[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 134 (Monday, September 12, 2011)] [Senate] [Page S5493] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO PETER VAN OOT Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is a great pleasure to call the Senate's attention to the economic development contributions of Peter Van Oot, a friend and former member of my staff. Pete, a native of Westminster, VT, has long served his community and our State with dedication and enthusiasm. Through his work with the Brattleboro Economic Development Credit Corporation board, and, more recently, the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation, Pete has worked tirelessly to create jobs and to promote our local economy. Named Volunteer of the Year by the Northeast Economic Development Association, Pete was recently recognized for his hard work, and I take this opportunity to offer him my congratulations. I ask unanimous consent that an August 8 article highlighting his work, in the Brattleboro Reformer, be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record as follows: Local Lawyer Recognized for His Commitment to Economic Growth [From the Brattleboro Reformer, Aug. 8, 2011] (By Josh Stilts) Brattleboro.--Peter D. Van Oot's said his vision of a healthy community starts with a strong local economy. Because of this commitment and his unwavering focus, which he attributes to his father, Van Oot was named Volunteer of the Year by the Northeast Economic Development Association. Without access to good paying, secure jobs, the education system falters and it can easily lead to social injustice, he said. ``When mom and dad don't have a job anymore, bad things can happen,'' he said. That's why in his 20s, Van Oot dedicated his spare time to establishing outlets for businesses to grow and to figure out ways to draw large employers to the area. Van Oot grew up in Westminster and said he can remember when there were plenty of jobs and how much happier the residents seemed. After earning his law degree, he returned to the area and began working at Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC and nearly simultaneously started volunteering on the United Way of Windham County board. ``I realized quickly that if we didn't work to shore up the Windham County economy, all the organizations would be for naught,'' Van Oot said. ``Without good-paying jobs and a solid local economy you lose the base of the community.'' As unemployment rises, the strains on organizations such as the United Way and Youth Services becomes almost too much, he said. About a decade ago he shifted his focus and began serving on the Brattleboro Economic Development Credit Corporation board. ``My interest really became how do we bring jobs to the area to fulfill the ones that left and bolster the economy,'' Van Oot said. ``It was a fantastic organization to work with. In the past two years we really did some great work. We've had economic development success with Grafton Cheese's retail store and brining in the Common Wealth Yogurt factory.'' Not only do those businesses provide good paying jobs, they're also using Vermont based resources, Van Oot said. ``It really helps to fill the economic gaps,'' he said. ``Like in golf, we need to fill in the divots.'' Van Oot said there's a lot of people who have done and are doing what he does but urged younger people to get involved. ``Brattleboro had always been known as a community that had people who were involved in the economy, in rotary clubs and boards like the United Way,'' he said. ``But now it's much more difficult to get younger business people involved in these types of activities.'' He added that reaching out to young entrepreneurs has already started to bear fruit. ``Look at what they're doing with the BDCC small business competitions,'' Van Oot said. ``What a great way to get people involved.'' Jeff Lewis, executive director of the Brattleboro Economic Development Credit Corporation, said Van Oot was a champion of growing the local economy. ``Pete worked tirelessly to promote economic development in southern Vermont during his many years in Brattleboro,'' Lewis said. ``His focus and leadership helped the organization create dynamic strategy that addressed widespread economic decline in the region.'' Lewis added that Van Oot transformed the board's membership, created a robust public policy, orchestrated annual plan reviews and developed a BDCC CEO council. ``BDCC now annually exceeds its goals for economic development and its own financial stability,'' Lewis said. ``Based on Pete's work with the board, BDCC is now leading a regional strategy project looking to address long-term job and population loss, and the prospective loss of the region's largest employer.'' In the last couple of years Van Oot has transitioned from his Brattleboro office to the firm's Lebanon location, and it was there he got involved with another group, the Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation, which is similarly focused on creating community through jobs. ``Pete has brought that same deep level of commitment to his role on the board at GMEDC (that he had in Brattleboro),'' said Joan Goldstein, the group's executive director. ``Leadership of this type ought to be recognized and I am pleased that NEDA saw it the same way we did.'' Van Oot will be presented his award at the NED's annual meeting on Oct. 24 at the Sheraton Hotel in Burlington. ____________________