Vermont Governor Phil Scott yesterday announced the appointment of Christine Hallquist as executive director of the newly established Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB). The Board was created through Act 71, an act relating to accelerated community broadband deployment, to assist and accelerate community efforts to achieve universal access to reliable, high-speed broadband service.
As executive director, Hallquist will supervise and help implement the Board’s work and policies. Specifically, she will manage the Board’s administrative budget, hire staff or contractors as necessary, make recommendations to the Board for grant awards and work with the Board to support and assist Communication Union Districts (CUDs) in their planning, development and implementation of broadband projects.
Most recently, she worked with NEK Broadband and Lamoille FiberNet, two CUDs working to expand broadband in Vermont. Prior to that she worked in Canada on a joint venture to build a new battery for the electric grid.
From 2000 to 2018, Hallquist worked at Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), starting as an engineering and operations manager, and serving as CEO from 2005 to 2018, at which time she stepped down to run for Governor.
The Board will consist of five members: two will be appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the Speaker of the House, one appointed by the Senate Committee on Committees, and one appointed by the Vermont Communications Union District Association. The Board and its work will be supported by $150 million from the federal American Rescue Act Plan (ARPA), a proposal made by Governor Scott and supported by the Legislature.
Hallquist starts Monday, July 26, and the first meeting of the Board will occur on August 9.
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