Mills Wins Rotary Award
By Chris Costanzo

Last Monday, Feb. 12, Jeff Mills of the CFM (Vermont Castings) Stove Group received the Bethel Area Rotary Club’s first "4-way test award" for employees of selected area businesses. The club encompasses the towns of Bethel, Barnard, Pittsfield, Rochester, Royalton, and Tunbridge.

According to club president Joanne Kent, the "4-way test," long a mantra of Rotary International, was formulated in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. The test, applied by employees in their business and professional lives, became a guide for those in the company, and its simple philosophy was given credit for the company’s survival. It asks the following four questions regarding what employees say and do: 1) Is it the truth? 2) Is it fair to all concerned? 3) Will it build good will and better friendships? 4) Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

This year, for the first award, the club approached the CFM Corporation with an offer to honor the corporation’s employee who best applied in his professional and community life the principles embodied in the test. In late January, president Kent, along with Rotarians Neal Fox and Mel Washburn, met with Dale Trombley, manager of CFM, and Mills was selected for the honor.

Mills graduated from Whitcomb High School in 1981, receiving an Associates Degree from Vermont Technical College in 1983. He has been with Vermont Castings for the past 12, during which time he advanced from draftsman to Senior Design Engineer and Project Coordinator.

In nominating Mills, Trombley noted that he is an active supporter of his community and area youth through his years of coaching Bethel’s Little League, Babe Ruth baseball, Whitcomb Junior High soccer and baseball, Whitcomb High School basketball, and local Legion baseball. According to Trombley, Mills also brings his coaching skills to work.

"He is always training, encouraging and providing direction to newer staff," Trombley said. "His variety of positions held in manufacturing and engineering make him a very well-rounded employee who can quickly recognize issues in areas outside engineering and help provide corrective actions."

Trombley commented that Mills also provides community leadership and support in his current town, Stockbridge, where he is a fireman and zoning administrator.

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