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.

The American Association of Daily Money Managers (aadmm.com) is mentioned as an option for your financial team to avoid the risk cited by Nancy Sween, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys spokesperson, of finding a random person you find online to be your bill payer.

The Chill Program, established by the founders of Burton Snowboards, Jake and Donna Carpenter, is a nonprofit that inspires youth to overcome challenges through board sports.

Since its inception, Chill has introduced more than 25,000 youth to snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, and stand-up paddle boarding.

Rock Point School was thrilled to have a student featured in a new video about the Chill Program. Rock Point students are encouraged to explore multiple ways to overcome challenges by keeping physically active and enjoying the Vermont outdoors. Watch Charlie, of Rock Point School, share his experience in the Chill Program, and what it means to him.