The Celebrating Paid Leave in Vermont passing in the Vermont House event on November 8th was a great success. The speakers – Speaker Krowinski, Senator Ram Hinsdale, Sascha Mayer of Mamava, and Deputy Treasurer Gavin Boyles – were all fantastic. Gavin said the Treasurer’s Office determined the costs of the program to be “workable and manageable,” which was followed by a big cheer from the crowd. 

Vermont Public hosted a Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility People. Planet. Prosperity. Speaker Series event with a panel of experts to discuss the topic of "Fortifying the Future of Vermont’s Downtowns".

WCAX covered the latest in a series of resiliency pivots by the team at Prevent Child Abuse Vermont after the July flooding in Montpelier. This week, PCAVT announced that after losing all of the supplies for the annual awareness walk and losing its usual location on the Statehouse lawn, they are now planning for an online donation event instead.

Rock Point School, located on a 130-acre lakeside campus here in Burlington, Vermont hosted their 25th annual Wiffle Fest on August 12th, 2023, a yearly 2-on-2 wiffle ball tournament and community event that raises money to support Rock Point School and their students in the upcoming year. 

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) hosted its 33rd annual conference at the Hula Lakeside Campus in Burlington, Vermont. The Marketing Partners team had a wonderful day filled with new connections, inspiration, and invigorating conversation.

Christina Ubl, CFP®, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, and co-owner of Clute Wealth Management gave her expert insight and tips on financial planning through a divorce in the MoneyGeek article "Financial Planning for a Divorce", originally published in April 2023.

Each year Rock Point School in Burlington, VT, hosts their annual Maple Run 5k to raise funds for the charity of their choice. In 2023 the race raised money for the World Central Kitchen to help with their disaster relief efforts in Turkey.

Co-founder and President of WheelPad L3C, Julie Lineberger, was interviewed on the Real Leaders Podcast where she discussed the social responsibility values that are woven into Julie's life, including her businesses, and her journey that led to the creation of WheelPad L3C. 

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.

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.

Small Dog Electronics had gifts aplenty for lucky audience members who were able to snag tickets for this VPR live event on November 6, 2019 that quickly sold out. 

An Evening with Audie Cornish, Reporting on Politics in 2020 was an entertaining and illuminating experience for everyone in attendance at the beautiful Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael's College. Audie Cornish is co-host of All Things Considered which airs weekdays on VPR each afternoon. Her wit and humor shone through as she described many aspects of reporting and broadcasting in the current fast-paced news cycle.

Small Dog Electronics' sponsorship was integral to the success of the event, and we congratulate them on their efforts.

Small Dog Electronics, a long time client, is on the move. Originally started as a mail-order electronics online shop, Small Dog Electronics expanded into bricks-and-motor stores in Vermont and Key West, Florida. Their second store, Dorset Street in South Burlington, is moving to a new space at Flynn Ave and Pine Street in Burlington. We're excited to see the new store that is just a short drive down Pine Street from downtown Burlington. The store is set to open Thursday, October 17.

Call2Recycle, Inc. and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources have kicked off the 2nd annual Vermont Battery Collection Challenge. The challenge once again seeks to rally Vermont residents to recycle their batteries at drop-off locations, thus diverting them from landfills, lowering the risk for potential safety incidents, and reducing waste collection costs.

The Burlington area in summer is glorious in Vermont and this year that drew a film crew to produce a pilot episode at Rock Point School and other local spots.

"Local film crew films new pilot episode in Burlington" was the lead on CBS-affiliate WCAX-TV Channel 3 News on August 17th. The interior and exterior of Rock Point School's iconic stone classroom and dorm building were featured prominently in the news segment as were the surrounding campus grounds.

WCAX-TV News featured Burlington Electric Department's new incentive to purchase electric lawn mowers, including an incentive for commercial electric mowers by Mean Green Mowers. Our client Eco-Equipment Supply is the regional dealer for Mean Green Mowers. 

