Bram Kleppner is CEO of Danforth Pewter, with manufacturing in Middlebury and retail stores in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Virginia. Danforth has committed to getting to zero fossil fuel use, and to that end has built a solar farm, installed heat pumps, and put in an electric car charging station at the flagship store in Middlebury.
In addition to the Vermont Climate Council, Bram served for five years as Co-Chair of Vermont’s Medicaid Exchange Advisory Board, served as a Commissioner on the Vermont Tax Structure Commission, and served on the Governor’s Business Advisory Council on Health Care Financing.
Previously, Bram spent 10 years at Ben & Jerry’s, where he co-led their first campaign against global warming and led the creation of their first non-GMO ice cream.
He also spent seven years as chair of the Board of the Population Media Center, which advances the rights of women and girls in the developing world and protects the planet by stabilizing global population at a sustainable level. PMC’s programs have been seen by over 500 million people.
Burlington Electric believes Bram’s family’s project was the first 100% conversion of a historic home in Burlington to zero emissions.
Bram earned an MBA from the (now) Grossman School of Business at the University of Vermont, and a BA from Middlebury College.