South Royalton
Monroe, who took the helm at ValleyNet in 2015, said in an interview that, although half the fiber network has been built, the final phase could take another two to three years to complete — and that’s a long time to be away from home after more than six years.
During the week, Monroe resides in Royalton, near where ValleyNet and ECFiber are based in South Royalton, but she drives the nearly 100 miles and two hours to be home in Dublin, N.H., on the weekends.
“That’s been the conundrum,” said Monroe, who was general manager of ECFiber for more than three years before joining ValleyNet. ValleyNet, a nonprofit, has the contract to build and operate the high-speed network on behalf of ECFiber, a consortium of 24 towns in eastern and central Vermont.
In the past three years, ECFiber’s network has expanded to 700 miles serving 3,100 customers from 260 miles serving 1,000 homes, Monroe noted. But delays in equipping the poles to carry ECFiber’s cables likely mean another couple years until the project is completed, she said, and that’s longer than she wants to continue the commute.
“It’s time for a transition,” she said about the CEO role.
Although ValleyNet will be conducting a wide search for a new CEO, Monroe said her successor “hopefully will be someone from Vermont or Northern New England who understands the culture.”
Monroe has agreed to stay on until a successor has been found. The position will work closely with and report to Stan Williams, ValleyNet board chairman and CFO. Applications will be accepted through the end of the month and can be sent to HR@ECFiber.net, ValleyNet said.
Four Seasons Sotheby’s Consolidates in Hanover
The agents and administrative staff of the West Lebanon office of Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty have moved into the newly expanded offices of Four Seasons Sotheby’s on Lebanon Street in Hanover.
The consolidation of the two offices brings 15 real estate agents and four administrative staffers who worked out of Four Seasons Sotheby’s offices in the Powerhouse Mall to join the 11 employees already in Hanover.
Lori Shipulski, regional manager of Upper Valley Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty, said bringing the two groups together under one roof will “allow us to work more efficiently as a team along with our administrative, marketing and management teams.”
News items of interest to the local business community are published in the Business & Money section of the Sunday Valley News. Submissions may be sent by email to: biznotes@vnews.com (high-resolution photographs may be attached in .jpg format). Items are edited for clarity and space.
