Public Forum on Vermont’s Future

March 16, 2016

The Vermont economy is one of our most crucial and the least understood systems. The Vermont Futures Project was founded to conduct research and provide knowledge about the Vermont economy aimed at enhancing and sustaining a robust and growing economy. The Futures Project believes that Vermonters need a shared vision about the economy we want-one that is as strong as the vision we share for our environment. To help build this vision the Vermont Futures Project is sponsoring, in collaboration with regional entities, a series of discussions around the state.

Johnson State College will host a meeting on March 31st for Lamoille Region businesses and residents. The forum will take place from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Stearns Student Center at Johnson State College.

The event will build off the economic indicators in the Vermont Futures Project website focusing in three broad areas: economic performance, workforce, and quality of place. The unique Vermont challenge is balancing our commitment to environmental responsibility, fairness to our people, and growth of opportunity. The Vermont Futures Project, created by the Vermont Chamber Foundation, has already published a website of economic indicators at www.vtfuturesproject.org based on research funded by the Foundation and performed by the UMass Center for Economic Development. The indicators provide a profile of the economy which the Foundation is committed to update annually for at least the next ten years. The Foundation believes that achieving a shared vision, developing strategies, and accomplishing change in our economic future will take a decade or more-as the challenges facing us in workforce, demographics, productivity, industrial mix, and infrastructure will take time to address. The indicators and vision are the first two phases of a three phase project. The third phase concerns economic development learning, strategy and policy development, and continual attention to our shared economy. We have the responsibility and opportunity to make our economy what we want it to be and at the same time be consistent with our Vermont values, our tradition of hard work, and the needs of future generations. The event is sponsored by the Lamoille Economic Development Corporation, Lamoille Region Chamber of Commerce, Lamoille County Planning Commission and Johnson State College. It will be led by Jeffrey Lewis, one of the principal organizers of the Vermont Futures Project.

While attendance is free, for planning purposes we ask that you please contact John Mandeville at 888-5640 or john@lamoilleeconomy.org and let us know you will be joining the conversation.