Press Releases 

VEDA Board of Directors Elects New Slate of Officers

Nov 29, 2010 4:04:27 AM

Montpelier, VT - A new slate of officers will serve in leadership positions on the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) Board of Directors. “VEDA is very fortunate to have a Board comprised of such talented, experienced, and dedicated Vermonters, and from among their ranks, a new Board Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer have been elected,” said VEDA’s Chief Executive Officer Jo Bradley. The newly elected VEDA Officers include:

Robert D. Britt, South Burlington
Elected as VEDA’s Chair, Robert D. Britt is the Chief Financial Officer of SBE, Inc. in Barre, Vermont. For the last two years, he has served as VEDA’s Vice-Chair. Prior to joining SBE this past February, Britt was an independent management consultant to companies needing turnaround assistance, and 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. in Waterbury, Vermont for ten years where he served as Chief Financial Officer and a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

Britt holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. In addition to serving on VEDA’s Board, Britt is a member of the Board of Directors of Local Motion, a member-supported, non-profit organization promoting people-powered transportation and recreation for a healthy and vibrant Vermont. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Vermont Seed Capital Fund, L.P.

Leon C. Graves, Fairfield
Leon Graves was elected Vice-Chair of the VEDA Board. Graves 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. He was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994, and the Vermont Senate in 1995.

Graves served as the Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President and President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Additional prior professional Board memberships include service on the Lake Champlain Basin Program Steering Committee, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and the Dairy Export Council. He is a past President of the Green Mountain Federation of Dairy Cooperatives. Graves also currently serves as the President of the Pennsylvania Dairy Stakeholders Association.

Graves is a graduate of the University of Vermont where he obtained a BS degree in Animal Science and Vocational and Technical Education.

Kenneth D. McEwan, Panton -
Kenneth McEwan was elected as VEDA’s Treasurer. Throughout his professional career, McEwan has developed an extensive knowledge of business, legislative issues, stocks, bonds and financial markets. He 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. McEwan’s community service includes positions as President of the Killington Mountain School Board of Directors, Director and Treasurer of Crossroads Arts Council, Corporator of the Rutland Regional Medical Center, and member of the Mendon Planning Commission. He has been appointed to the VEDA Board by two governors and served as past Chair.

McEwan earned his B.A. in Education from Tarkio College in Missouri; his graduate work in Education has been at Montclair State University in New Jersey.

VEDA’s mission is to promote economic prosperity in Vermont by providing financial assistance to eligible businesses, including manufacturing, agricultural, and travel and tourism enterprises. Since its inception in 1974, VEDA has made financing commitments totaling over $1.7 billion. For more information about VEDA, visit www.veda.org or call 802-828-5627.

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