...and a stern call for action

2025 was a busy year for the chamber- just read our Year in Review published last month in the Caledonian Record. The past year of convening and community engagement has all been in preparation for what’s to come in 2026. 

“...as we look to 2026, our focus is clear: to convene more voices, strengthen regional collaboration, and address the issues that most significantly hold our businesses back. 

Chief among these is housing. Without enough homes–affordable, attainable, and available (and ideally in truly livable condition)—our employers cannot hire, our communities cannot grow, and our region cannot reach its full potential. 

The Chamber intends to lean in more deeply to this work, helping shape solutions that support economic vitality across all three counties while respecting the beauty and character of the region.”

-Loralee Tester (Director, NEK Chamber)

This work cannot wait. In a recent op-ed to VT Digger, Chamber Director Loralee Tester called upon all Vermonters to take “a careful look. Not a defensive one. A serious one,” at the trajectory of our state as we grapple with growing affordability, housing, and workforce crises.

“As a state, we have to acknowledge that we are falling behind in ways that directly affect how people live, work and raise families. 

As [a report from Vermont Futures Project] illustrates, we now live in a state where a growing number of people cannot afford to live.” 

-Loralee Tester (Director, NEK Chamber)

This urgency is what informed Tester’s recent testimony to the House Committee on General and Housing in which she advocated for investment at the state-level that fits the needs of rural Vermont.

“What I’ve learned since [my last testimony one year ago] is not that decision-makers are unaware of rural challenges. It’s that everyone is trying to get the biggest bang for the buck. 

But the reality is this: what pencils in Chittenden County often does not pencil in rural Vermont. If we don’t design different tools, rural places will continue to fall behind—not for lack of will, but for lack of workable pathways.”

This testimony included several tangible, practical steps for lawmakers to consider including reforms to Act 250, ways to address gaps in access to capital for local developers, strategic land use incentives, innovation on housing development, and more. 

The challenges we face here in the Northeast Kingdom are real, and they are significant, but they are not without hope. The chamber will continue to advocate for our region at the state level and look for more ways to support our member businesses.

“…businesses are not the bad guys. They are employers, taxpayers, innovators and community sponsors. Without them, there is no tax base to fund the services we value so deeply.”

To this end, we invite you to join us at our Monthly Legislative Breakfast series:

These one-hour sessions are designed to foster clear, direct communication between the business community and our elected officials. Legislators will offer brief updates, leaving the majority of the time for questions and discussion.

Cost: $5 at the door

Please come prepared with a question that focuses on what our state legislators can meaningfully influence.

Last Monday of Each Month | 8:00–9:00 AM

January 26

February 23

March 30

April 27

May 18

"...it is our businesses, and the people behind them, that keep both our state and our region humming. This is a place of grit, creativity, and generosity. I am regularly moved by the commitment and kindness of the people who make the NEK what it is.

So the question for 2026 is this: How do we ensure we are a region of abundance?

What do you need for your entrepreneurial spark to ignite?

What are you willing to contribute to help create the conditions where ideas can catch fire and spread?

Together, we can shape a thriving future for the Northeast Kingdom. The work ahead is big, but our community is bigger. Let’s lean in. Let’s build it, together."