Spring is sugaring season in Vermont and this year that means Audubon Vermont's Bird-Friendly Maple project seems to be in the news everywhere.

"Bird-friendly maple certification catches on with producers" was the lead on CBS-affiliate WCAX-TV Channel 3 News on April 2nd. Adam Sullivan talked with long-time maple producers in the Buck family as well as Steve Hagenbuch, manager of the BFM program, about their partnership to protect the sugarbush as a habitat for birds while producing award-winning maple syrup. Civil Eats and the Addison County Independent also covered the increase in the maple producers and sugarbush acreage involved in the Bird-Friendly Maple program.

Judith Newman interviewed Spring Lake Ranch's Director of Admissions & Outreach Rachel Stark for an AARP article about national "failure to launch" treatment programs for young adults, including the work done at the Ranch.

Everyone likes to receive good news mail and that was certainly the case the first week of February here at Marketing Partners. The team was excited to open this month’s edition of Business People Vermont and read the thoughtful article by PhylNewbeck onMarketing Partners’ president Pat Heffernan.

Business People Vermont was celebrating the Vermont women business owners and operators they had previously profiled many years earlier. In Pat’s case, that was 20 years ago, and she eloquently explains, “What we do hasn’t changed, why we do it hasn’t changed, who we do it for hasn’t changed, but the way we do it has changed.”

Marketing Partners, Inc. announces the addition of Karen Wilkinson to its team as a graphic design and marketing specialist. In this role, Karen will develop an overall campaign look and feel for clients, plus wire frames, website graphics (including infographics), print, digital and broadcast graphics. She brings over 20 years’ experience in the design, marketing and advertising industry, and is excited to find effective, creative solutions for each and every client brief.

Karen received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia. She has brought her Aussie accent all the way to beautiful Vermont, and enjoys many of the outdoor pursuits on offer with her husband and two teenagers.

Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) and the State of Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation have teamed up to promote recycling awareness.

The campaign, Recycle Like You Live Here, provides three easy steps to recycle properly in Vermont.

1. Learn what goes in Vermont blue recycling bins
2. Learn the blue bin recycling DOs and DON'Ts
3. Ask your waste district, town, or hauler what else you can recycle

C.J. Spirito, Head of Rock Point School, was interviewed by Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce President Tom Torti on Channel 17 public access recently to discuss the impact of #RockPointSchool in our Burlington community and the academic options for youth who learn differently.

Our own Hiro Soga offered his commentary at the Burlington stop on Facebook's tour of smaller cities. ABC-TV Channel 22 captured the action.

"To me, Facebook is just Mark Zuckerberg, but these guys are coming out here to help promote their platform," Soga said. "I know they've gotten a lot of backlash recently, but I think this is something good that will help instill a little bit more security or trust, especially with smaller markets like Burlington."

Video and article...

For the fifth year in a row, Heidi Clute, founder and Managing Partner of Clute Wealth Management, joined Road Pitch 2018, a multi-day motorcycle trip around Vermont as one of the “business bikers” with investing, entrepreneurial/business and business advisory experience who ride together and stop in small towns where “Local Organizers” have organized a pitch session for entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas to the group.

The 2018 event was scheduled for Monday, July 30th to Thursday, August 2nd, with one finalist selected at each of eight stops and a final winner selected in October. A record number of women business owners pitched at this year's event.

Vermont Coffee Company publicly announced becoming the nation’s first 100% renewable biogas-powered coffee roastery in May 2018 — but this change has been a long time coming! Since founding Vermont Coffee Company in 2000, Paul Ralston has been searching for renewable energy sources for roasting coffee, which traditionally consumes high volumes of energy during the roasting process.

Marketing Partners helped Paul and the VCC team get out the word about the big news through a multi-media news announcement and landing page that were picked up by numerous regional, local and  major trade publications.

VPR’s Vermont Edition hosted a discussion about the newly recognized ‘Gaming Disorder’ diagnosis and Rachel Stark, director of admissions and outreach at Spring Lake Ranch, shared her expertise.

