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| Upper Valley Business Alliance | |
|---|---|
| Name | Upper Valley Business Alliance |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Lebanon, New Hampshire |
| Region served | Upper Connecticut River Valley |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Upper Valley Business Alliance
The Upper Valley Business Alliance is a regional nonprofit organization based in Lebanon, New Hampshire, serving the Upper Connecticut River Valley around Hanover and Norwich. It functions as a membership-driven consortium connecting companies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, healthcare systems, and municipal partners across New Hampshire and Vermont. The Alliance emphasizes business development, workforce initiatives, and public-private collaboration to foster regional competitiveness and resilience.
Founded in 1998 during a period of regional planning conversations involving stakeholders from Dartmouth College, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and municipal leaders from Lebanon, New Hampshire and Hartford, Vermont, the Alliance grew from predecessor economic development councils and chamber collaborations. Early convenings included representatives from Vermont Economic Development Authority, New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs, and local chambers such as the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce and the White River Junction Chamber of Commerce. In the 2000s the Alliance expanded programming aligned with initiatives by Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation and research partners at Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business and the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Post-2010 efforts reflected workforce shifts noted by U.S. Census Bureau reports and regional planning documents produced by the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission and the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission.
The Alliance states a mission to support business growth, workforce development, and regional collaboration among public and private institutions. Activities align with priorities identified by partners including Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Oncology Research Centers, Hypertherm Foundation, and local manufacturing firms such as Hypertherm and Mason & Hanger. It undertakes strategic planning in coordination with entities like Upper Valley Land Trust, Mascoma Bank, and utilities such as Eversource Energy and Green Mountain Power. Policy-relevant efforts have intersected with programs at New Hampshire Governor's Office and Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
Membership comprises businesses, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, healthcare providers, and municipal representatives. Notable members historically have included Dartmouth College, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hypertherm, Mascoma Bank, Plowman Machine, and tourism stakeholders such as Mount Ascutney operators and the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. Governance is overseen by a board with representatives from corporate members, municipal leaders from Hanover, New Hampshire and Brattleboro, Vermont-area towns, and ex officio seats for partners like the Lebanon School District and Dartmouth Regional Airport. Executive leadership has engaged advisory committees drawing expertise from Tuck School of Business, Vermont Law and Graduate School, and regional nonprofit leaders.
Core programs include workforce training partnerships with Dartmouth College, internship pipelines linked to Lebanon High School and Hanover High School, and small business support coordinated with Small Business Administration offices and local chambers. The Alliance has administered grant programs in conjunction with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation, and provided technical assistance modeled on practices from SCORE and Economic Development Administration initiatives. Services also cover business retention and expansion visits following methodologies used by International Economic Development Council and regional state development agencies.
The Alliance hosts recurring events such as regional economic summits, workforce roundtables, and sector-specific convenings modeled after conferences at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Tuck School of Business Executive Education, and industry gatherings like those organized by Manufacturers Association. Signature events have included an annual Upper Valley Economic Summit featuring speakers from Federal Reserve Bank districts, workforce fairs co-sponsored with Concord Community College and Vermont Technical College, and networking mixers in partnership with the Lebanon Area Chamber of Commerce and White River Junction business groups. Events often attract representatives from venture partners such as New Hampshire Innovation Commercialization Center and angel networks including Vermont Seed Capital Fund.
The Alliance conducts regional impact assessments drawing on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and state labor departments. Analyses have informed advocacy on issues including workforce housing, transportation infrastructure related to Interstate 89, and broadband expansion efforts aligned with programs by NTIA and state broadband offices. The organization has provided testimony to legislative bodies such as the New Hampshire General Court and the Vermont General Assembly and collaborated with coalitions including New England Council counterparts to influence regional funding priorities and federal grant competitions overseen by the Economic Development Administration.
Partnerships extend to academic institutions like Dartmouth College and Vermont Law and Graduate School, healthcare partners including Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and community hospitals, financial institutions such as Mascoma Bank and Bank of New Hampshire, and philanthropic supporters including the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation. Funding streams combine membership dues, event revenues, and grants from state agencies including the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development and federal programs administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. Collaborative grant projects have engaged regional partners such as the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission and municipal consortia.
Category:Nonprofit organizations based in New Hampshire