VBSR Celebrates 15 Years - VBSR - Vermont Businesses for Social

business
VOLUME X
NUMBER
2
WINTER 2005/2006
VBSR Celebrates 15 Years
O
ver 100 people attended
VBSR’s 15th anniversary party
in November at the Wyndham Hotel.
The celebration was filled with great
music, great memories, and lots of
networking. VBSR board member,
Flip Brown (Business Culture
Consultants), and his band, the Retro
Rockets, revved up the crowd with
some rousing renditions of old rock
’n roll favorites. Perhaps we have
started a tradition...
Clockwise from top left: Abbie Nelson
and Laura Peterson (Green Mountain
Coffee Roasters);
Melinda Moulton
(Main Street
Landing) and
Don Mayer (Small
Dog Electronics);
Peg Devlyn
(Marketing Partners)
and Kevin Harper;
Flip Brown (Business
Culture Consultants)
and the Retro
Rockets; and Leslie
Nulty (Focal Point
Advisory Services),
Bruce Seifer
(City of Burlington
Community and
Economic
Development
Office), Tim
Nulty (Burlington
Telecom), and
Glenn McRae
(CGH Environmental
Strategies)
WINTER 2005/2006
A LOOK INSIDE…
CLEANING FOR HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
EVENTS UPCOMING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
NEW MEMBERS WELCOMED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
POLICY WATCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
EVENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
1
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
The VBSR newsletter
is published by Vermont Businesses
for Social Responsibility, a non-profit
organization working to foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes
the opportunity and responsibility of
the business community to set a high
standard for protecting the natural,
human, and economic environments
of our citizens.
Editing
Rita Bevacco
Production
Liquid Studio/Lisa Cadieux
Printing
Courtesy of Chittenden Bank
(Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper)
VBSR Staff
Rita Bevacco
Stephani Kononan
Tim Palmer
Spence Putnam
Contributors
Carol Westinghouse
VBSR members may receive multiple
copies of any issue of the newsletter by
making a request to the VBSR office. All
materials published in the newsletter
may be reprinted with permission and
appropriate credit.
Newsletter of Vermont Businesses
for Social Responsibility
business
30 Community Drive, Suite 2
South Burlington,VT 05403-6834
802/862-8347
fax: 802/863-1535
e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.vbsr.org
HORIZONS
WINTER 2005/2006
Cleaning for Health:
Products and Practices for a
Safer Indoor Environment
I
n 2002, INFORM published Cleaning
for Health, the first ever manual on a
new generation of cleaning products
and practices that are cost competitive
and meet cleaning performance expectations—but do not contain the many
toxic substances found in traditional
cleaners.
Toxic-free cleaners are important
because of the mounting evidence
that common cleaning chemicals have
serious public health implications.
Ingredients in common cleaning chemicals can be known or suspected carcinogens and/or cardiovascular, developmental, endocrine, gastrointestinal,
liver, kidney, central nervous, reproductive, respiratory and skin toxicants.
Cleaning chemicals have also been
identified as asthmagens. A review of
recent journal articles shows a correlation between asthma and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), floor maintenance materials and other common
cleaning products.A study published in
the American Journal of Industrial
Medicine concludes that janitorial
2
workers experience the highest rates of
occupational asthma, twice the rate of
other workers.
Cleaning for Health is a one-stop
guide to environmentally preferable
cleaning products and methods
that have been effectively used in
schools, office buildings, hospitals and
other facilities across the US and
Canada. It describes the information
that purchasing agents and facilities
managers need in order to make
informed decisions about the cleaning
chemicals and methods they are using.
INFORM provides technical assistance to a wide variety of organizations
and institutions in New England, New
York and New Jersey who seek to
reduce the human health and environmental impact of their cleaning practices. Using our Cleaning for Health
research, INFORM has been working
with government agencies, municipalities, schools, colleges, hospitals, health
care facilities and the business community to develop and implement environmentally preferable cleaning proVBSR BUSINESShorizons
Sustaining Members
grams and minimize their purchase of
products containing toxic substances.
