Tom Spencer was awarded the Mad River Valley (MRV) Chamber of Commerce’s Be Better Award at the Chamber’s annual meeting on Tuesday, September 10. The meeting was held at Rumble’s Café at Sugarbush Resort.
Spencer is the coordinator of the stewardMRV program, created about four years ago with the goal of cleaning up trash across several sites in The Valley and generally working to steward the local environment. He recently bought the publication Resort Guides from June Anderson and has lived in The Valley for 12 years.
The ‘Be Better Award’ was created by the Chamber about five years ago during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when local businesses shut down.
MRV Chamber of Commerce executive director Eric Friedman, who moderated the annual meeting, said he talked with a lot of struggling business owners at that time. “I felt like I was a counselor in a lot of ways,” he said.
Friedman said he spoke often with former Sugarbush Resort owner Win Smith, who asked Friedman what he could do for local businesses, the Chamber and The Valley. The Chamber then created an award in his name, Friedman said, to honor those who make the MRV a better place.
Past award winners include Peter MacLaren of the West Hill House B&B, director of the Mad River Valley Planning District Joshua Schwartz, author and owner of Stand Up Resources Anna Nasset and former owner of the Village Grocery Troy Kingsbury.
The Chamber also elected and reelected five board members at its annual meeting.
John Bleh of Sugarbush Resort was elected, while Mimi Buttenheim of the Mad River Distillers, TJ Greenwood of Mad Bush Falls and Steve White of the Tucker Hill Inn were all reelected.
Five board officers were appointed, including Sean Kramer as board chair, Anna Nasset as vice chair, Mary Tuthill as secretary and Mimi Buttenheim as treasurer.
In Friedman’s introductory remarks, he called for more financial support for the Chamber – for more local business owners to purchase memberships, with dues that average about $650 annually.
With annual dues, Freidman said the Chamber works to provide opportunities that allow the local economy to thrive – connecting local business owners, doing marketing and promotions for local businesses, among other work. “The more financial support we have, the more we can do,” he added.
