Betsy Bishop

of Montpelier is President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Formerly, Bishop served as the Commissioner of Economic Development in the Administration of Governor Jim Douglas. She worked on Governor Douglas’ staff for seven years, beginning with his transition team, and including six years on the Governor’s policy and legislative team.  Bishop also served as Governor Douglas’ Deputy Chief of Staff.  Prior to this, Bishop served as Vice President of Government Affairs at the Vermont Chamber of Commerce from 1994 to 1998, before starting her own company which advocated for businesses in the state legislative and regulatory arenas.

Steven J. Bourgeois
Steve Bourgeois is VEDA’s Treasurer.  During his long tenure as a VEDA Board member, Bourgeois served four previous terms as the Authority’s Board Chair.  Bourgeois, of Swanton, is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Initiatives for Business, LLC, providing consulting services focused on planning and expansion to corporate clients. In 2002, Bourgeois retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Franklin Lamoille Bank, capping a 22-year career with that institution.

Robert D. Britt
of South Burlington is the Chief Financial Officer of SBE, Inc. in Barre, Vermont. Britt has also served as VEDA’s Chair and Vice-Chair. Prior to joining SBE, Britt was an independent management consultant to companies needing turnaround assistance, as well as to growing, entrepreneurial businesses needing assistance with strategic plan development, obtaining growth capital, and improving management reporting and profitability. Britt formerly worked for Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. for ten years where he served as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

Leon C. Graves
of Fairfield, Chair of the VEDA Board, is the Vice-President for Dairy Marketing Services in New England. From 1995 to 2003, he served as the Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Agriculture under Governor Howard Dean. Graves was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994, and the Vermont Senate in 1995. He also served as the Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President and President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

John D. ‘Rick’ Hashagen, Jr.
of Brattleboro has served on the VEDA board since 2000, several of those years as Chair of the Board. Hashagen was President and CEO of Vermont Financial Services Corp. from 1990 to 2000, and served as President and CEO of its primary subsidiary bank, Vermont National Bank, from 1987 to January, 2000.  In all, Hashagen worked for Vermont National Bank and/or Vermont Financial Services Corporation for 33 years.

Will Patten
Will Patten’s 40 years in the Vermont business community began as a young entrepreneur in Rutland and included more than two decades working with Ben & Jerry’s, from which he retired as Director of Retail Operations in 2007. InRutland, he opened and operated The Back Home Café and Murphy’s.  From 2007 to 2010 Will served as Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. After a short sailing trip, Will returned toVermontto start Back to Basics Vermont, Inc. which invests in and consults on business strategies for new economic realities.  Will was recently appointed by Governor Shumlin to the Vermont Economic Development Board and is joining the board of theLake ChamplainSailingCenter. He is currently serving as Rear Commodore of the Royal Savage Yacht Club inCharlotte. He lives in Hinesburg with his wife, Kathleen.

Daniel Kurzman
of Beecher Falls is the Northeast Regional Manager of Operations for Ethan Allen, overseeing three manufacturing and sawmill facilities in two states. Previously, he served as Corporate Director of Human Resources at the company. Prior to his employment at Ethan Allen, Kurzman was a public school educator and administrator.

Kenneth D. McEwan
of Panton is VEDA’s Vice-Chair, also having served as Board Chair for several years. McEwan began his career in financial services with Shearson Lehman Brothers in 1992, and is now a Senior Vice President in Investments with UBS Financial Services, Inc.  Formerly, McEwan owned and operated First Sherburne Investors, Ltd., a real estate development company specializing in resort, residential, custom home and commercial development in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  In 1991 and 1992, McEwan served in the Vermont House of Representatives as a member of the Health and Welfare Committee.

Lawrence Miller
of Ripton is Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, having been appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin on January 6, 2011.  Prior to joining state government, Miller was chairman and CEO of Danforth Pewter, which he transitioned from a wholesale business to a multi-channel retail company. He was also the founder of Vermont’s Otter Creek Brewing, Inc., a leading specialty microbrewery that he owned and operated from 1990 to 2002.

Beth Pearce
of Barre was appointed Vermont State Treasurer in January, 2011 by Governor Peter Shumlin. Treasurer Pearce has more than 30 years of experience in government finance at both the state and local levels. Prior to her appointment, she served as Deputy Treasurer for more than seven years under former Treasurer Jeb Spaulding. During that time, financial reports prepared by Pearce received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association.

Charles ‘Chuck’ Ross
of Hinesburg serves as Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets for the State of Vermont, having been appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin in January, 2011. For the previous sixteen years, Ross served as State Director for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy.  Prior to his service on the staff of Senator Leahy, Ross worked on his family’s farms and served as the Vermont State Representative from Hinesburg.  As State Representative, Ross served on the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, concluding his legislative service as Chairman of that committee in 1994.

John R. Snow
of Charlotte has spent more than twenty years in international banking and investments. Most recently, Snow retired as Vice Chairman of State Street Global Advisors in Boston, the world’s second largest asset management company. In addition to his time with State Street, Snow’s varied career included senior executive positions at NatWest Bank in New York, PanAgora Asset Management in London, and The Boston Company in Boston and London.  Although in recent years he has had a focus on emerging markets and venture capital/private equity, Snow’s earlier career included work in private client trust management, mortgage banking and global custody banking.