National Life of Vermont - Celebrating 150 years of service to Vermont and the nation at the time was the lead sponsor of the Lorraine Beaulieu Memorial Project.
Conference Rooms Used Regularly Expansion of the Chamber's Beaulieu Place office complex has come to a close in 2001. The meeting rooms featured amenities found virtually nowhere else in the region. Among them were multiple high-speed data ports for internet access, an on-site LCD projector, and available computers for demonstrations and/or specialized software training. The project aimed at helping area business and organizations capitalize on the emerging communications technologies. Located at the corner of Berlin Street and Fisher Roads, the facility is just a mile off I-89 at Exit 7. The expansion marks a milestone for the project that has been ongoing since 1983. The first phase of the project was completed in 1991 when the Chamber purchased the building that formerly housed the Perry Medical Office and then Women's Health Associates. It was immediately dedicated "Beaulieu Place" for 40-year employee Lorraine Beaulieu. With the support of her husband Jerry, Lorraine had carried the organization through many lean times in her five decades of service. Although "Beaulieu Place" lacked meeting space for the board of directors and Chamber committees, the purchase marked the first time the organization had owned its offices. Jon Anderson, president of the Chamber at the time, said the expansion made more efficient use of the property and incorporated the emerging technologies used in business. "In the early-1990s, only the largest corporations used digital slide shows or computer projectors, but it was apparent that these would become routine elements of meetings in the future," Anderson said. He added that broadcasting meetings over the internet and/or video conferencing would not be far behind. Chamber President Bob Sayers said the facility incorporated the technology to accommodate both internet broadcasting and video conferencing. Although still in their infancy, these somewhat crude technologies will improve quickly. President Carol Dawes added that Beaulieu Place helps the whole community take a huge step forward. The days of lugging around a laptop and LCD projector will eventually be replaced by available meeting room computers and projectors. Presenters will simply bring their material on disk. Beaulieu Place is one of the first meeting places to offer this convenience. Project chair Harry Monti said bequest from the estate of Lorraine Beaulieu and her husband Jerry combined with an initial $25,000 pledge from National Life of Vermont launched expansion fund-raising. Major pledges from Rock of Ages, Northfield Savings Bank, Vermont Mutual Insurance Co., and others gave the project momentum. Ground was broken in July of 2000. He said that to date, nearly 100 Chamber members have pledged over $160,000 toward the half-million-dollar expansion. Monti praised the contributors' leadership and drew a parallel between them and leaders who merged the Barre and Montpelier chambers 30 years ago. He said it takes special people to commit to a future that's not apparent to everyone. "That's what leadership is," Monti said. Some finishing touches remained, but the building had been completely renovated. The former Chamber office space has been leased to the Windham Group, an injury management company.. First floor office space has been leased by Green Mountain United Way. Among those already using the meeting rooms are the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District, the Department of Employment & Training, Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice, and the Agency of Natural Resources. The Chamber points to a raffle held in 1983 as the origin
of the project. After conducting a raffle to erase an operating
deficit, then-president Marion Milne suggested that the raffle
be continued annually and the proceeds set aside in a "building
fund" for future purchase of office space. In fact, the
raffle has been held every year since. It provided the down payment
for the building purchase in 1991 and helped retire that mortgage.
Raffle proceeds enabled the Chamber to finance the municipal
sewer connection before fund-raising began.
CV chamber / P.O. Box 336 / Barre, Vermont 05641 (802)-229-4619
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