
Shari Siegel
Alexander Sprague
This edition of e-news sponsored by:
The VBSR Marketplace 
THANK YOU VBSR CHAMPION MEMBERS
          Ben and Jerry's as of 12/17/12               Gardener's Supply    

             Paul Frank _ Collins Attorneys Logo             New Chapter new   Renewable NRG 8/2013   S
   VSECU
Our Mission
To foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business community to set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of our citizens. We are committed to a multiple bottom line approach to business that values people, planet and profit.

 

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