House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development

 

AGENDA

 

Room 35 and Zoom

February 17, 2026 - February 20, 2026

Last Updated 2/20/2026 12:48 PM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-commerce-and-economic-development.

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

9:00 AM                   FY27 Budget

Community Action, Microbusiness lending

Liz Scharf, Director of Community Economic Development and Food Security, Capstone Community Action

Rosie Gray, Financial Securities Specialist and Business Coach, Capstone Community Action

 

10:00 AM                   House Floor and Caucuses

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   FY27 Budget

Kelly Ault, Executive Director, Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance

Sharon Plumb, Program Manager, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council

Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, Founder, Maidstone Public Relations

 

1:35 PM                   FY27 Budget

Maddie Kempner, Policy Director, NOFA-VT

Johanna Doren, Direct Markets and Local Food Access Program Director, NOFA-VT

 

2:00 PM                   FY27 Budget

Denise Smith, Executive  Director, Vermont Council on Rural Development

Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Network Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

 

2:30 PM                   FY27 Budget

Advance Vermont

Tom Cheney, Executive Director, Advance Vermont

 

3:15 PM                   FY27 Budget

Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

Liz Gleason, Farm and Forest Viability Program Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board

 

3:45 PM                   FY27 Budget

Vermont Professionals of Color

Weiwei Wang, Co Founder and Executive Director, Vermont Professionals of Color Network

Nik Khosla, Board Chair, Vermont Professionals of Color Network

 

4:15 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

9:00 AM                   FY27 Budget

Serve Learn Earn

Kate Gluckman, Director, Serve Learn Earn

Thomas Longstreth, Executive Director, ReSOURCE

Jamey Fidel, Vice President, Vermont, National Audubon Society/Audubon Vermont

Rhoni Basden, Executive Director, VT Works for Women

Breck Knauft, Executive Director, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps

 

10:00 AM                   FY27 Budget

Department of Forest, Parks, Recreation Update

Danielle Fitzko, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

Claire Polfus, Recreation Program Manager, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

 

10:25 AM                   FY27 Budget

Regional Development Corporations

Andy Julow, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation

 

10:35 AM                   Break

 

11:00 AM                   FY27 Budget

Regional Planning Commissions

Charlie Baker, Executive Director, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission

Catherine Dimitruk, Executive Director, Northwest Regional Planning Commission

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   FY27 Budget

Also includes an update on grants

Heather Pelham, Commissioner, Department of Tourism and Marketing - Zoom

Lyle Jepson, Commissioner, Agency of Economic Development

Tim Tierney, Director of Recruitment and International Trade, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Dan Dickerson, Administrative Services Director, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

 

2:40 PM                   H. 512 - An act relating to the regulation of the event ticketing market

Mark-up

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Susan Evans McClure, Executive Director, Vermont Arts Council

Todd Daloz, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Attorney General's Office

David Garriepy, Federal Government Relations, StubHub - Zoom

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

Thursday, February 19, 2026

9:00 AM                   House Floor

 

-                                   Caucus of the Whole

State of the Guard Presentation

 

10:30 AM                   Joint Assembly

Election of VSC Trustees and Adjutant and Inspector General

 

12:00 PM                   Lunch

 

1:00 PM                   H. 205 - An act relating to agreements not to compete

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Rowan Hawthorne, Policy and Legislative Affairs Director, Vermont Department of Labor

Justin McCabe, OnLogic

Devon Green, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems - Invited

Jay Barton, Vice President and General Manager, WCAX

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

Carrie Allen, President, Association of Vermont Credit Unions

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

David Mickenberg, Lobbyist, Working Vermont

 

2:15 PM                   FY27 Budget

Patrick Leduc, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation

Dr. Elizabeth Mauch, Dr, Chancellor, Vermont State Colleges System

Wendy Koenig, Executive Director of Government Relations, University of Vermont

 

3:15 AM                   H. 205 - An act relating to agreements not to compete

Mark up and possible vote

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

3:30 PM                   House Floor

 

10 Minutes After the Floor                   H. 639 - An act relating to genetic data privacy

Mark up, possible vote

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Bridget Morris, Lobbyist, Morris Strategies

 

Friday, February 20, 2026

9:05 AM                   Legislative Intern Report

Cabot Sayles, UVM Legislative Intern

Bailey Davis, Norwich Legislative Intern

 

9:30 AM                   House Floor

 

9:55 AM                   Early College and Free Degree Promise Day

Katie Mobley, Dean of Enrollment and Community Relations, Community College of Vermont

Ruby Hall, STEM Studies, Free Degree Promise

Felix Ljosa, STEM Studies, CCV

Brennan Swaim, Business, CCV

Madison Filion, STEM Studies, CCV

Hana Dobrilovic, Health Sciences/Nursing, Barre, Early College

 

11:00 AM                   H. 385 - An act relating to remedies and protections for victims of coerced debt

Walk-through new draft; testimony

Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Grace Pazdan, Staff Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid - Zoom

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

Carrie Allen, President, Association of Vermont Credit Unions - Zoom

Charlie Gliserman, Director of Policy, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

Matt Cota, Lobbyist, Vermont Automotive Distributors Association

Mitchell Jay, Owner, Central Vermont AutoMart - Zoom

Joe Valenti, Director of Policy, Department of Financial Regulation

 

12:50 PM                   Adjourn

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Megan Cannella at Megan.Cannella@vtleg.gov