Rob Fish

About Rob Fish

I build rural systems that help communities move from vision to durable results.For more than fifteen years I have worked alongside rural towns, nonprofits, utilities, funders, and state and federal partners to translate complex programs and investments into community-led outcomes. My work spans broadband, energy, digital equity, food systems, and climate resilience, but the throughline is consistent: building the networks, tools, and trust that allow rural communities to move ideas into action.Most recently, as Deputy Director of the Vermont Community Broadband Board, I helped design and scale a community-owned broadband model now serving 215 towns through ten regional districts. That work included coordinating nearly $500 million in public investment, building statewide peer networks and accelerator programs, translating federal and state policy into practical tools, and supporting volunteer-led boards navigating governance, financing, and implementation under real-world constraints. Over time, my focus increasingly shifted from infrastructure deployment to the opportunities connectivity creates including entrepreneurship, remote work, digital careers, and rural innovation ecosystems.Across roles, my approach is consistent: build networks rather than one-off programs, reduce friction through shared tools and templates, and create learning structures that allow communities to move faster together than they could alone. I am most effective at the intersection of policy, capital, and community leadership, where clear systems and local ownership matter more than control.Earlier work with the Vermont Council on Rural Development and the Energy Action Network focused on digital resilience, clean-energy data, and post-disaster recovery, reinforcing the same lesson I have seen repeatedly: rural communities already have the insight and commitment they need. What often makes the difference is the right connective infrastructure and trusted partners who help ideas scale.Alongside this work I serve as an Executive Advisor to Common Roots in South Burlington, Vermont, supporting board strategy, organizational planning, and partnerships that connect community food systems with education, health, and workforce development.I am now particularly interested in work that strengthens rural innovation ecosystems and community-centered networks at a regional or national scale, especially with organizations focused on rural development, climate and energy transitions, philanthropy, and public-interest infrastructure.

Experience

1. Executive Advisor (Contract)

   Common Roots

   Aug 2015 — Present · South Burlington, VT, US

   Advising board and leadership on strategy, governance, and organizational planning for a nonprofit advancing food access, agriculture education, climate resiliency, and community health in Vermont. My involvement began as a volunteer systems advisor and has evolved into a formal executive advisory role supporting leadership transition, planning systems, and cross-sector partnerships with farms, schools, and health providers.

Education

• College of the Atlantic

  Bachelor's Degree, Economics, Non Profit Management, Environmental Law and Policy, Decision-making

  1996 — 2001

• University of Vermont

  Master's of Public Administration, Master's of Public Administration

  2011 — 2013

• American University

  Communications, Law, Economics and Government (CLEG)

  1999 — 1999

Skills

• Strategic Communications
• Community Organizing
• Public Policy
• Organizational Development
• Program Development
• Management
• Community Outreach
• Community Development
• Grassroots Organizing
• Strategic Planning
• Project Management
• Customer Service
• Google Apps
• Research
• Marketing
• Environmental Policy
• Newsletters
• Nonprofits
• Program Evaluation
• Policy Analysis
• Word
• Program Management
• Politics
• Social Media Marketing
• Volunteer Management
• Grassroots
• Environmental Education
• Project Coordination
• Public Speaking
• Non-Profits
• Public Administration
• Wordpress
• Political Campaigns
• Focus Groups
• Editing
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Grants
• Public Relations
• Teaching
• Social Media