Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie recognized by VEC for environmental business efforts

Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie was recognized by the Vermont Environmental Consortium on Tuesday, September 14, in the Milano Ballroom at Norwich University, for his work during the past year in building recognition for the Green Valley Concept. The Green Valley Concept is a plan to create a business climate in Vermont that supports existing environmental goods and services (EGS) businesses through networking, education, and marketing, and promote the formation of new EGS companies and the relocation of entrepreneurial EGS companies in the state.

The Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC) is a partnership of 20 private industries, government agencies, and educational institutions combining skills to develop growth for the Vermont environmental sector. The non-profit organization, which was formed in 2001, has set a goal of growing the environmental sector in the state (based on gross sales) by 100 percent in five years. Several times a year, the VEC, in partnership with Norwich University, sponsors panel discussions to open a dialogue about environmental technology issues facing Vermonters. On September 14, the VEC and Norwich University presented The 4th Annual Vermont Environmental Exposition with a program entitled "The Green Valley."

During the past 12 months, Lt. Gov. Dubie has traveled on a trade mission to Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, and to Canada and Washington DC to help spread the word of the Green Valley Concept.

Dubie said that the Green Valley Concept will be accomplished by strengthening the cooperation between research institutions, colleges, and universities, state and federal government, the agricultural community, manufacturers, and private sector EGS firms. "With this support mechanism in place, Vermont can become the center for innovative environmental technologies and services, much as Silicone Valley is the Center for IT," Dubie said.

malbury@norwich.edu, September 2004

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