Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies

SeVEDS

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SEVEDS Board Meeting Minutes

December 15, 2016, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, BDCC

Attendees: Bob Stevens, Patrick Moreland, Martin Langeveld, Luke Stafford, Drew Richards, Adam Grinold, , Ann Andreosatos (via phone), Bethaney LaClair, Avery Schwenk, , Susan McMahon, Candace Pearson,  Alex Beck, Laura Sibilia, and Kristin Mehalick. Guests: Jeff Lewis and Jen Stromsten.

The Usual Business

  • Welcome and Gathering – Bob Stevens
  • Approve Minutes
    • Motion: Drew Richards
    • Second: Ann Andreosatos
    • Approved by all

Action Items

  • Vote on potential SeVEDS Board Member, Mary Kristiansen, Executive Director, Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship in Keene, New Hampshire
    • Motion: Ann Andreosatos
    • Second: Avery Schwenk
    • Approved by all

Updates

  • 2017 -2018 SeVEDS Funding Requests – Adam Grinold & Kristin Mehalick
  • Update on Workforce following November’s Board Meeting – Kristin Mehalick
    • Workforce ideas presented at November’s meeting:
    • Pilot program in Windham County to collect data and do these strategies work?
    • Anchor industries that draw and make people stay with them – forgiveness would be tied to this
    • Ongoing discussion and this is a good place to start
    • Do more data research and see if there’s a strategy – maybe refining the strategies
    • If we can’t grow our workforce we can’t change our economy
    • Southern Vermont Marketing plan – $100,000 to bring a staff person in to build a network of collaboration. The concept has been tested across Southern Vermont and has gained a lot traction. The model has not been tested and still needs to be ironed out
    • Need for more information on concepts and strategies for these ideas so it can help give us a better idea
    • Add marketing and recruiting to this list – scale it down so we can actually implement it
    • We have a concept and we need to implement
    • A need to get at the people that are already in the area and how do we engage them
    • “Become a Vermonter” – micro target this idea of recruiting. Need to start somewhere – a pop up store to target young professionals in Brooklyn
    • Need to get people here and also keep people – both items are important
    • The Southern Vermont Marketing Plan does this and fits all the varying economic needs of the region
    • Need to research the below workforce areas to help determine potential action items and programs for SeVEDS  
      • Free College
      • Tuition Reimbursement
      • Debt forgiveness
      • Refugee resettlement (international and national)
      • Workforce Housing – WRC
    • Targeted Expertise Recruitment (TER) Task Force please email Kristin Mehalick
      • Looking for board members to participate in this workforce group
      • The targeted expertise recruitment initiative is a workforce recruitment initiative designed to help regional employers recruit individuals with skill sets not likely to be found through traditional recruitment methods. The TER initiative is working with select employers to serve as pilots.
    • Rutland County Marketing Campaign – Adam Grinold
    • Young Professionals Gala – Alex Beck
      • Alex Beck presented information on the Young Professionals annual gala
      • Date & Time: March 4th, 7:30-10pm
      • Location: TBD (hopefully BMAC again)
      • Target Attendance: 200+
      • Purpose: The purpose of this event is to raise awareness and donations for the Southern Vermont Young Professionals (or SeVEDS) through the execution of a community-wide fundraising gala. It will be open to all members of the public, who will be encouraged to donate and/or participate in the raffle.
      • Additional Details:
        • Tickets have been priced at:
          • $10/person early bird
          • $15/person, $25 a pair regular
          • $50/5 people ($10 pp for groups/employers)
        • There will be a Cash Bar vending a select offering of local wine, beer, and spirits for $5 a drink.
        • There will be a “Pick-A-Prize Raffle” in one side gallery
        • There will be a photo booth in the other side gallery
        • Live music will (hopefully) be provided between 8:00pm-9:30; DJ will come on until close
        • We’re currently seeking sponsorship and in-kind raffle prizes from Windham Region businesses and community leaders
        • We are adding a high-level sponsorship, available to a single supporting business, to promote public-private partnerships in addressing Young Professional and Workforce issue
        • Total Projected Budget $2,400

 Substantive Discussions

  • Vermont Futures Project Update – Jeff Lewis and Jen Stromsten
    • Jeff Lewis and Jen Stromsten attending the board meeting to present an overview of the work they are doing with the Vermont Futures Project
    • Vermont Chamber of Commerce created the  Vermont Chamber Foundation a non-profit  research entity
    • To focus on the health and vitality of the Vermont Economy
    • Learned from many other similar Foundations—North Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, etc.
    • Long term attention spanning political cycles
    • What they see:
      • Regional and sub-regional concern about economic vitality
      • Gathering energy focused on economic recovery
      • Growing levels of capacity and capability
      • Lack of alignment between state policy and regional needs like housing and training
      • Opportunities from scale and intimacy—we know each other
      • The Policy Triangle, Indicator Targets and Virtuous Circle are the road map
    • Discussion:
      • What are four things that SeVEDS can endorse economic development policy within the legislature
      • Need for advocacy
      • With SeVEDS as a think tank at the Windham Regional level, there’s a need to have the conversation at the state level
      • Recommendation from Jeff to the board: The SeVEDS board should meet with the legislative delegation to discuss these regional issues around workforce and other economic development issues
      • Building this up to create the knowledge and the policy behind these issues
      • There is currently no state wide level effort focused on bringing workforce to the state of Vermont