INFORM provides fact sheets, in
addition to the Cleaning for Health
report, that assist organizations in making the smoothest transition to less
toxic products.These include:
Ingredients to Avoid in Cleaning Products (Draft)
Quick reference of industrial cleaning
chemicals to avoid
Asthmagens in Industrial Cleaning Products
Avoiding respiratory irritants and
asthmagens in institutional cleaners
General Guidelines for Healthier Cleaning
Practices
Outline of first steps in “green” cleaning
Implementing Environmentally Preferable
Cleaning Practices
Eight steps to implementing an
environmentally preferable cleaning
program
How to Contract for Products that Do Not
Contain Asthmagens
Purchasing products that do not
contain respiratory irritants and
asthmagens
Restroom and Urinal Deodorizer Block
Purchasing air-freshening blocks that
are free of health threatening
paradichlorobenzene
Cleaning for Health’s Senior
Consultant, Carol Westinghouse, is available to conduct site visits, evaluate current cleaning methods and products,
recommend practical,cost-effective and
less-toxic products, and offer guidance
on the use of these products. For further information, please contact her at
802-626-8643, [email protected].
INFORM is a national, non-profit
research and outreach organization
that examines the effects of business
practices, technologies, and products
on the environment and human
health. For 30 years INFORM has
sought practical solutions to the
environmental challenges of safeguarding ecosystems from toxic
chemicals, shifting to pollution-free
transportation, and preventing solid
waste. Combining groundbreaking
research with strategic outreach,
INFORM endeavors to turn findings
into change. INFORM’s objective and
constructive recommendations have
helped guide members of government, industry, environmental
groups, and communities around the
world in decisions promoting both
economic and ecological sustainability.
Many Thanks to Our Gold Level Members and Newsletter Sponsors
2much Media
Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Vermont
Brattleboro Food Co-op
Business Culture Consultants
Cabot Creamery Cooperative
Concept2
Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, PC
Hubbardton Forge
KeyBank
Marketing Partners, Inc.
MVP Health Care
Network Performance, Inc.
WINTER 2005/2006
Paul, Frank & Collins, P.C.
Shems Dunkiel Kassel & Saunders PLLC
Smuggler's Notch
SoVerNet, Inc.
SymQuest
The Point
Truex Cullins & Partners Architects
Vermont Butter & Cheese Company
Vermont Country Store
Vermont Energy Investment Corp. (VEIC)
Vermont Public Television
Vermont Pure Holdings, Ltd.
Vermont Teddy Bear Co.
3
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
Success of VBSR’s
2005 Fall Conference Proves
“Local Matters”
●YES, I support VBSR’s mission
and want to become a member.
SIGNATURE
DATE
NAME
TITLE
COMPANY
ADDRESS
STATE
ZIP
PHONE
FAX
EMAIL
VBSR Mission Statement
Sylvia Blanchet (above, left), cofounder of ForesTrade, and Tod
Murphy (left), founder of the
Farmer’s Diner, each delivered
inspiring keynote speeches on
the importance of small-scale
agriculture to the health of local
communities—both overseas and
at home in Vermont.
To advance a business ethic that values multiple bottom lines—economic,
social and environmental.
VBSR works to fulfill its mission through:
EDUCATION: Bringing together resources and information to help our
members to meet their own goals for improving business practices
and solving social, environmental and economic problems.
PUBLIC INFLUENCE: Representing a socially responsible business ethic to
the larger community, including news media and legislative bodies, to
foster positive change and resist exploitation of our people, our state
and our planet.
WORKPLACE QUALITY: Fostering a work environment and economic
climate that enable every worker to earn a fair income safely, to
contribute his or her labor to a high quality product or service, and
to work and live with dignity and respect.
