Vermont Legislature Honors National Life Group (NLGroup) as Environmental Leader

The Vermont General Assembly honored National Life on Friday as a "corporate leader on matters relating to energy and the environment." The action prompted one state representative to deliver an emotional tribute to the company. The Legislature adopted a resolution congratulating the company on the 160th anniversary of its charter - an occasion that will be marked this November. The resolution also praises National Life "for the company's		Gov. Jim Douglas and National Life CEO Tom MacLeay stand in front of the official State House portrait of former Gov. and National Life President Deane C. Davis.
forward-thinking energy efficiency and environmental conservation initiatives."

The resolution was sponsored by Montpelier's two state representatives as well as the three state senators representing Washington County.

After the adoption by the House of the resolution, Rep. Jon Anderson, D-Montpelier, introduced to the members of the House National Life's CEO, Tom MacLeay, Chris Graff, VP-Communications, and Martha Trombley Oakes, director of community and corporate relations, all of whom were on hand for the reading of the resolution.

Montpelier's other representative, Warren Kitzmiller, then stood and told his colleagues about the critical role National Life played rebuilding Montpelier following the disastrous flood of 1992. Kitzmiller, who then owned Onion River Sports, said that city businesses were devastated by the flood and business owners were overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness.

"And then the very next day someone from National Life walked into my business, handed me a check for $1,000 and said, 'We thought you could use this,'" said Kitzmiller, explaining that National Life gave every business in the downtown a grant of $1,000.

He said those checks jumpstarted the recovery but most importantly kindled a sense of hope that Montpelier could come back from the flood. Through a variety of grant and flood relief efforts National Life committed $250,000 to Montpelier's recovery efforts.

Kitzmiller also described how National Life brought food to the downtown to feed emergency workers and business people digging out from the flood. "All of the restaurants in the downtown were closed," he said. "National Life fed us."

When Kitzmiller concluded his impassioned speech about National Life's commitment to the community, his colleagues responded with a standing ovation honoring the delegation from the company.

Before attending the House session MacLeay, Graff and Trombley Oakes met with Gov. Jim Douglas, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie and House Speaker Gaye Symington.

MacLeay posed for photos with Douglas standing next to the official Statehouse portrait of Deane C. Davis, a former National Life president who served as governor of Vermont 1969-1973 and who was responsible for passage of Vermont's strongest environmental laws.

MacLeay said he was honored by the state's tribute. "We are very deeply rooted in Vermont and here in the Capital City," he said.

HCR 290

House concurrent resolution congratulating National Life Group on the 160th anniversary of its charter and for the company’s forward-thinking energy efficiency and environmental conservation initiatives

Offered by: Representatives Anderson of Montpelier and Kitzmiller of Montpelier

Offered by: Senator Cummings of Washington District, Senator Doyle of Washington District and Senator Scott of Washington District

Whereas, the General Assembly chartered the National Life Insurance Company on November 13, 1848, and among its distinguished incorporators were Henry Clay of Kentucky who had served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and was a candidate for President of the United States; Vermont Speaker of the House William Kittredge; and Vermonters Robert Pierpoint, Julius Converse, and Albert Whittemore, and

Whereas, in 2008, the National Life Insurance Company is celebrating the 160th anniversary of its chartering and is now officially known as National Life Group, a financial services company with $20 billion in assets under its management, and

Whereas, the company has been deeply rooted in Vermont and the capital city of Montpelier for all 16 decades of its existence, and

Whereas, National Life Group takes great pride in its environmental stewardship following in the footsteps of former Governor Deane Davis, the company’s former president, who as governor led Vermont on a greener, more environmentally sensitive course, and

Whereas, National Life Group is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, and the state of Vermont has named it an environmental partner, and

Whereas, it is on target to win LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the company’s Montpelier campus this year from the U.S. Green Building Council whose standards are extremely demanding, and

Whereas, National Life Group recycles 64 percent of its solid waste, delivers its shredded paper to a farm in East Montpelier for use as cow bedding, and through the installation of a highly insulated, white roof membrane has achieved a 27-percent reduction in its winter fuel use, and

Whereas, all of these accomplishments have made National Life Group a corporate leader on matters relating to energy and the environment, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates National Life Group on its 160th anniversary and for its forward-thinking energy efficiency and environmental conservation initiatives, and be it further

Resolved: That the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Tom MacLeay, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at National Life Group in Montpelier.

(April 25, 2008)