Rachel described how the Ranch staff help residents who have Gaming Disorder, which was recognized earlier this year by the World Health Organization. Limiting time on the computer, prohibiting cell phone use, and encouraging involvement in other offered activities at the residential mental health treatment community are just a few of the many tactics used by the Ranch.

Eco-Equipment Supply, in Charlotte Vermont, was created to bring the significant environmental and cost-saving benefits of the all-electric, high performance lawn mower revolution to homeowners, institutions, and businesses throughout New England and Western New York State.

Business Insider selected one school it deemed to be "the most beautiful school" in each state — and our own favorite Rock Point School in Burlington is the pick for Vermont. (We suspect it might be something about that stately building on 125 acres bordering Lake Champlain.) Congratulations! 

Since 1972, the Vermont Rail Action Network (VRAN) has worked to modernize and upgrade Vermont's rail network for passengers and freight. Although they had a website, it was outdated and the technology was showing its age.

Vermont Rail Action Network gets a new website

Marketing Partners worked with the website committee and executive director to design a new website as part of a fully integrated marketing automation platform. With the launch of the new site, VRAN is now starting fundraising and will soon implement a membership drive.

Marketing Partners, Inc. announces the addition of Hiro Soga to its team as a marketing assistant. In his new role, Hiro will provide client services including social media management with graphic design and copywriting support. Hiro helps our clients create a strong presence on social media with compelling copy and captivating visuals.

Before Marketing Partners, Hiro lived in Philadelphia where he graduated from Temple University and received a bachelor’s degree in advertising with a focus on copywriting. He interned at the Philadelphia Film Office and helped promote their new music sync agency. 

Photographer Robert Layman returned to the sugarbush at Spring Lake Ranch this spring to take a series of sugaring photos. Gardens Work Crew Leader Lisa and her companion Zoey were featured on the front page riding shotgun on a sap run while others were featured in the People & Places section of the Rutland Herald. 

We had the pleasure of working with the Family Room's Jackie Reno when we produced a video to honor her award as Early Childhood Educator of the Year for the Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children.

Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services announced that nominations are open for a new series of awards: "These awards recognize victim activists who have inspired us through their acts of courage and compassion, programs or individuals whose work has been particularly innovative and pioneering, and those who exemplify the long-term commitment that characterizes many of Vermont’s victim service providers, some of whom are themselves victims of crime."

We're delighted to welcome NIM.MERSION, a Swedish relocation, immigration, and destination services company, to the Marketing Partners' family of clients with a mission focused on serving companies with employer brands based on positive practices and quality workplaces.

Since its original founding in 1995 by Lena Rekdal, a Swedish native educated in the U.S. and U.K., what was originally known as Newcomers Immigration & Relocation has offered a full range of services to employers seeking to support employees recruited to Sweden, and Swedish companies with employees relocating outside the country.

"He started to find himself again on a 10-by-15 foot garden plot, at the Rock Point School in Burlington." This was one of several stories Vermont Public Radio shared of Vermont veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who have begun to find healing through farming and connection to the land.

Rock Point School is located on a 146-acre peninsula jutting into Lake Champlain two miles north of Burlington. Rock Point hosts the school, community gardens, a conference center, hiking trails, a large solar-power installation, and one of the most famous geological features in Vermont. Listen at:
Vermont Veterans Find Peace And Purpose In The Soil, on Vermont Public Radio

"Currently, about 1,300 children statewide are in the custody of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, and about 650 are in conditional custody arrangements, according to David Kennedy, an attorney who is manager of the guardian ad litem program in Montpelier."

Vermont Guardian ad Litem program volunteers (and the need for more volunteers) were recently featured in the Valley News and VT Digger. The articles illustrate the growing caseload and need for volunteers and the importance of their work with children. We look forward to reaching out with the Vermont Guardian ad Litem team and building their community of volunteers.

Vermont Rural Ventures through June 2017 has raised more than $47 million in new capital through the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program to support 15 projects in Vermont and neighboring areas, creating 559 new jobs and retaining 1,332 existing jobs.