Right: In a general
session, Leslie Nulty, VBSR
board member, and Don
Mayer, VBSR board chair,
participate on a panel to
discuss VBSR’s public
policy positions on complex
health care questions.
VBSR Annual Member Dues
● Company (Sales under $500,000). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175
● Company (Sales of $500,000 and up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $400
● Gold Level Member*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1,000
● Sustaining Member**
............................
$5,000
*Gold Level includes listing as a spring conference sponsor, fall conference
co-sponsor and newsletter sponsor, free Get-Together company pass and a
free Circle Pass.
Below: Scudder Parker, VBSR’s former Public Policy Coordinator,
presents VBSR’s first annual Legislator of the Year Award to
Representative Robert Dostis.
**Sustaining Member includes space for banner, free display table, and
special recognition at Spring and Fall conference, free registrations: 5 for
Spring conference and 3 for Fall conference, newsletter and web site sponsor with logo, free page in directory, free Get-Together company pass, and
free Circle pass.
Payment (check one of the following)
● Check enclosed
● Charge my credit card: ● Visa
● Mastercard
NAME (as it appears on card)
CARD #
EXPIRES
30 Community Drive, Ste 2, South Burlington, VT 05403-6834
802/862-8347 • fax 802/863-1535 • e-mail: [email protected]
WINTER 2005/2006
4
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
Welcome New Members! April, 2005–November, 2005
1% For The Planet
ASAP Regional Blood Collections
Aurora International
Balancing Changes
Bear Code, LLC
Brady Law
Branon Pools
Britton Lumber Company, Inc.
Burton Snowboards
Business & Tax Consultants Corp.
CEIT Corp.
Cheshire Housing Trust
Clear Channel Communications
Cole Consulting, LC
Collections Express
Common Ground Center
Community Alliance Church
Copley Health Systems
DeCato Law Office
Deerfield Designs
Delagae Divison Belcam Inc.
Design-Build Studio Architecture, LLC
Diamond Run Mall
Dorset Field Club
Equinox Resort
Ethics, Inc.
EventSalon, LLC
Fleming Museum
Freedom Chrysler
Friends Of The Sun
G.W. Tatro Construction
Gensburg, Atwell & Broderick, LLC
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Green Mountain Wellness Solutions
Green Valley Engineering
Hanson Mortgage Company
Harold & Associates
Hartlwrites
Harvest Limited, LLC
High Mowing Organic Seed Company
Home Assisted Living Services
Hull Printing Inc.
It's Classified
Jeffrey Crandall, DDS
Kiosko USA, Inc.
The Leadership Group
MacMillin Company
The Mailing Center Inc.
Maple Capital Management
Maple Grove Farms of Vermont
Marlboro College
McEnaney & Company
Gloria McKenna
Mertz Talbott & Simonds PLC
MicroData GIS
Mid-Vermont ENT
Microcheck, Inc.
Mountain Health Center, Inc.
Mutual of America
New England Central Rail
WINTER 2005/2006
New England Precisions, Inc.
New England Senior Insurance Group
New Prospects
OGI, Inc.
OneSource Financial Group
Otter Creek Ales/Wolaver's Organic Ales
P.J. Noves Co. Inc.
Passumpsic Savings Bank
Patricia Williams, LCSW
Nancy Potak
Preitech Inc.
Premier Coach
Primary Care Health LLP
Propeller Media Works, LLC
The Public Press
Rearch Company, LLC
Red River Computer Company
RE/MAX North Professionals
Retreat Healthcare
Robert Cioffi Realty
Russian Life Magazine
Rutland County Community Land Trust
Rutland West Neighborhood Housing, Inc.
Sarah Forbes Creative
Savron Graphics
Schoolhouse Group
Jess Thomas Schwidde
Sherwin Electric
Silver Ridge Design, Inc., Architects
Ski Country Real Estate
Smith Street Design
Standards Technology Group
Stevens Wilcox
Sugar River Savings Bank
Tamarack Media
Thomas Chittenden Health Center
Timberlane Physical Therapy
Tower, Crocker & Mullins, PA
Treatment Association, LLP
Trueline Drumsticks
Tupper Lake National Bank
Twincraft, Inc.
