On Wednesday, November 17, Rock Point School participated in Outright Vermont's statewide virtual Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) conference. Rock Point School's GSA students gathered for the Zoom event with a fantastic turnout of 650 other youth from around Vermont for discussions, games, and breakout rooms to connect with other regional GSAs. 

In October, Christina Ubl CFP®, co-owner of Clute Wealth Management was featured as a guest expert in the MoneyGeek article "How to Start Saving and Investing." Clute Wealth Management (CWM) is an independent firm and Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides strategic financial and investment planning in the Champlain Valley region of New York and Vermont. Among the earliest woman-owned and led RIA firms, when they enjoy an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to "Financial Strategies for Women in Transition," we're always delighted.

In October, Clute Wealth Management team member Akemi Chen was interviewed as part of a Strictly Business Magazine article featuring five alumni from SUNY Plattsburgh who chose to settle down and start their careers in the Plattsburgh area after graduating. 

Rock Point School is an intentionally small boarding and day school for grades 9–12, situated on a beautiful parcel of waterfront land right here in the Burlington. It’s coeducational and independent, a positive alternative to more traditional high schools.

Marketing Partners has enjoyed a long working partnership with Rock Point, and designed and developed their previous website also. The recent redesign coincided with the Covid-19 remote learning phase this spring. Rock Point School built on their strong ties with the close-knit community of faculty, students, staff, and families though their physically distant–emotionally connected messaging. This was amplified through the new website, along with increasing content in multiple areas, and working with parents to give everyone ample support and the feeling of connection through this unprecedented time.

Cx Associates, of Burlington, Vermont and Portland, Maine, wanted a new website that engaged potential clients and employees and reflected the firms values and climate goals.

As the pandemic began to affect Vermont, Paul Raulston, CEO of Vermont Coffee Company, started a fundraiser for Addison County’s H.O.P.E. (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), pledging to match donations up to $25,000 to restock the food shelf to help those affected by Covid-19. 

Vermont Coffee Company was able to meet its goal, donating a total of $50,000 within a few days. Raulston then launched a second fundraiser with the same $25,000 donation match to benefit the John Graham Shelter in Vergennes and the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Chittenden County.

After 29 years at the helm, Paul Millman announced his upcoming retirement and shared musings about the state of the iconic employee-owned company, science in our society, mission-driven management, and business in Vermont.

Paul's long-planned announcement coincided with the international peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove escalating demand for Chroma's precision optical filters and optical coatings for the medical, scientific and imaging industries. Headquartered in Rockingham (Bellows Falls), Vermont, the company serves an international market. Local, regional and national media covered the news — each with an appropriately different take.

Vermont Works for Women announced the Trailblazers program for this year, running from March 2 through May 2, 2020. Trailblazers is a training program to prepare women for careers in the trades, focusing on construction, electrical work, and plumbing.

These are historically male-dominated fields and are often higher paid occupations. The Trailblazers program can help women attain better salaries, as jobs in the trades generally pay much more than the minimum wage.

Call2Recycle, the first and largest consumer battery stewardship organization in the US, published its annual report on which states had recycled the most batteries. This year, these calculations excluded batteries recycled by major retailers and other private companies, bringing a focus on batteries recycled by consumers.

This month the Vermont Commission on Women, in consultation with the Vermont Attorney General’s office and the Vermont Human Rights Commission, launched a state-wide public education program, Workplaces For All.

A central component of the program is the new website, workplacesforall.vermont.gov containing useful resources for Vermont employees, employers and members of the public regarding the laws relating to and best practices for addressing sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.