NMTC funds are used to retain and create jobs and essential services by financing key community developments in downtowns and village centers and in other concerted efforts that demonstrate positive community impacts. Using New Markets Tax Credits, these investments provided $47,693,516 of equity to 15 projects, allowing expansion and job growth. Vermont Business Magazine ran the story first.

Locally owned retailer bucks national retail trends. Small Dog Electronics was proud to announce its selection as an Apple Premier Partner, one of a small, elite group of independent Apple resellers and service centers serving North America. Small Dog Electronics is one of only 55 independently owned and operated Apple Premier Partners currently in North America.

Small Dog Electronics has been an authorized service provider for Apple's range of iPhones, MacBooks, iPads and more for many years, and is pleased to have earned the prestigious new Apple Premier Partner title in 2017 after meeting Apple's strict standards for exceptional customer experience and repair support.

Veteran transportation reporter C.B. Hall of Vermont Business Magazine was onsite as AllEarth Rail's Budd cars pulled into Montpelier en route to their servicing and resting spot in Vermont. The excitement about community rail returning to our state was palpable.

Read all about it at VermontBiz.com, and learn all about the Budd cars at https://www.allearthrail.com/remarkable-budd-rail-diesel-car-rdc-resources

'Conserving lands, healing people' is the title of a wonderful piece by Julia Purdy in the Mountain Times about the June event at Spring Lake Ranch to celebrate a double anniversary: Spring Lake Ranch’s 84th and Vermont Land Trust’s 40th. The two organizations became partners in 1993, when Spring Lake Ranch put a major portion of its property into the land trust.

"The two organizations share complementary missions: while the Vermont Land Trust conserves cherished old Vermont farmland, the Spring Lake Ranch Therapeutic Community nurtures and treats adults with psychiatric illness through productive physical work amid a tranquil farm-and-forest setting." 

Elaine Ezerins of the St. Albans Messenger tells the story of local maple sugar maker Branon Family Maple Orchards in Fairfield, to illustrate how integrating bird conservation practices into their forest management plans helps to protect birds and their habitats.

Elaine interviewed Cecile Branon and Audubon Vermont conservation biologist Steve Hagenbuch for an original and detailed piece that explains how the project works and its benefits as well as any we've seen. Education on bird-friendly habitat and recognizing participating maple producers are both goals of Audubon Vermont -- a win-win for people, business and the birds!

Judiciary Court Administrator David Kennedy and a volunteer Vermont Guardian ad Litem (GAL) were interviewed in a WCAX news series on a pilot program in Franklin county to address the need to recruit more GALs. Explaining how a GAL advocates for a child in the court system can be complex, but news anchor Alexandra Montgomery did a great job!

Watch the news series on WCAX to learn more.

In what is (to some people) a dry and technical field like energy engineering consulting — for healthcare, higher education, multifamily, manufacturing and other large commercial and industrial facilities, no less — it can be challenging to attract substantive attention from the media.

So we are all celebrating the in-depth profile of Cx Associates and its principals, Jen Chiodo and Matt Napolitan, in the May issue of Business People Vermont. Check it out.

The headline in the Spring 2017 issue of the national Audubon magazine starts the story, "Maple Syrup Makers Are Turning Their Forests Into Prime Songbird Habitat." And then the story continues by introducing one of the maple syrup producers participating in Audubon Vermont's Bird-Friendly Maple prgram.

For maple syrup producers Steve and Amy Wheeler, a good year isn’t only measured by buckets of sap. It’s also marked by the number of pewees singing in the woods, the rows of woodpecker tunnels lining the sticky trunks, and the sight of nuthatches clownishly piling into tree cavities.

Read the full article to learn more about how the program works and the at-risk birds that are benefiting the most. 

New website for CCVS

Just in time for the annual celebration of Crime Victims Rights Week, the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services launched its new look, website and social media accounts.