Union Bank
Vermont Association of Snow Travelers
Vermont Campaign to End Childhood
Hunger
Vermont Coalition of Disability Rights
Vermont Courier, Inc.
Vermont Credit Union League Services
Vermont Homeownership Initiative
Vermont Mechanical Incorporated
Vermont Medical Sleep Disorder Center
Vermont Open Technology
Vermont Real Estate
Vermont Woman Newspaper
Wake Robin Corp.
Willie Racine’s Jeep Isuzu, Inc.
Wright Construction
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
5
EVENTS
UPCOMING
VBSR-REF Spring 2006 Conference
MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 10
TERRY EHRICH AWARD DINNER
TUESDAY, APRIL 11
FULL-DAY CONFERENCE
Wyndham Hotel, Burlington, VT
VBSR-REF 2006 Fall Conference
MID-OCTOBER
School for International Training, Brattleboro, VT
Public Policy Events
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 5-7 PM
LEGISLATIVE RECEPTION
Main Street Grill and Bar, Montpelier, VT
WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 9 AM-3 PM
VBSR DAY AT THE STATEHOUSE
Montpelier, VT
2006 Networking Get-Togethers
VBSR members will host another great schedule of GetTogethers around the state of Vermont. These events are a
fun and informal way for members to learn more about
progressive business practices, and each other! GetTogethers include a tour of the host’s business, a brief
presentation, refreshments, and lots of networking time.
Food, Fun and Discussion! Watch our ENews and Website
for additional dates and locations.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 5:30-7:30 PM
VERMONT PUBLIC RADIO, COLCHESTER, VT
MARCH
Open House co-hosted by Seventh Generation and Main
Street Landing at VBSR’s new location in the Lake &
College building on Burlington’s waterfront.
JUNE
Vermont Butter & Cheese Co., Websterville, VT
JULY
Otter Creek Brewing, Middlebury, VT
VBSR 2006 Board Meetings
WEDNESDAYS, FEBRUARY 1, MAY 10,
SEPTEMBER 13 & NOVEMBER 15
All VBSR members are welcome. Please let us know
ahead of time if you plan on attending.
For more information on VBSR programs and other events,
visit www.vbsr.org, email [email protected]
or call (802) 862-8347
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
PA I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T
WINTER 2005/2006
6
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
Policy Watch
Farewell to Scudder Parker
By Tim Palmer, VBSR Policy Coordinator
T
he 2005 session of the General Assembly ended last spring with significant
action on renewable and clean energy as well as energy efficiency, increased
funding for town and state highways and public transportation as well as affordable housing, efforts to control mercury pollution and agricultural runoff pollution
and establishment of an automatically adjusting minimum wage.
Many important issues including universal health care, growth centers, rail
transport, and economic development incentive programs became the focus of
summer study groups which will be reporting the results of their work once the
General Assembly reconvenes for the 2006 session in January. VBSR and many
member businesses have been actively participating in the summer study groups’
activities providing information and insight into how various proposals might
impact businesses, employees, communities and the environment.
VBSR also continues to work in collaboration with many other community,
labor, environmental, health care, consumer, and religious organizations as well as
individual business to advance health care reform, environmental protection, energy development and independence, and tax policy reform. Among those collaborations are Coalition 21 and the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security, the
Smart Growth Collaborative and the Vermont Apollo Alliance, and the Vermont Fair
Tax Coalition.
The 2006 legislative session will have a strong focus on health care reform,
energy and transportation planning,and protection for farmers as well as the financial impact of growing deficits in both the Medicaid budget and investments in the
public employee retirement systems.
