AROUND THE CHAMBER September, 2022
IN THIS ISSUE 4 - Directors Cut 7 - Chamber Events (Vergennes Day) 12 - Meet the Board (Renny Perry) 15 - Focus on Non-Profits (VT. Children's Museum) 21 - Behind the Scenes (Marty & Carol Kulczyk) 25 - August Mixer at Middlebury College
40th Annual Vergennes Day
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October 27th The Vergennes Opera House
Keynote Speaker Lindsay H. Kurrle Secretary The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
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Director's Cut Phil Summers - ACCOC Executive Director
The Importance of Brand Brand is “The intangible sum of a product’s attributes: its name, packaging, and price, its history, its reputation, and the way it’s advertised.” David Ogilvy, Author of "On Advertising". Your brand represents a set of values, a consumer view which relates to your values such as success, reputation, status and positioning against competitors. Your brand has the effect of inspiring feelings or interest, desirability, trust and loyalty. Consistency in Color and Fonts Across All Assets Businesses that use consistent color or color combinations that tie to every potential branding asset are more recognizable and perceived as successful and strong. For example, families easily recognize the red bullseye as the color/logo of Target without ever having to see the word "Target" in the brand asset. Businesses that constantly change color schemes and other brand assets do a disservice to their overall brand development and recognition. The same should be applied regarding fonts and font sizing. Choose fonts that help your brand stand out and then utilize that font across every communication asset. Taglines/Brand Messaging Developing a tagline that accompanies all branding assets can help to strengthen a brands recognition with consumers. Think Nike’s “Just do it” or Hannaford's "Helps fight hunger".
In short. brand is caring about every aspect of your business or nonprofit. It includes vision and mission but also your staff and every interaction you have between your organization and a customer or constituent Phil Summers is the Executive Director of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce. Prior to ACCOC, Phil was the Executive Director of the Virginia Youth Soccer Association and earlier held senior marketing positions at the National Football League, Sirius Satellite Radio and MSG Varsity where he was a two time Emmy Award winner (2011 & 2012) and two time Silver Addy Award winner (2013). Phil has also taught undergraduate courses in advertising and marketing at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.
Around the Chamber
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ACCOC publishes Around the Chamber monthly and it reaches thousands of business, non profit leaders and their employees in Addison County and beyond. Around the Chamber boasts an average 46% open rate with an average read time of 7:30 Members are encouraged to supply their announcements and events by emailing phil@addisioncounty.com. For ad availability and rate card email phil@addisoncounty.com. Addison County Chamber of Commerce. 2022, All Rights Reserved
Chamber Events On Saturday, August 27th the ACCOC we.lcomed thousands of attendees to the 40 Annual Vergennes Day celebration. Over 60 craft and food vendors, music and more were enjoyed as we showed off the "Little City". Special thanks to our sponsors and Northland Job Corps for their help in supporting this great community event
Chamber Events
Anthony Severo of Northland and student volunteers
Meet the Board Every month "Around the Chamber" will introduce our readers to a member of the Addison County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors In this issue, we introduce you to ACCOC Board Member Renny Perry How long have you lived and/or worked in Addison County? I have lived in Addison County for about 22 years. I have worked in Addison County around 7 years, the rest of the time I have worked elsewhere in Vermont. Tell us about your career? I telecommuted to New Hampshire for a few years. Then I was City Manager of Vergennes. Finally, until my retirement I worked for the State of Vermont Judiciary as Director of Trial Court Operations responsible for all the Vermont courts. I have also served on the Vergennes City Council and as its mayor. I also served for many years as President of the Vergennes Partnership and currently on the board. I have owned several businesses including a downtown retail business, but not in Addison County. How long have you volunteered with the Chamber’s Board? 5 years.
Renny Perry
In 2022, what do you see as the most challenging issue(s) facing business in Addison County? For businesses to get back on their feet, particularly the restaurant and hospitality businesses. There also needs to be more housing which is affordable so that more families will move into the county and hopefully relieve the staffing shortage. The Chamber of Commerce’s role in supporting business and non-profits in Addison County is always evolving. In your view, what should be the Chamber’s strategic direction in 2022? I think continual and consistent contact with businesses and offering whatever support that may be helpful. Just the moral support will do wonders. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? Take advantage of all the many assets in Addison County.
Nominate Your Fellow Member HERE
Focus on Non-Profits
“The Vermont Children’s Museum provides a safe, imaginative space for children to learn through play, exploration, and connection. We honor the critical role of caregivers and help to engage them in their child’s development. We strengthen our community when we make child centered spaces accessible and affordable”. That’s the mission statement of one of Addison County’s newest nonprofits. Vermont Children’s Museum is working toward opening an indoor playspace in Middlebury that will provide programming to support caregivers.
