Vermont Solutions Summit: Turning Strategy Into Action
Presented by Heritage Family Credit Union
September 10, 2026 | Hotel Champlain, Burlington
The Vermont Solutions Summit brings together business, state, local, education, and community leaders to turn strategy into action.
Grounded in the Vermont Economic Action Plan, the Summit will examine the interconnected challenges shaping Vermont’s future, including workforce shortages, housing scarcity, rising costs, and the state’s competitive position. Through expert insights, candid conversations, and interactive policy sessions, attendees will explore practical solutions that can move Vermont toward a more affordable and prosperous future.
This is not simply a conference about Vermont’s challenges. It is a solutions focused gathering designed to connect long term planning with policy development and coordinated action. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of Vermont’s economic direction, the policies needed to support progress, and the role leaders across sectors can play in advancing meaningful, scalable solutions.
Join leaders from across Vermont to help move our state from planning to policy to action.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Opportunity in Action: Strengthening Vermont’s Education and Workforce Pathways
Dr. Elizabeth Mauch, Chancellor | Vermont State Colleges
Ruth Watkins, President of Postsecondary Education | Strada Education Foundation
Vermont’s future depends on our ability to connect people with opportunity. As employers across the state navigate persistent workforce shortages, education and postsecondary pathways must be aligned with the skills, credentials, and experiences needed in a changing economy.
This session will bring together Dr. Elizabeth Mauch, Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges, and Ruth Watkins, President of Postsecondary Education at Strada Education Foundation, for a timely conversation on how Vermont can strengthen the connection between education and employment. Together, they will explore how higher education, workforce partners, and employers can better support student success, expand career connected learning, and build clearer pathways to economic mobility.
The Next Vermont Advantage: Turning AI Into Economic Momentum
Neale Lunderville, President and CEO of Vermont Gas Systems | Chair of the Governor’s AI Economic Task Force
Vermont’s workforce constraints are well known. The bigger question is how we turn emerging technology into an economic advantage.
As Chair of the Governor’s AI Economic Task Force, Neale Lunderville is leading a statewide effort to identify where artificial intelligence can create the greatest opportunity for Vermont, from helping small businesses become more productive and competitive to strengthening our workforce and accelerating economic growth.
This conversation will move beyond the AI hype to explore where Vermont can lead, what the Task Force is learning, and the practical actions businesses, policymakers, and communities can take now. Attendees will get an early look at how Vermont is approaching AI as an economic strategy and what it could mean for the future of work, investment, and competitiveness in our state.
Vermont’s Competitive Edge: A Blueprint for Action
Kevin Chu, Executive Director | Vermont Futures Project
Amy Spear, President | Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Vermont’s most persistent economic challenges are deeply connected. Workforce shortages limit business growth and access to essential services. Housing scarcity makes it harder to attract and retain people. Rising costs place increasing pressure on employers, families, and communities. Addressing these challenges requires more than responding to one issue or one legislative session at a time.
Kevin Chu and Amy Spear will set the strategic context for the afternoon by examining Vermont’s long-term economic position and the planning framework behind the Vermont Economic Action Plan. They will explore how demographic trends, housing availability, affordability, and the business climate shape Vermont’s ability to compete and prosper.
The conversation will establish a shared foundation for the interactive policy sessions that follow.
Policy in Practice: Interactive Solutions Breakouts
Attendees will move from strategy into policy through facilitated conversations with elected and appointed leaders. Each breakout will examine one of Vermont’s defining economic challenges, identify the policy and implementation barriers standing in the way of progress, and explore practical solutions that can be advanced across sectors.
These sessions are designed to be participatory rather than traditional panel discussions. Business leaders, policymakers, and community partners will be invited to contribute their experience, test ideas, and help identify opportunities for meaningful action.
From Policy to Progress: Turning Priorities Into Action
Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs | Vermont Chamber of Commerce
Amy Spear, President | Vermont Chamber of Commerce
A strong plan establishes direction, but progress depends on what happens next. Research must be translated into policy. Policy priorities must be supported by coalitions, informed by those directly affected, and carried through the legislative and regulatory process with clarity and persistence.
Megan Sullivan and Amy Spear will close the afternoon with a candid conversation about how economic priorities become action. Drawing on the day’s discussions, they will explore how the Vermont Chamber connects member experience, economic analysis, policymaker engagement, and advocacy to move practical solutions forward.
The conversation will also examine the role business leaders can play in shaping policy, building public understanding, and sustaining momentum beyond a single event or legislative session.
Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how coordinated leadership can turn shared priorities into measurable progress for Vermont’s economy.
BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Vermont’s economic future will be shaped by the choices we make and the actions we take together. The Vermont Solutions Summit creates space for business leaders, policymakers, and partners to move beyond identifying challenges and work collaboratively toward solutions.
Join us on September 10 to contribute your experience, engage with leaders from across the state, and help build a more affordable, competitive, and prosperous Vermont.
EVENT SPONSORS
