Around the Chamber - February 2024

AROUND THE CHAMBER February, 2024

In This Issue 6- Chamber Briefs 11 - Behind the Scenes (Coco Moseley) 19 -Focus on Non-Profits (Be Smart) 23 - Best Practices ( Phishing Scams ) PLUS EDUCATIONAL WEBINAR AND MIXER SCHEDULES!

Connect With Us!!

Around the Chamber

Have something to say or an idea for this publication? Contact us!

Info@addisoncounty.com

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 52% open rate with an average read time of 8:32 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. 2024, All Rights Reserved

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

LEARN MORE

CHAMBER BRIEFS Chamber and ACEDC Awarded Grow VT. Grant!

MIDDLEBURY, VT – The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) has awarded grant funds to 12 partner organizations through the Grants for Relocation Outreach Work (GROW) Program. The grants support regional organizations conducting new resident relocation, recruitment, and retention activities in Vermont. In Addison County, grant funds will be utilized by a partnership between the Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) and the Addison County Chamber of Commerce (ACCoC), with ACCoC taking the lead, providing primary staff, and undertaking most activities, with ACEDC acting as grant administrator, fiscal agent, and involving employers in the project.

Welcome to the Chamber Ruth Stone House!

The Ruth Stone House is a literary nonprofit that provides artists and writers with time and space to create. They offer both in-person and online workshops, classes, and literary events. Learn more at https://ruthstonehouse.org

s e n e c S e h t Behind with ley Coco Mose

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 Coco Moseley the Executive Director at the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury What is your hometown?

I live in Lincoln, VT, in an 1820s farmhouse that has been in my husband’s family since the 1950s when his grandmother moved to Vermont from Maryland.

Where did you go to school?

My graduate degree is from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and my undergraduate degree is from Wheaton College in Massachusetts, however I also took classes at Bennington College and the University of Accra in Ghana.

First ever job?

My first ever job was horse related. As a teenager, I used to rent out my pony for kids’ birthday parties and give pony rides. It was actually lucrative and helped fund many of my horse endeavors.

I also had a short stint galloping Thoroughbreds for a racehorse breeder and trainer and my day started at 4AM, so I could exercise the horses before having to be in school for 8AM. Favorite Vacation Spot?

Indian Lake in the ADKs is my current go to vacation spot. I love to do long distance lake swimming and the pristine nature of the ADKs is perfect for that!

Coco Moseley

Who was your greatest inspiration growing up?

My grandmother was a huge inspiration to me as a kid. She taught me a lot of life skills that I have come to really appreciate. When she taught me to drive, she hitched up the horse trailer to the old Jeep Wagoneer (manual transmission) and made me back down the driveway. I still remember her saying “this would be a whole lot easier if you stopped crying!”.

Who do you most admire?

As a former librarian, I think a lot of my most admired folks are authors. I love contemporary fiction writers like Ann Patchett, someone who can highlight the little miracles that happen all around us amid the banality of everyday life. For the sake of brevity, I won’t go into my long list of favorite authors, but if you are curious, reach out! I still love to talk about books.

enes c S e h t d n i Beh with ley Coco Mose

Favorite movie, TV Show?

What's the greatest career risk you have taken?

Oh, I’m a total nerd and absolutely love the new All Creatures Great and Small on PBS Masterpiece. I cannot get enough of the Yorkshire Dales and the farm stories, as well as the sweet quirky family that emerges from the vet practice.

And I must put in a plug for the world of slow tv, l like BBCs Gardeners’ World or the time I watched a Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation special where a boat travelled up the Norwegian coastline with absolutely no plot, just views of the stunning scenery of the fjords and the yellow and red houses that dot the landscape.

When I started graduate school, I was in a PhD program. When I finished my Master’s, I felt certain that I did not want to be an academic. I lacked a clear plan for what I would do instead, but I packed up my car and drove back to Vermont to spend a summer working on an Icelandic sheep farm and making lacto-fermented pickles and sauerkraut to sell at a local farmers market. It was a stunning contrast to academia, but I found I am at my best when I have hands-on projects that engage my full self. In a roundabout way, it is why I am excited about the opportunities at the Sheldon, to not only think about what a 21st century community museum can be, but then to work with a team to realize that vision.

Typical work week?

I am in and out of the Museum on any given week, often meeting with community members for morning coffee or a lunch date. I also spend a good bit of time at my desk on the third floor of the Museum with a beautiful view of Middlebury, as well as time spent working with my wonderful colleagues on the many aspects of running the Museum.

Biggest Career Challenge?

I think there is always an inherent challenge of juggling my professional work with my identity as a mom and a community member.

I’m hopeful that we are building a modern professional culture that sees the various hats people wear outside of their paid work as an asset and an opportunity.

Favorite type of music?

I listen to a lot of podcasts and especially like Jill Lepore’s The Last Archive.

As far as tunes go, I am mostly an Americana/folk fan and always appreciate a little fiddle.

What's the one thing you would like to see change in your business/industry?

I hope to bring a stronger sense of the public’s connection and investment in the Museum as a space that is accessible, welcoming, creative and a venue for curiosity.

Addison County

CHAMBER

of Commerce

After NETWORKING MIXERS Hours Attention Members!

