NEWPORT — Governor Phil Scott and Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Federal Co-Chair Mark Scarano were in Newport Wednesday to announce that Scott will serve as the Commission’s first state co-chair.
“While the cities and towns across the Northern Border Region are unique, we face similar economic and social challenges,” said Scott. “The work of this Commission and these grants help foster growth in our Northern Border communities, which is so important to my Administration’s work to expand economic growth across the entire state.”
While in Newport, representatives of the Vermont Brewers Association also showcased a recently released mobile application that turned the organization’s long-time brewery passport program into an interactive mobile app.
The app was funded, in part, by a $46,000 NBRC grant last year.
Kingdom Brewing owners Brian and Jenn Cook of Newport said nearly 70 percent of their visitors used the passport program.
Created in 2008, NBRC is a federal-state partnership with a mission to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private-sector job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York.
Since its inception, the Commission has awarded just over $30 million, which has leveraged $87 million to support 155 grants across the four states.
In Vermont, it’s funded 44 projects in the amount of $7.8 million. Vermont’s NBRC territory includes communities within Grand Isle, Franklin, Orleans, Essex, Caledonia, and Lamoille Counties.
During the Commission’s January meeting in Hanover, New Hampshire, Scott was elected by representatives of the governors of Maine, New Hampshire, and New York to serve as the Commission’s first state co-chair.
Scott will work with the federal co-chair to set the Commission’s agenda and help the Commission hire an executive director and support staff.
