Photo Credit: Matthew Cavanaugh at the 2025 Southern Vermont Economy Summit Adapt and Thrive
Southern Vermont – Calling all business, community, nonprofit and municipal leaders in Southern Vermont! Mark your calendars now for the 9th Annual Southern Vermont Economy Summit being held May 12, 2026, at the Mount Snow Grand Summit Resort in West Dover, Vermont.
The theme of this year’s Summit is “Envision. Act. Grow!” Keynote speaker Sarah Waring, Executive Director of the Northern Border Regional Commission, will open the event by exploring how we, as community leaders, can continue to envision and work towards growth in an environment marked by instability and change.
The Summit is the best opportunity of the year for Southern Vermonters to connect with peers, listen to experts, ask questions, and learn effective ways of dealing with the myriad economic challenges faced by the region. Through inspiring keynote presentations, engaging workshops, and informative breakout sessions, attendees will gain fresh perspectives on how to achieve regional economic development goals. The day is driven by the goals of the 2024 Southern Vermont Zone Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): empower rural businesses to thrive, promote regional economic alignment, address the region’s population needs, and foster resilient, adaptable communities. (Full text of the CEDS is available at https://www.sovermontzone.com/ceds)
Registration for the Summit will open on February 12, 2026, with Early Bird pricing in effect through March 12. Detailed 2026 Summit information, including topics, speakers, and registration information, will be posted to sovermontzone.com/summit in the coming weeks. You can also visit that page to explore previous Summits and workshop materials. To be among the first to know about Summit updates as they become available, sign up for the BDCC e-newsletter at brattleborodevelopment.com/join-mailing-list/.
This Summit is the flagship event of BDCC’s Southern Vermont Economy Project, which helps build capacity, expertise, and shared resources across the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone. It is co-hosted by Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation, Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies, and Bennington County Regional Commission. Sponsors of the 2025 event include Brattleboro Savings and Loan, Green Mountain Power, the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center, UVM/Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, Stevens and Associates, Community College of Vermont, Vermont Community Foundation, The Richards Group, Efficiency Vermont, Landmark College, the STRIVE program, and the Better Business Bureau–NE Region. Media sponsors include Vermont News Media, Great Eastern Radio, and Minuteman Press Brattleboro.
For more information about the event, including additional sponsorship opportunities, contact Meg Staloff, Program Manager for the Southern Vermont Economy Summit, at mstaloff@brattleborodevelopment.com.
About Southern Vermont Economy Summit
The Southern Vermont Economy Summit is an initiative of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP). SVEP works to stabilize, improve and expand the rural economic and workforce development network in the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone. The Summit’s goal is to increase capacity and collaboration among partnering organizations and communities. SVEP is funded by the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative, as a program of BDCC & SeVEDS. For more information on the summit, please visit: www.SoVermontZone.com/summit
About the Southern Vermont Economy Project
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP) works to stabilize, improve, and expand the rural economic and workforce development network in Southern Vermont. Its goal is to increase capacity and collaboration among partnering organizations and communities. SVEP is funded by the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative, as a program of BDCC & SeVEDS. For more information on the program, including goals, resources, and partners, visit www.brattleborodevelopment.com/svep/