Sign up to host a 2024 Networking Mixer Dates will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

For details and to register go HERE

Focus on Non Profits

Be SMART is a public education campaign launched by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund in 2015. The campaign's mission is to reduce child gun deaths and injuries by promoting responsible gun ownership and normalizing conversations around secure gun storage between adults. It provides education on secure gun storage and ways that you can keep children safe (whether you're a gun owner or not), and also highlights the correlation between access to firearms and suicide rates. In Vermont, more than 88% of gun deaths are suicides and the rate of overall gun deaths has increased 36% from 2012 to 2021 (cdc.gov). The Vermont Be SMART volunteers work to build awareness about gun violence prevention throughout the state by speaking with individuals at tabling events and partnering with schools, law enforcement, and other community groups to share resources.

The Be SMART model: SECURE all guns in your home and vehicles MODEL responsible behavior around guns ASK about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes RECOGNIZE the role of guns in suicide TELL your peers to be SMART Tips for proper gun storage Assume that a curious, impulsive or determined child or teen could find and handle an unsecured gun even if told not to Store all guns unloaded, locked and separated from ammunition when not in use Use a lockbox, gun safe or device with biometric authentication Distribution sites for free gun locks in Addison County: Bristol: Lawrence Memorial Library Middlebury: Isley Public Library and Sheriff’s Office

Focus on Non Profits Talking to your kids about guns In the United States, 4.6 million children live in homes with guns that are not stored securely.² It is always an adult’s responsibility to prevent unauthorized access to guns, not a curious child’s responsibility to avoid guns. It is important to talk to children about what to do if they find an unsecured gun. Be SMART offers some tips for having this conversation: Don’t have the conversation only once. Talk to them frequently, just as you would about other crucial safety issues.

Make sure they understand that any situation where there’s an unsupervised gun is a dangerous situation Tell your children not to touch a gun even if it looks like a toy Keep the language simple. “If you see a gun, don’t touch it. Tell an adult right away.”

Vermont Chapter The Be SMART volunteers are a small but mighty group who share the Be SMART message at events throughout Vermont. They are looking for more volunteers to help spread this life saving information. To join their work please contact: vermont@momschapterleaders.org.

Past Events National Night Out in Essex, VT where Be SMART informed the community of secure gun storage.

This event is conducted annually to strengthen community partnerships and increase participation in crime prevention efforts.

Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium, where a Be SMART volunteer presented on the importance of secure storage practices and how they correlate to suicide by gun deaths.

Volunteers hosted informational tables to talk with individuals at these community events: Vergennes Day in Vergennes, VT Ferrisburgh Day in Ferrisburgh, VT Shelburne Day in Shelburne, VT Visit Besmartforkids.org for local events, resources, and Rocktoberfest in Morrisville, VT trainings.

Best Practices "Best Practices" is our new recurring feature designed to give your organization helpful advice for maintaining efficient operations

Protecting Against Phishing Schemes Scammers are getting more and more creative in our ever-modernizing world, and it can be hard to keep up with all the new tactics to protect yourself from. One of the most widespread types of scams are phishing schemes, which target email and text to steal sensitive information. It is important to understand these schemes, so you can know how to best protect yourself and your business from them. Read on to learn more about phishing schemes, how to prevent yourself from falling for them, and what to do if it happens.

How does phishing work?

Phishing schemes are cyberattacks carried out by scammers that target email and other messaging apps. These emails seem to come from a reputable source, often appear urgent, and typically include links or request sensitive information. Once these links are clicked on, ransomware can be downloaded onto your computer, which can provide scammers with passwords, sensitive information, and potentially access to an entire network of computers.

How do you protect yourself against phishing?

As an individual, before clicking on a link in an email or providing sensitive information, you should do some research. Look into the company and their website to ensure it is a real company. You might also check with a coworker or call the vendor or client the email looks like it’s from on a number you know to be correct – not the one listed in the email.

Best Practices Protecting Against Phishing Schemes As a business, you should regularly back up your data in places not on the network so that if your data is hacked, you can easily restore it. You should also make sure that all security software on the devices in the network is up to date, and add email authentication and intrusion prevention software to prevent phishing emails from reaching inboxes in the first place. Finally, let your staff know that all of this is happening and keep them informed. Provide regular training so that they can keep up to date with newer phishing tactics.

What happens if you fall for a phishing scheme?

First, you should immediately change any compromised passwords and disconnect the infected computer from the network. Next, you should alert colleagues. When phishing attacks happen, more than one person in a company typically receives these emails. Then, notify any customers or clients who may have had their data breached. Lastly, report the scheme to the Federal Trade Commission through FTC.gov/complaint and let the person or company being impersonated know about it.

For more information on phishing and other scams, and how to protect your business from them, visit the Federal Trade Commission website at www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/identitytheft/phishing-scams.

Join the Addison County organizations below and advertise in 2024 at the Addison County Visitor Center For complete information visit us HERE

HERE

HERE

Officers Robert Feuerstein, Kennedy Brothers (Chair) Megan Mandigo, Marble Trail Financial (Treasurer) Nancy Foster, Champlain Valley Properties (Secretary) Phil Summers, ACCOC (Executive Director) Directors Dickie Austin, Black Sheep Bistro Amy Carlin: Middlebury College Doug Dewitt, Bristol Financial Services Meaghan McLaughlin, National Bank of Middlebury Ned Horton, Otter Creek Bakery and Deli Marty Kulczyk, Robert Frost Mountain Cabins Ben Fuller, The Richards Group Dr, Nicole Mactavish, Hannaford Technical School District Article IV, Section D Designate Directors Open, Better Middlebury Partnership Renny Perry, Addison County Economic Development Corp.

Renny Perry, Vergennes Partnership Bill Sayre, Addison County Regional Planning Commission Open - Bristol Core