Join Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and Vermont Public for networking, food, drinks, and a panel discussion about Fortifying the Future of Vermont’s Downtowns, hosted by Vermont Public statehouse reporter Peter Hirschfeld.

Our panel will discuss the importance of investing in Vermont downtowns and how we can ensure resilience among the changing environmental and economic climate. According to “The Value of U.S. Downtowns and Center Cities” report done by the International Downtown Association in 2020, downtowns serve five key roles in a community including: economy, inclusion, vibrancy, identity, and resilience. “Downtowns represent economic opportunity and have a built environment that supports future growth,” the report notes.

Meet Our Moderator

Peter Hirschfeld (he/him)
Reporter at Vermont Public

Peter Hirschfeld covers state government and the Vermont Legislature. He is based in Vermont Public’s Capital Bureau located across the street from Vermont’s Statehouse.

Hirschfeld is a Vermont journalist who has covered the Statehouse since 2009, most recently as bureau chief for the Rutland Herald and Times Argus. He began his career in 2003, working as a local sports reporter and copy editor at the Times Argus.

Meet Our Panelists

Katie Trautz (she/her)
Executive Director, Montpelier Alive

Born and raised in Cabot, Vermont, Katie is a musician, mother, teacher and arts advocate. Katie is the co-founder of the non-profit folk music school Summit School of Traditional Music and Culture based in Montpelier, VT. Following her 8-year directorship at the Summit School, she became the Executive Director of Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph, VT. She then became the Events and Communications Coordinator for Montpelier Alive in 2021, and the Executive Director of the organization in winter of 2023. She has worked to bring vibrancy to the Capital City, supporting economic vitality and beautification in Montpelier’s historic downtown.

Thank you to our host! 

Vermont Public seeks to create an expanding, open community for all Vermonters, broadening access and opportunity for all voices to participate from every corner of our unique state.

Over the last 50 years, VPR and Vermont PBS’ audiences and supporters helped create two of the strongest statewide public media organizations in America. Together as Vermont Public we will build on that foundation of trusted information, high-quality education, and thoughtful programming to build the future of public media in Vermont.

Vermont Public remains Vermont’s unified public media source for programs from NPR and PBS and for locally produced, award-winning news, video and music content. We also host community events, both virtual and in-person, throughout the broadcast region.

Vermont Public is about bringing people and communities together. We want to give everyone a chance to participate – from every corner of our state and region.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Brattleboro Savings & Loan has been a part of this region for only a bit less than half the time that there has been a Vermont. Since our beginning in 1912, we have become a staple of the area by creating and providing competitive financial services and solutions to help the surrounding communities flourish.

BS&L is a mutual savings bank, which means we are owned by our depositors, and that has made all the difference in our focus on creating growth and prosperity in our community. In fact, mutuals were the earliest forms of banks in the US, beginning in the early 1800s, and were started explicitly to provide benefit to a group of people – the local community.

Copper Leaf Financial is a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisor firm with offices in Williston and Rutland Vermont. We help clients navigate their finances through each phase of life with an evolving plan that is updated regularly and acts as a roadmap for sound planning strategies. The firm’s holistic approach to wealth planning is what differentiates us, as we focus on the client’s overall financial health with a careful consideration of life goals – not just investments.

We are a leader in full-service community-scale renewable energy development, with a proven track record in project development from concept to completion. As a values-led commercial solar company, we specialize in reclaiming undervalued real estate for clean energy generation and storage, helping us to revitalize communities and create a cleaner, brighter future for all.

Hagan is an award winning media agency helping good brands reach the right people with creativity, ethics, humanity, and heart. Artfully & ethically amplifying connections since 2012.

Hanson+Doremus is an investment advisor offering integrated investment management and financial planning to individuals, businesses, and nonprofits. Founded in 1995 in Burlington, Vermont, the firm has been a fee-only fiduciary since it opened. Our advisors draw on our in-house research to build portfolios tailored to client objectives. They also work with clients on retirement, tax, education, charitable giving, and other planning strategies.

Let’s Grow Kids is a nonprofit organization on a mission to ensure affordable access to high-quality child care for all Vermont families by 2025. With nearly 40,000 supporters from all walks of life, Let’s Grow Kids, in partnership with Let’s Grow Kids Action Network, is empowering Vermonters to advocate for sustainable child care policy change. Working together, we can build a child care system that meets the needs of Vermont children and families and supports a brighter future for us all.

Open Approach is a full-service IT support company. A one-stop shop. A round-the-clock, do-it-until-it’s right kind of company. Our list of services is broad — and looks like what you’d find at any good IT company. Yet, while we may be jacks-of-all-trades, we’re a master of one: Making IT systems work to leverage and advance your business.

Our approach is, in fact, open. We get to know you and your needs first, then craft a customized solution that meets your needs (and leaves you room to grow). Connect with us today.

Reframe Lab is a Burlington-based consultancy that harnesses leadership, strategy, and creativity to help leaders and their teams collaborate, cut through complexity, and find the right problems to solve so they can innovate and prosper. Through workshop design and facilitation, strategic planning, and change management, we help teams uncover root causes, surface critical customer insights, and define and create intentional cultures that result in a clearer vision and stronger work environment.