Welcome to the Northeast Kingdom!

The Northeast Kingdom is known for its pastoral landscapes, year-round fun and honest people.

 

NVDA serves the 55 municipalities in this northeastern corner of Vermont as the Regional Planning Commission. We assist with regional and municipal land use and Transportation Planning.

 

NVDA also serves the businesses in the Kingdom and encourages sustainable economic growth as the Regional Economic Development Corporation.

 

We encourage you to discover the rich traditions and natural wonders enjoyed in these three counties of Caledonia, Essex and Orleans.

 

 

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Road Pitch Finalists Announced

On August 4th four local entrepreneurs will “pitch” their creative ideas for an innovative product or unique business concept to an audience of business experts who will be riding into St. Johnsbury for Road Pitch 2017. The public is invited to observe the competition at Catamount Arts Center at 10:00 am. The four finalists seeking potential investors for their creative work are: Jason Shafer, Northwind Weather Technologies; Donna & Roger Pion, Biochar Waste Management; Andrea Kane, Shamdanna, Eco Bandana; and Regan Pride, The Freezer Butler.

 

Road Pitch is a statewide event and St. Johnsbury is one of ten host locations. A local committee was formed in April to encourage entrepreneurs to step forward and participate. Free business training with individual coaching was offered. For an emerging business or an existing business looking to grow, the training component provided a valuable opportunity to reach a business milestone. Polishing and refining a 5-7 minute presentation for Road Pitch is giving local entrepreneurs access to professional advice, networking, cash prizes and the possibility of capital investment.

 

NVDA, NCIC, VtSBDC, St J Chamber of Commerce, the Town of St. Johnsbury, and Catamount Arts have all donated staff time to host the event. Major sponsors are Passumpsic Savings Bank, Northeastern VT Regional Hospital, and St. J Auto Group. Special recognition goes out to Quest Transportation and The Frame Dames for their local business support.

 

Road Pitch was created in 2014 by Cairn Cross, co-founder of Fresh Tracks Capital. The annual event gathers a group of motorcyclists with expertise in investing, business consulting, and entrepreneurship for a week-long ride around Vermont to support existing small businesses and promising start-ups. There will be a final event in October at Champlain College for the winners from each of the ten host towns to compete for a grand prize and extensive mentoring from the Road Pitch Riders.

Questions?? Contact Lorna Higgs (802)424-1421, lhiggs@nvda.net  or visit www.discoverstjohnsbury.com.