Please mark your calendars for two upcoming State House events.We will be
holding a legislative reception on February 1 from 5 to 7 pm at the Main Street
Grill and Bar in Montpelier.We will also hold our annual VBSR State House Day on
May 3.
The most effective advocacy at the State House is done by individuals and companies whose direct experience in a given field or issue provides a deeper more
personal understanding by legislators. If you would like to be involved in our public policy efforts please contact me at [email protected].
VBSR was very privileged to have the
services of Scudder Parker as our Public
Policy Coordinator during the 2005 legislative session. He brought to VBSR the
experience of several years serving in the
Vermont State Senate and the Department
of Public Service. In addition, he is a real
student of the legislative process and public policy making at the state level. He
proved during his all-too-brief tenure at
VBSR that he is tireless and creative in
seeking solutions to pressing public problems. Scudder deserves credit for breakthrough modifications to S52, the energy
bill represents a significant step forward
in renewable energy policy and energy
efficiency. He was also active in the
health care debate and worked closely
with coalition partners on environmental
and farm issues, as well as telecommunications, among others. Our members and
the staff will miss having Scudder in this
role. We wish him well as he pursues
another role in state government.
VBSR Board of Directors
LAWRENCE K. BARBER, CFM,
Merrill Lynch
SYLVIA BLANCHET, ForesTrade, Inc.
JAN BLITTERSDORF, NRG Systems, Inc.
FLIP BROWN, Business Culture
Consultants
BRIAN DUNKIEL, Shems Dunkiel
Kassel & Saunders, PLLC
Welcome to Tim
We are very fortunate to have Tim Palmer join us as our Public Policy Coordinator. Since
his arrival just before the fall conference in Brattleboro, where he conducted a public policy forum and participated in a health reform workshop, Tim has been meeting regularly
with the Public Policy Committee, as well as many members, legislators, and VBSR coalition
partners. He is rapidly coming up to speed on past VBSR public policy initiatives and is
preparing for the legislative session about to open in Montpelier.
Tim came to us with over thirty years of experience in health care, human services, and
housing and community development in many different settings. He has served as the
executive director of a number of nonprofit organizations, most recently of Community of
Vermont Elders (COVE) and Vermont CARES. Tim is very familiar with the legislative
scene, having played or overseen the role of public policy advocate for many of these
organizations and having worked directly with both the Vermont and New York state general assemblies over a period of many years. Through his work Tim has demonstrated
considerable skill in building organizations and involving their members directly in advocacy activities. We are excited to have Tim’s energies and talents working on behalf of
VBSR’s public policy efforts.
WINTER 2005/2006
7
PAT HEFFERNAN, Marketing Partners,
Inc.
JEFFREY HOLLENDER, Seventh
Generation
JULIE LINEBERGER, LineSync Architecture
BRUCE MACDONALD, Vermont Pure
Holdings, Ltd.
DON MAYER, Small Dog Electronics
PAUL MILLMAN, Chroma Technology
MELINDA MOULTON, Main Street
Landing Company
LESLIE NULTY, Focal Point Advisory
Services
BETH SACHS, Vermont Energy
Investment Corp.
GEORGE SCHENK, American Flatbread
MARK SCHULMAN, Goddard College
ROBERT STILLER, Green Mountain
Coffee Roasters
VBSR BUSINESShorizons
NETWORKING EVENTS
Right: A large crowd at the April Get-Together listens to AJ Rossman of Draker Solar talk
about solar monitoring and Burlington’s green business building.
Below, left: Members of VBSR’s Solo Circle and other party-goers enjoy a lovely evening
cruise on Lake Champlain. Right: As part of the VBSR Ambassador Program, The
McKernon Group and Green Mountain College sponsored a walking tour of Brandon’s
revitalized downtown. The group is pictured here in front of the falls on the Neshobe River.
30 Community Drive, Ste. 2
South Burlington,VT
05403-6834
PRSRT STD
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BURLINGTON VT
PERMIT NO.286