MONTPELIER — The Vermont Communications Union Districts Association (VCUDA) welcomes Will Anderson of Montpelier as its first employee, with the title of Interim Program Coordinator.
He will be the central administrator for the VCUDA going forward, with responsibilities in strategic planning, financial management, acquisition of shared services for member Districts, and communications with the Vermont Community Broadband Board, amongst other government bodies.
“VCUDA is thrilled to have Will as our first staffer,” said F. X. Flinn, VCUDA President. “His interest in our efforts over the past year have made him an ideal candidate for this position, and we look forward to having him dedicated to our efforts on a full-time basis.”
Anderson is a native of rural upstate New York, and a graduate of McGill University. He is currently completing a year-long national service commitment through SerVermont AmeriCorps VISTA, for which he was assigned to the USDA Rural Development office in Montpelier.
With the USDA, he worked to promote the national e-Connectivity initiative in Vermont and New Hampshire, a responsibility which brought him into close contact with the CUDs and VCUDA.
“Throughout my assignment analyzing federal telecommunications policy in northern New England, I have encountered a variety of strategies to build out internet into rural areas,” Anderson said. “But the communications union district (CUD) movement has really eclipsed them all, and I have become convinced that our model will be the most efficient and equitable route to connecting all Vermonters to reliable, affordable internet. I am genuinely excited to begin working on behalf of the CUDs in a dedicated capacity, and to be part of a project that has the potential to not only connect all Vermonters to this essential service, but to go far beyond that in terms of the example it can set for both state and country.”
The Vermont Communications Union Districts Association consists of the nine CUD municipalities that have formed in Vermont since 2016 and is modeled on the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. VCUDA seeks to provide a forum for CUDs to exchange ideas, seek opportunities, and develop programs for the mutual benefit of the districts.
