The Vermont Communications Union Districts Association, a consortium of nine CUD municipalities that provides broadband to unserved and underserved addresses in Vermont, has elected new officers for 2023. They are Ellie de Villiers, executive director of Maple Broadband, who will serve as president; Jonathan Baker, executive committee member at NEK Community Broadband, vice president; and FX Flinn, chair of ECFiber, treasurer and secretary.
Addison County native de Villiers steps into VCUDA leadership with deep experience in telecommunications, strategy and policy. She received an MBA from Babson College before moving to South Africa in 2010, where she spent the better part of a decade working in telecommunications.
Danville resident Baker is a founding member of the executive committee of the state's largest and most rural communications union district, NEK Broadband. He provided input to the Legislature during the passing of Act 71, which created the VCUDA, and brings more than 16 years in software development to create tools that help solve broadband access and affordability challenges.
Flinn, VCUDA's outgoing president, has served as chair of the ECFiber governing board since May 2020 and is founder of Expert Systems Development Corp. He is a graduate of Cornell University and holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut School of Business.