Addison County Fair and Field Days Children’s Tent with VCM Founder, Kerianne Severy Children’s museums started becoming popular in the 50s and 60s as museums looked for ways to make their exhibits more interesting for children. They found that hands-on exhibits sparked the curiosity of children. From there, exhibits and museums grew more and more to cater to children until children’s museums had their own classification of museum where all of the exhibits are designed to encourage a child’s sense of wonder, problem solving, and imagination.
Jingle Bell Bracelet making at the Concert for Children
Kerianne Severy, VCM founder, says one of the most frequently asked questions she gets asked is, “What is a children’s museum?” A children’s museum is not like an art museum or a history museum. It’s a bit closer to a science museum because many of those exhibits are dynamic.
Welcome to Middlebury, VT! At Town Hall Theater last fall
Focus on Non-Profits
The idea for Vermont Children’s Museum was born out of a mom’s wish for a space to take her very active child while also giving her baby an opportunity to crawl and explore. The closest spaces that could accommodate both developmental needs were 45 minutes to an hour's drive away. Too far with a screaming, overtired toddler who will not sleep in the car and an easily motion-sick baby. “I can’t be the only one,” she said.
Seeing that others in her community shared a need for a space, Kerianne put into motion the creation of Vermont Children’s Museum as a registered nonprofit and started recruiting board members. The organization now has their 501(c)(3) status and a board of five and is still looking for more board members, particularly people who may have a background in law or insurance, or experience with capital campaigns.
Open Play on a rainy day After some preliminary interest-gathering on Front Porch Forum and at the Bundle Market in the spring of 2021, she found that many parents/caregivers were eager for more local indoor playspace and for a place to connect with other parents/caregivers. Ideas like combining a playspace and a child care center were explored, but ultimately she learned that it would be most efficient to create a playspace first and then build in the child care center after, should funding and space allow.
Giant Bubbles during a P.A.L. Time The vision of Vermont Children’s Museum is an indoor playspace that supports all areas of child development: gross motor, fine motor, social/emotional, cognitive, and speech/language. The exhibits will have information about child development and how to engage the child to support that development with tips on how to continue learning at home.
Focus on Non-Profits
Programming will provide opportunities for caregivers to connect with other caregivers and learn about child development. Special consideration in exhibit and program planning will be given to supporting children with Sensory Processing Disorder and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is a goal of the organization that the play space and programming feels welcoming and accepting of all people regardless of socioeconomic status, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc. Many of the board members have experience working with parents whose children are in the foster system and they see the space as an opportunity to have programming to support parents who want to stop the cycle of abuse that they may have experienced as a child and want to do better for their children.
Vermont Children’s Museum started with an awareness campaign in 2021 doing pop-ups at local markets and events to share the vision for a future space and programming.
Giant Blocks at the Concert for Children They are continuing to raise awareness by joining community events like Addison County Fair and Field Days, Vergennes Day, and Bristol Harvest Festival, and they have a new fundraising goal to raise enough money for one year’s worth of rent (sage advise the team received and plans to follow) for a space in Marbleworks. This summer, they had their first big fundraising event, a Concert for Children at the Addison County Fairgrounds in the Paquette Building with performances by Jon Gailmor and Moose Jr. Next up is a Dance-a-thon this fall, a Children’s Winter Carnival this winter, and a Fun Run/ Healthy Bodies event this spring. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@vermontchildrensmuseum) to stay up to date with their fundraising progress and get updates about special events. For more information, sign up to volunteer, or to make a donation, go to: www.vermontchildrensmuseum.org
s e n e c S e h t Behind with ulczyk K l o r a C & Marty
Each month, "Behind the Scenes" features an interview with a leader in our community designed to provide readers a glimpse into his/her interests and passions inside and outside of the workplace
This month, "Behind the Scenes" sat down with Marty & Carol Kulczyk of Robert Frost Mountain Cabins in Ripton Where did you each grow up? We have been married for 36 years and both grew up in Western New York.
Where did you each go to college? Marty - Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. Carol - Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
Marty and Carol Kulczyk
Who do you each most admire?
First ever jobs? Marty -2nd LT in US Army – Combat Engineer (Airborne / Ranger Qualified).
Carol – Advertising Account Manager, Gannett Publishing
Marty - The Buddha - promotes the belief that we create our own suffering and corresponding happiness. It is up to each individual. Carol – My Mom & Dad. They were both intelligent, talented and incredibly hard working. Together they accomplished their dream of putting their five kids through college.