The CCVS website and social media accounts pick up the beautiful, soothing colors artist Carol Boucher used in the sunset pastels she has graciously given CCVS permission to use in printed posters for many years. The site was also reorganized and rebuilt to be mobile-friendly and to meet W3C standards for website accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Call2Recycle, Inc., the appointed battery stewardship organization in Vermont, announced over 114,000 pounds of batteries have been collected statewide in 2016, vastly exceeding its goals for the year. This is a 187% increase from the previous year, prior to the legislation that led Vermont to become the first state in the U.S. requiring producers to finance a collection and recycling program for single-use (primary) batteries.

We're delighted to welcome Spring Lake Ranch, a licensed nonprofit residential treatment program, to the Marketing Partners' family of clients with a mission focused on healthcare.

Since its founding in 1932, Spring Lake Ranch Therapeutic Community has offered a healing community for people with mental illness or dual diagnosis. Beginning at the working farm in Cuttingsville, Vermont and moving to a range of options in Rutland, Spring Lake Ranch assists residents in progressing from a period of crisis to a satisfying life. 

At a Statehouse news conference, Net Zero Vermont Co-CEOs Deb Sachs and Dan Jones announced the winning design team for the Montpelier 2030 Design Competition $10K prize is “Team Bridges,” a collaboration of 12 professionals from 10 companies and organizations.

Building Bright Futures unveiled the latest “How Are Vermont’s Young Children and Families?” report at a State House press conference Wednesday, January 11. The statewide media were all in attendance and individual key findings in the report were selected for coverage by WCAX, WPTZ, Vt Digger, the Times Argus, and the Associated Press. Favorite quotes and findings include:

Montpelier's Pavilion Building was packed on Saturday, January 7th and an overflow crowd watched via streaming video from the Unitarian Church during live presentations by the five finalists in the Sustainable Montpelier Design Competition hosted by Net Zero Vermont. VPR and Fox 44 TV covered the action, and the Times Argus wrote up a summary of the presentations and highlighted the online voting opportunity. WCAX and the AP news wire helped to spread the word about

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing High-Quality, Affordable Child Care issued its final report this month, and the Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children, Building Bright Futures, and their partners working together to advance theVermont Early Childhood Framework and the accompanying Vermont Early Childhood Action Plan are spreading the news throughout Vermont.

As a temporary exhibit was hung in City Hall, Net Zero Vermont Inc. announced public presentations by the top five finalist teams for the Sustainable Montpelier 2030 Design Competition will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017 from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Pavilion Building Auditorium. Seating is limited and advance registration is encouraged for this free event.

Congratulation to our clients Heidi Clute and Christina Ubl. The two business partners and their firm Clute Wealth Management were featured in the October issue of Plattsburgh business magazine, Strictly Business.

"Matching the Money with the Dream" is an indepth profile by reporter Meg LeFevre that covers the duo's business story from 1980 to the curent day.

Women Business Owners Network, in partnership with the Vermont Commission on Women and Change The Story, hosted its 2016 Fall Conference with the theme "Telling Your Story" at the Vermont State House and Vermont Historical Museum on October 19. Marketing Partners' Pat Heffernan was on the team that created and presented the 2016 Status Report: Women's Business Ownership and the Vermont Economy to lead off the day, and VTDigger was the first to carry the news story.

We are excited to announce that our client, The Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, awarded its second annual Early Educator of the Year Award to Jackie Reno, a decade-long veteran child care provider from Burlington. Kathi Apgar, of New Haven, was the 2016 award finalist. This year, The Permanent Fund honored excellence in center-based child care professionals.

Net Zero Vermont opened a pop-up gallery and voting for the Sustainable Montpelier Design Competition on October 2, 2016 in the capitol city. Design concepts were submitted from around the world for Montpelier residents, workers and visitors to review and select their top five. The Times Argus and NECN [Video] were first to cover the action.