 

Other Business / Announcements

  • Next SeVEDS Board Meeting, January, 19th from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at BDCC
  • Upcoming Selectboard Meetings:
    • Wednesday, January 4th at 6:00 pm, Town of Wilmington
    • Tuesday, January 17th at 6:00 pm, Town of Vernon
    • Wednesday, January 11th at 6:30 pm, Town of Westminster
    • Thursday, January 12th at 6:00 pm, Town of Marlboro
  • Previously Attended Selectboard Meetings:
    • Monday, November 28th at 6:30 pm, Town of Guildford
    • Monday, December 5th at 6:00 pm, Town of Newfane
    • Tuesday, December 6th at 6:30 pm, Town of Brattleboro
  • Upcoming YP Events:
    • Saturday, March 4th, Young Professionals Gala

CEDS and FY ‘17 Board Priority Area Updates

  • General CEDS
    • Municipal Funding for RY 2017 – 2018
      • Towns we will be petitioning to be included on the warning: Westminster,

Vernon, Marlboro, Newfane and Guildford

  • All petitions due to town offices on January 19, 2017 at 5:00 pm
  • CEDS Objective 1: Act Regionally
    • CEDS: New Projects/Project Updates – October 28th – December 16tth – Project

Review/Ranking period open

  • CEDS Press Event – January TBD
  • 31 Project Updates Submitted, 15 new projects submitted, Total: 46

 

  • CEDS Objective 2: Create an entrepreneurial environment and culture to enhance existing business and grow new business.
  • INSTIG8 activities for this fall range from networking events to a hack-a-thon, all of which help to support and cultivate a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the region.www.facebook.com/INSTIG8
    • Work on 2017 Calendar
    • Digital Market Series with Mondo Media works. Example workshops:
      • Facebook for Your Business (incl. Live)
      • Video Any Day
      • Creative Content Marketing Essentials
      • Twitter for Business
      • Instagram for Business
      • SEO & Local Listings
      • Google Adwords 101 (or Basics)
      • Email Marketing 101
      • Be an Influencer
      • Digital Public Relations (blogs, link building, social media)
  • Intro to Google Analytics
  • 5 Digital Trends for 2018 OR What’s Next?
  • Bellows Falls – A Night with the Brewers (Hermit Thrush) early 2017 (an outcome of BF Idea Jam)
  • WCEDP: 1 Loan with VEDA, 2 in review

 CEDS Objective 3: Improve wage parity with the surrounding labor shed

  • Milestone 4 Event: Wednesday, November 30th at SIT/World Learning from 4:00 – 6:30 pm. Celebration of the work done over the last year and what’s to come now the cluster analysis is completed.
    • 30 projects/potential business opportunities coming out of the cluster analysis. Including: LEAN Retrofit, Resilience Advisory Tool, Rich Earth, Cross Laminated Timbers (CLT), Knowledge Center, Ed and Training Consortium, Green Gap, Green Bridge, and Eco FIRE.
    • Reference Materials: Action Team Meeting Notes: FIRE, Products & Services, and Knowledge Center
    • Reference Material: GB Cluster Analysis

 

 

  • CEDS Objective 4: Increase the size and quality of the workforce
    • Fast Tracks
      • Twin valley is going to The Hermitage Club on 12/14
      • BUHS Students are doing a grand tour on 12/20, to GS Precision, Brattleboro Memorial, Commonwealth Dairy, and Cotton Mill Complex
      • Working on Sophomore Summit and Six Colleges Recruitment Fair for Spring
    • Cluster Roundtable Initiative
      • Held a manufacturers meeting about regulatory policy; 8 employers showed up
        • Storymatic, Chroma Technology Corp, New Chapter Inc, Cooperman Fife & Drum, Swiss Precision, GS Precision

 

    • Targeted Expertise Recruitment Taskforce
      • The targeted expertise recruitment initiative is a workforce recruitment initiative designed to help regional employers recruit individuals with skill sets not likely to be found through traditional recruitment methods. The TER initiative is working with select employers to serve as pilots. For more information, please see the hand out.
    • Internship Program:
      • The first meeting of the Six Colleges Career Services Meeting was held on 12/02/16. Representatives from Landmark, Marlboro, CCV and SIT were in attendance, along with myself. The structure of the meeting, its membership and focus were decided by committee. It was actually a little difficult to focus on the practicalities of the meeting because the members had so many ideas of how to use our collaboration to improve internship placement and career services. I expect this meeting to be a major step toward the long-term sustainability of this the Internship Program.
      • Beginning to collaborate on a formal method for career services staff at schools to open up Student Portfolios. Previous efforts were hindered by the number of people involved (e.g. student, employer, coordinator and career advisor) so the new system will leverage its resources more efficiently.

 

CEDS Objective 5: Retain and attract younger talent through engagement linkages, lifestyle amenities, and meaningful career opportunities

  • YP’s
    • Two December events: Winter Mixer @ Coworking Plus, Self-Defense & Empowerment Course
    • Gala is set for March 4th
    • Membership Management platform and website redesign is planned to be rolled out at the Gala. The membership management platform will be used to collect more informative data about the young professionals that attend events, access BDCC/SeVEDS Services, and that might be interested in volunteering or donating to SeVEDS programs. The web page will be built off of the newly designed BDCC/SeVEDS Website.
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