In The News

BURLINGTON, Vt. - An industry trade group formed to help grow the software development sector in Vermont has tapped a Northeast Kingdom businessman and economic development official as its new head.

The Vermont Software Developers' Alliance (vtSDA) announced the hiring of Patrick Martell as its new Executive Director.

Martell joins the vtSDA with a background as a former CIO for Al's Snowmobiles, a snowmobile parts company in Newport, and a past President of Vermont's North Country Chamber of Commerce.

"We are very excited to welcome Patrick Martell," said Greg Brand, President of the Bluehouse Group and Co-Chairperson of vtSDA. "He comes to our organization with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the software and IT realm combined with real world business experience operating several multi-million dollar corporations."

He noted that Martell has also participated in numerous community organizations and boards of directors throughout the state, including the North Country Hospital Board of Trustees.

"Patrick is prepared to lead the vtSDA to the next level of achievement and awareness in the state of Vermont," Brand said. "We're very grateful to the Department of Economic Development and the Legislature for their assistance in making this happen."

The Department of Economic Development provided $50,000 and the Legislature appropriated an additional $25,000 to help make this position available to vtSDA.

"We are pleased that the Vermont Software Developers Alliance is poised to take the next step on the way to making Vermont a center for this industry," said Mike Quinn, Vermont's commissioner of Economic Development. "These are good paying jobs with virtually no environmental impact, exactly the kind that Governor Jim Douglas is trying to create."

The Vermont Software Developers' Alliance is a trade association dedicated to fostering a healthy software industry in the State of Vermont and presently has roughly 60 members.

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