Vermont Business Roundtable

Created in 1987 as a nonprofit, public interest organization, the Vermont Business Roundtable membership is comprised of 120 CEOs of Vermont's most active and committed for-profit and not-for-profit employers. Our mission is to make Vermont the best place in America to do business, be educated and live life.

The success of this organization is attributed to the personal involvement of the principal officers of our member businesses. Their essential leadership on key public policy issues has been the foundation of our ability to make a difference.

During the 20 years since its inception, the Vermont Business Roundtable has dedicated itself to thoughtful, deliberative, and well-documented analyses of significant public policy issues affecting all Vermonters. From our first report in 1988 entitled, “Population and Employment Forecast” to the 2006 report entitled, “Having the Courage to Change”, the Roundtable has engaged in research and analysis, collaboration, and communication and advocacy to bring a uniquely balanced, non-partisan, and long-range perspective to policymaking in Vermont.

As well, the Vermont Business Roundtable has played a leadership role in the development and launch of significant projects that have enhanced the economic vitality and social fabric of Vermont. Chief among them have been the Medallion School Awards program, the Born to Read Initiative, the Peer to Peer Collaborative, and the Young Writers Project.

SAVE THE DATE ~ JUNE 3, 2008

SUMMER MEMBERSHIP MEETING
of the
VERMONT BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

Please join your fellow members in a multi-faceted day of CEO
networking, exploration of critical ideas, and discussion of the relevant
economic, social, and environmental impacts for Vermont.
Members are encouraged to invite a guest CEO to participate in the day’s events.

Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes, Vermont

Morning Golf, Tennis, or Narrative Boat Tour
Luncheon and Keynote Speaker ~ 1:00 p.m.
Educational Sessions ~ 2:30 p.m.
Evening Cocktails and Heavy Hors d’oeuvres ~ 5:30 p.m.

(Invitations will be forthcoming)

For additional information, please contact Beth Volker:
beth@vtroundtable.org or 802-865-0410

Best Practices

Downloadable documents

Click for Best Practices

Policy Center

Visit the Policy Center to follow significant issues affecting all Vermonters.

Click for Policy Center

In the News

"Remedy the Current Situation"
By Lisa M. Ventriss, President, Vermont Business Roundtable
Published in the May/June 2008 issue of "Livin' the Vermont Way" Magazine

The old Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen song says, “You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative. Latch on to the affirmative, don’t mess with Mr. In-Between.” And the advice is probably good for Vermonters to consider as the economy weakens. Vermont is indeed an excellent place to live and be educated; we have beautiful surroundings, low crime, a strong educational system, and sturdy safety net for our citizens. But, the business community has been experiencing a more difficult climate and other groups outside Vermont are confirming our dilemma.

Vision, Goals and Governance in our Public Education System ~ An Op Ed by Mary Powell, COO, Green Mountain Power and Co-chair, Business-Education Alliance (May 5, 2008)

Since January 2007, three business and three education organizations have been working together as the Business-Education Alliance toward simple goals; to develop mutual understanding and respect for each other's issues and priorities; to inform each other's thinking with factual information and industry insight; and, to find common ground that could lay the foundation for policy recommendations around a straight forward question: How can Vermont control the rate of increase in preK-12 public education spending while, at the same time, improve education outcomes for all Vermont students?

Download full op ed

Business-Education Alliance Report Released (April 21, 2008)

Our children will live their lives in a century full of opportunities and challenges. Vermont’s future and our country’s are dependent upon a successful and responsive educational system that delivers a quality 21st century education to every Vermont child. It is the belief of the Business-Education Alliance that the educational system must be designed to ensure all children “graduate.” What it means to “graduate” must be based on each child’s demonstration of the knowledge, skills and attributes, which have been identified as essential for their continued growth as citizens.

Business-Education Alliance Report (April 21, 2008)

Business-Education Alliance in Support of Education Restructuring (April 15, 2008)

Our members include the Roundtable, LCRCC and GBIC; and the VPA; VSBA; and VSA. We have been led by two co-chairs, Mary Moran, Superintendent, Rutland City Schools, (here today) and Mary Powell, Chief Operating Officer, Green Mountain Power. And to facilitate our work and manage us to a productive end, we engaged a consultant, Val Gardner, former principal of Champlain Valley Union High School.

Since January 2007 we have been working together to examine both cost and governance issues. Next week we will be issuing our final report but, today, we are here as representatives of the Business-Education Alliance to address the governance provisions of S.371 and share our recommendations.

Business-Education Alliance Ventriss testimony (April 15, 2008)

Roundtable Calls for Increased Public Investment in Higher Education

South Burlington, VT April 7, 2008 - In January 2004 the Vermont Business Roundtable issued its first report on the vital importance of higher education as a driver of Vermont’s 21st century economy. Since that time, the need for support of this important economic sector has only become more pronounced. The Roundtable is again calling attention to the fact that, since its report was issued in 2004, Vermont has made no progress, but is in fact falling further behind in its support.

Download full press release (pdf)

Download full report (pdf)