Bill Kenerson and Deb Venman are married and are co-owners of Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont . Bill is a Yale graduate who spent most of his working career in personnel/human resources for various industries. He served as Vermont 's Commissioner of Economic Development under governors Richard Snelling and Howard Dean. Before starting up Beau Ties Ltd., he was Director of the Addison County Regional Economic Development Corporation.

Deb Venman is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College . She has played several roles in the Middlebury community. She was instrumental in the establishment of a consignment shop to benefit the local hospital; was Executive Directpr for the Addison County United Way ; served as a member of the elementary school board and as Chairperson of Port Medical Center's Board of Directors. She became an attorney the hard way by reading the law at the local law firm of Neuse & Smith (now Neuse, Smith & Venman) while auditing classes at Vermont Law School.