The Lake Morey Foundation was created in 1984 to give individuals, businesses and community organizations a vehicle by which to make tax-deductible donations to help protect, preserve and enhance the environment of Lake Morey for the enjoyment of all who visit the lake and its surroundings. Since then the Foundation has been active in preserving the lake, fighting milfoil, and supporting the surrounding community.

The July/August issue of Conscious Company Magazine focused on women in leadership in business, so we were delighted Pat's article appeared in this beautifully produced magazine. In case you haven't subscribed yet, the article is available for reading in their Leadership blog, 6 Policies We Need For Gender Equality in Business.

Board members of Women Business Owners Network wanted a new look and feel for a mobile-friendly website — a look that reflected the revitalized and dynamic nature of this nonprofit organization serving Vermont's female entrepreneurs. Yet the board wanted to keep the functional power (and low operating costs) of Wild Apricot, the membership association management platform where the site has been hosted for many years.

"The new website should reflect the vibrancy of our new building." It was a tall order, and although we may be a tad biased, we think the latest, greatest version rocks! King Street Center online is a virtual, colorful mirror of the community center building designed to support Burlington's children and families.

We loved the lede to this roundup article by Joi Sears in TriplePundit.

Most brands claim to have some form of social mission, but few act on it. Today’s winning brands are not only starting contentious, uncomfortable and socially-relevant conversations about the issues that matter, but they’re also getting off their buns and actually doing something about them.

Pat is quoted on the importance of diversity — of perspectives, experiences, identities, ideas, and opinions, in addition to the traditional demographic characteristics — and the business case for inclusive communication, particularly for the younger adults often labeled as Millennials.

Call2Recycle’s expanded household batteries recycling program following Vermont’s first ever mandated primary (single-use) battery stewardship law has shown tremendous results since the program was launched in January this year. Vermont's positive response to the program has contributed to Call2Recycle's  announcement of a record 3.3 million kilograms (7.3 million pounds) of single-use and rechargeable batteries recycled at the mid-year mark, an increase of 20 percent compared to the same time period last year.

The Vermont Action Coalition is pleased to announce the addition of two new videos for Vermontnursing.org. These videos highlight the value and process of RN to BSN education in Vermont.

Women business owners from throughout Vermont gathered for the Spring Women Business Owner's Network (WBON) conference April 29th to learn, share and connect with each other. The day kicked off early with WCAX Morning News coverage as WCAX's Tyler Dumont interviewed WBON members Amelia Gulkis, Laura Lind-Blum, Jill Davies, and Mary-Catherine Jones about the conference line up and their reasons for being involved in WBON.

Melinda Moulton of Main Street Landing was the keynote speaker to launch this year's theme "Women, Money and Business: Navigating the Financial Issues Women Business Owners Face."

The Vermont Action Coalition announced a new website resource for Vermont nurses who want to advance their education or are curious about their options. The Vermont Nursing.org website is a key component of the Coalition's Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action Initiative grant.

Audubon Vermont's Bird-Friendly Maple habitat project was feature on WCAX-TV's  - The :30 during its weekly "Wildlife Watch" segment.  Reporter Ali Freeman visted the Green Mountain Audubon Center and spoke with conservation biologist Steve Hagenbuch, to learn more about this new and very unique program that helps to protect our songbird habitat.

The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) recently honored Rick Davis, co-founder and president of the Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, with VCRD’s lifetime achievement award.

WCAX-TV Channel 3, The Herald of Randolph and The Mountain Times were among the media covering this "positive news" event.

Call2Recycle's Vermont battery stewardship program officially launched with an event at the Vermont State House on January 28th. WPTZ-TV, and VT Digger were on hand for the event and ABC22 /FOX44 , The Burlington Free Press, Associated Press and VPR.NET also covered the program launch. Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz, State representative Tony Klein, Andrew Sirjord chairman of the board for Call2Recycle, and Jennifer Holliday of the Vermont Product Stwardship Council explained the goals and impact of this first-in-the-nation recycling program for single-use batteries.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has renewed its commitment to the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action Initiative with a new round of grants after its initial five-year partnership with the AARP Foundation and state-based action coalitions. RWJF has announced that the Vermont Action Coalition is receiving a second two-year grant through the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program (SIP). The Vermont Action Coalition, acting on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine (2010) and the Vermont Blue Ribbon Commission on Nursing (2012), seeks to improve the health of Vermonters by fully engaging Vermont nurses in our evolving health care system.