Greatest inspirations growing up? Marty - Johnny Bench – catcher for the Cincinnatti Reds. Carol – her older siblings
s e n e c S e h t Behind with ulczyk K l o r a C & Marty
Favorite vacation spots?? Marty – Nepal. Experienced an amazing bike trip in the Himalayas and in southern Nepal. Carol – That’s a tough question. I love to travel and am always looking forward to our next destination and adventure. But I would have to say that our trip to Bali has been one of my best vacations.
Favorite TV Show/Movie?
Marty - I have seen all of the original Law and Order shows. They were brilliant and tackled many current and difficult subjects.
Carol – This Is Us
Biggest career challenge? Marty - When I worked as an Operations Manager for Texas Instruments, I was assigned to a manufacturing facility in Malaysia. It was struggling in a number of key performance measures that needed dramatic and immediate improvement. Carol and I lived there for approximately 3 years. Carol – Managing an international project with a team from 5 countries to launch Staples.DE - the company’s first European website.
Greatest risk taken in your careers? Using our life’s savings to transform 112 acres in the Green Mountain National Forest into a home and Cabin Rental business. We intentionally put 88 acres into a forest management plan and clustered the house and cabins to minimize the disturbance to the overall parcel. We both left our jobs and careers to become “innkeepers” having no previous hospitality experience. It was a great decision in a perfect location. We absolutely adore the Town of Ripton.
Favorite type of music? Marty - I enjoy country music’s ballads and storytelling. Carol – Beach Music
Typical work week? We are in the lodging industry and wear a lot of hats to operate our business. So, if we’re not careful, every day that ends in “Y” is a workday.
What's the one thing you would change about your industry/mission? Carol and I hope to schedule more time off the property to travel more now that our business has matured and we have a terrific staff. We are blessed with a team of the very best employees.
Addison County
CHAMBER of Commerce
After Hours
NETWORKING MIXERS
August Mixer at the Kirk Alumni Center Sponsored by The Middlebury College Partner Inclusion Program
Thank you!
Thank you!
ACCOC would like to thank the following organizations who renewed their 2022 memberships this month.
Welcome! NEW MEMBERS! Zen Business VT. National Guard LV Learning
Thank You! RENEWING MEMBERS! Champaign Valley Christian School Little Seed Coffee Roasters Middlebury Acting Company Rainbow Pediatrics Robert Frost Mountain Cabins Each month in "Around the Chamber" we will recognize new and renewing members for their support in helping ACCOC enhance and improve the business and non-profit communities in Addison County.
enjoy a meal out!!
457 East Main Street East Middlebury, VT 05740
802-388-4015 or 800-348-1810 info@wayburyinn.com
HERE
HERE
! ALL R F KS YOU KIC RT DO
TA N K-S WO KIC AEK T
TaekwonDo classes for all ages from preschool through adults in 4 location. All inclusive classes, open to all ages and abilities. First class free to try out. No contracts and family discounts. Also available for group Basic Self Defense or Women Specific Self Defense Workshops for businesses or organizations. Birthday Parties and After School Programs. Please email tkdkicks101@yahoo.com or call 802-37709476. Check out our website at TaeKwon Do KICKS 2022 recipient of BOB (Best of the Business) Award for Best Health Club in Addison, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties
CONVENIENT LOCATIONS IN MIDDLEBURY VERGENNES ORWELL HINESBURG Preschool classes at Mary Johnson, Whiting Ark and Starksboro preschool.
Officers Robert Feuerstein, Kennedy Brothers (Chair) Bethany Dever, Dever Accounting Services (Treasurer) Meaghan McLaughlin, National Bank of Middlebury (Secretary) Adam Rainville, Maple Landmark (Past Chair) Phil Summers, ACCOC (Executive Director) Directors Dickie Austin, Black Sheep Bistro Amy Carlin: Middlebury College Nancy Foster, Champlain Valley Properties Judson Hescock, Putnam & Menard, PLC Ned Horton, Otter Creek Bakery and Deli Marty Kulczyk, Robert Frost Mountain Cabins Megan Mandigo, Marble Trail Financial Article IV, Section D Designate Directors Karen Duguay, Better Middlebury Partnership Renny Perry, Addison County Economic Development Corp. Renny Perry, Vergennes Partnership Bill Sayre, Addison County Regional Planning Commission
Coming Next Month
- Behind the Scenes - Meet the Board - Focus on Non-Profits - New Member Closeup - Member Buzz - Community/Member Highlights - and more!!