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Joe Choquette is a member and co-leader of the Government Affairs Group and the external affairs manager for DRM. His work focuses on state legislative and regulatory affairs, public and news media relations, and marketing.
Joe actively monitors and interprets federal and state developments of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act as they unfold. He is a member of DRM�s cross-practice ARRA-Stimulus team, which is prepared to assist clients with the legal aspects of their broadband, business and personal tax, energy, entity structure and financing, healthcare, land use and environmental permitting, research and development and associated intellectual property issues as they relate to ARRA funding, opportunities and potential pitfalls.
Joe brings more than 25 years of experience in public and government relations to issues confronting businesses and associations of many types and sizes. From 1986-1999, Joe was the executive director of the Vermont Petroleum Association, a division of the American Petroleum Institute, where he represented clients on employment, energy, environmental, public safety, transportation and taxation matters. As a result of his work, the association and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation were jointly awarded the coveted Environmental Merit Award by the U.S. EPA on Earth Day, 1999.
From 1984-1986, Joe served as manager of research and communication for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, where he managed significant projects including rewriting the state's unemployment compensation law, developing community right-to-know legislation, and taxation and labor issues. Before joining the Chamber, he was the director of news media relations at the University of Vermont in 1979-1984, and director of sports information at UVM in 1978-1979.
Significant Matters
represented the petroleum industry in legislative and regulatory policy-making regarding underground storage tanks, vapor recovery systems and fire suppression systems
worked with the legislature and Attorney General�s Office to craft effective petroleum price gouging legislation
helped a hydroelectric dam operator to reach agreement with a southern Vermont ski area over water withdrawal from a storage reservoir for snowmaking.
helped a long-time manufacturer of outdoor sporting equipment to announce a move out of state;
managed communication for a large unionized printing operation announcing a closing and relocation;
advised a local operation of an international manufacturer on public relations strategies for dealing with a chemical release;
assisted a large Canadian energy provider with strategic communication surrounding the acquisition of a well-known Vermont company;
advised a small business client on crisis communication regarding a fatal accident on its property.
Community Involvement
Joe has served in leadership positions in numerous trade and professional organizations throughout his career. A former newspaper writer, he is a past president of the Vermont Sportswriters-Sportscasters' Association and the Vermont Society of Association Executives. He was the president of the Montpelier Rotary Club during its 75th Anniversary year, served as an assistant district governor of RI District 7850, and chaired the Rotary District Conference, held in Montpelier, in 2003. He continues to chair the program committee for the Montpelier Rotary Club, where he has the honor of introducing many noteworthy speakers. For many years, Joe has been a volunteer for Everybody Wins! VT, a program that pairs adult readers with elementary school children.
Personal Interests
Joe has coached youth soccer and Babe Ruth baseball, is an avid golfer, skier, gardener and racquetball player. He is the official scorer for the University of Vermont men's ice hockey program and has been the public address announcer for UVM Hockey and the Vermont Mountaineers Collegiate Baseball League team. He serves as a lector in his church.
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