When the Vermont Telecommunications Authority began its work more than a year ago, it had a key leader who many believed would greatly increase the chances of seeing universal cell phone coverage and broadband Internet access in the state by the end of 2010.
That person - VTA Board Chair Mary Evslin - has resigned, the Vermont Press Bureau learned Tuesday.
Members of the VTA, including Executive Director Bill Shuttleworth, met with lawmakers at the Statehouse this morning to update them on their expansion plans. Evslin's absence was obvious and lawmakers quickly started buzzing as to what happened to the woman who was the public face of this effort.
Evslin confirmed in an e-mail (how appropriate!) this afternoon that she had resigned. No reason was given. She said she decided to explore retirement (again).
What does this mean for the VTA? That's not clear yet. Certainly Shuttleworth is a talented guy. But Evslin had a lot of goodwill with lawmakers and state officials and it's hard to imagine that her absence can be anything but a blow to the VTA.
-Dan Barlow
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