In preparation for this next phase of work, Marketing Partners will be helping to create new messages, a website and a direct-to-RN outreach campaign so Vermont nurses are aware of the multiple education pathways and supports available to them. Our work will help the Foundation and the Vermont Action Coalition to achieve the Institute of Medicine (IOM)'s recommendation that 80 percent of the nursing workforce has a baccalaureate in nursing degree (BS or BSN) by 2022.

We are happy to announce that our client, The Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, awarded its first Early Educator of the Year Award to Geralyn Barrows, a 30-year veteran child care provider from New Haven. Elsa Bosma, a Shelburne childcare provider, was the 2015 finalist.

We're thrilled that after two years of research and planning, the Bird-Friendly Maple Habitat program materials we developed are available for participating producers to begin using this fall. Audubon Vermont has partnered with the Vermont Maple Sugarmakers' Association and the State of Vermont to develop standards and conduct field audits for producers wishing to participate.

Why

While maple syrup can look and taste the same, it can come from forests that are managed in dramatically different ways. Park-like maple monocultures may look tidy and increase sap production over the short-term, but they support relatively low numbers of birds and bird species. These same forests are also less likely to be able to respond to the stresses of insect outbreaks, disease or a changing climate.

We're delighted to welcome nonprofit Call2Recycle, Inc. to the Marketing Partners' family of clients with a behavior change and environmental mission.

Call2Recycle® is a product stewardship program providing no-cost battery and cellphone recycling solutions for municipalities, businesses and consumers across the U.S. and Canada. It is the first program of its kind to receive the Responsible Recycling Practices Standard (R2) certification.

In what has become a favorite local event, Rock Point School will host the Ooky Spooky run again on Saturday, October 24th. Each year, the School hosts this fun, costumed, 5k race to benefit COTS (Committe on Temporary Shelter).

Families and children of all ages are welcome. There is also a "fun walk," for people interested in exploring the Rock Point property and watching the race. As usual, prizes will be given for best costumes, as well as those with the best time in each category. The course is an all-terrain adventure on trails, the bikepath, and the beach.

Rick Davis, co-founder and president of the Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children, was presented with the Vermont Community Foundation’s 2015 Excellence in Philanthropy Award at the Community Foundation’s Annual Meeting on September 17th. The event was held at Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home in Manchester and attended by more than 350 people.

We're delighted to welcome Champlain Valley Head Start, a program of nonprofit Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, to the Marketing Partners' family of clients with a mission focused on children and families.

Champlain Valley Head Start offers center-based and home-based services to eligible families in multiple locations throughout Franklin, Grand Isle, Chittenden and Addison Counties.

Despite the slow start to the spring season, Rock Point School prepared for sugaring season as usual. On March 14th, Rock Point School held their annual Maple Brunch 5k, which included a fun run, sugar house tours and a brunch. This yearly event and Rock Point School's Maple Sugaring program were highlighted by reporter Hannah McDonald on WPTZ.

Heidi Clute, of Clute Wealth Management, has continued to help and educate WCAX viewers about their financial future. In recent monthly WCAX segments in October and November of this year, Heidi shared important financial advice for young families, as well as discussing yearly open enrollment windows and the importance of those dates.

Let’s Grow Kids and thirteen other Vermont organizations sponsored a sneak peek of a powerful new PBS documentary, The Raising of America: Early Childhood and the Future of Our Nation.

During the last two weeks of October, Vermont residents in ten counties had the opportunity to see the documentary sneak peek and participate in a local community conversation. Business leaders, pediatricians, early childhood professionals and parents lead these local conversations with the community.

Tara helps companies tell their stories. With a strong background in producing creative content and in project management, Tara has over 18 years of experience in the visual communications industry.

