Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 5:30 p.m.). The event will be held drive-in style at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland and the Jack McKernon Drive-In at Estabrook Park in Brandon. The event, which will feature a pre-recorded video produced by Amanda Wheeler of Eightzero2 Productions, will be a celebration of the recent merger of Rutland Economic Development Corporation and Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce. The two organizations adopted a new name – Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region – when the merger was finalized earlier this month. The annual meeting will also celebrate Rutland County’s 27 towns and cities, and the extraordinary people who work tirelessly to make our region the most collaborative, innovative, and friendly place in Vermont to live, work, play, and grow a business.
The cost to attend is $25 per car, and each car will receive $25 in “Food Truck Bucks” to be used at the food truck park that evening. Space is limited; pre-registration is required.
Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region is proud to announce its annual award recipients for 2020, who will be recognized at the annual meeting. Heritage Family Credit Union President and CEO Matt Levandowski is the recipient of the Business Leader of the Year award. Levandowski has called the Rutland Region home for almost 30 years – 29 of which have been spent as part of the Heritage Family Credit Union team. Under his leadership, Heritage Family Credit Union has routinely been recognized as one of the best companies to work for in Vermont.
Nancy Greenwood, sales associate at Watson Realty & Associates PLC, is the recipient of the Community Leader of the Year award. Greenwood served as co-chair for the Relay for Life Cancer Fundraising Walk from 2005-2017. She is an active member of Rutland City Rotary and volunteers with the Feline Connection. When the Covid-19 crisis hit, Greenwood established the Help Vermont Light Up the World Facebook group and encouraged others to put out a star or their holiday lights to lift the spirit of all and to thank essential workers.
This year’s recipient of the Innovator of the Year award is VT Terps. Founded in 2019, by David, Sam, and Greg Markowski, Dan Querrey, Mark Atwood, and Jim Gilmore, the organization produces organic CBD products that are locally grown, processed, and sold. Currently they harvest from over 100 acres in Vermont and oversee the entire process from preparation, planting, maintaining, and harvesting. Recently the group designed and built a drying system unique to VT Terps.