Vermont HITEC and Husky Injection Molding Systems have teamed up to provide opportunities to high school juniors and seniors in Advanced Manufacturing. The program, Husky Summer Institute, offers two 8-week paid internships at Husky's facility in Milton (VT) to 9 high school juniors and seniors. Students are recruited from over 15 different high schools in Chittenden County. These students receive invaluable work experience in Advanced Manufacturing and up to 17 credits in the Vermont State College System.

Vermont HITEC was featured in a lengthy story in the Valley News about an apprenticeship program recently launched at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. More than 725 New Hampshire and Vermont candidates attended orientation sessions to kick off the applicant selection process for becoming one of 20 medical assistants or 10 pharmacy technicians to work at Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Vice President Joe Biden put the success of Vermont's HITEC program in the spotlight during his address to the National Governors Association summer meeting on July 12, 2014.

For a nonprofit from the small state of Vermont, Vermont HITEC has attracted some high level attention lately that started with their participation in a series of roundtables organized by the U.S. Department of Labor in June and culminated with an invitation to participate in the White House Summit on American Apprenticeships held in Washington DC on July 14. Vice President Biden even mentioned Vermont HITEC calling it a "model that works" during his remarks at the summer National Governor's Association Meeting. HITEC is an educational apprenticeship program in partnership with regional employer sponsors.

In the NYT, Bill answered a series of questions about net zero design, while his interview with WCAX was specifically focused on his new book and the fact the threshold for green building is no longer low energy use, it's now net-zero energy. 

The Let’s Grow Kids! campaign officially launched in late April, signifying the start of a three-year statewide effort to educate Vermonters about the importance of the early years of development.

Kids’ VT recently did a nice profile of Rick Davis and his work with the Permanent Fund for Vermont’s Children.

Marketing Partners worked with the Vermont Area Health Education Centers, independent 501c3 nonprofits, to develop coordinated yet separate web site designs and efficiently synchronize shared versus unique content. The new webistes are responsive templates and mobile friendly.

We're delighted to welcome nonprofit PaintCare, Inc. to the Marketing Partners' family of clients with a behavior change and environmental mission.

PaintCare® is a product stewardship program approved by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources for the responsible recycling of unused and leftover paint in the state.

Rick Davis, co-founder and president of The Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children, was among guests featured recently on two CCTV programs to talk about his philanthropic organization’s work with two initiatives: the Vermont Community Preschool Collaborative (VCPC) and Vermont Birth to Three (VB3). Watch the programs:VCPC and VB3 or visit the newsroom, blog and website to learn more about The Permanent Fund's work.

The new Executive Director of Mobius Mentoring, Chad Butt, was interviewed on Live at 5:25PM. The Permanent Fund for Vermont's Children is a major supporter of Mobius. You can watch the program on rebroadcast or video to meet Chad and learn how you can join in the mentoring movement.

SOH Wind Engineering in Williston recently had a visit from WCAX to showcase their new calibration wind tunnel. The largest of its kind in the world, SOH's wind tunnel is a great benefit to nearby NRG Systems, manufacturer of measurement equipment and turbine optimization systems. Instead of shipping to California for calibration, NRG Systems can now get their anemometers tested right down the road. A few weeks later, The Burlington Free Press stopped by the grand opening and got some great photos.

We are proud to welcome Rock Point School into our client family. A nonprofit co-ed college prep school with a non-traditional approach to learning, Rock Point School has been helping students become their best selves for more than 80 years. The school's commitment to sustainability and eco-learning make it a perfect match for Marketing Partners.

Business Executives Call on White House and Congress to Help Move U.S. to a Sustainable Economy

Patricia C. Heffernan, president of the Burlington-based firm Marketing Partners, was one of three Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) members to attend a first-of-its-kind White House Summit organized by the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), the largest U.S. business organization focused on sustainability. The Summit called for a renewed commitment to a sustainable economy based on the “triple bottom line” principles.