Team - Rural Innovation Strategies Inc.

Founder and Executive Director Matt Dunne

Matt is the founder and executive director of the Center on Rural Innovation, which he launched in 2017 to reverse the nation’s growing rural opportunity gap and create economic prosperity for small town residents across the country.

Prior to founding CORI, Matt began his career by serving 11 years in the Vermont House and Senate, enacting the state’s first broadband grants, brownfields revitalization funding, and downtown redevelopment program. He helped grow a Vermont-based software company to over 100 people and was Associate Director of the Rockefeller Center on Public Policy at Dartmouth College.

In 1999, Matt was appointed director of AmeriCorps*VISTA under President Clinton, where he led PowerUp — one of the first national efforts to bridge the digital divide — and launched an Entrepreneur Corps to focus on micro-finance in high-need communities.

In 2007, he started Google’s Community Affairs division out of a former bread factory in White River Junction, Vermont, where he led all local US philanthropy and engagement, including the Google Fiber rollout and orchestrating educational and development initiatives in Google’s data center communities across rural America. Matt has also held an appointment at the MIT Media Lab.

Matt holds a B.A. from Brown University, and is a lifelong Vermonter who lives on the 100 acre farm where he was raised.

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Director of Finance and Operations Robin Kilfeather-Mackey

Robin oversees the financial infrastructure and organizational strategy of CORI and RISI, a role that includes the design and management of finance practices, prioritizing and evaluating business development new opportunities.

Prior to joining the team, Robin served northern New England nonprofits in various financial and management leadership roles for more than three decades. She spent nearly seven years as the Chief Financial Officer of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, the largest private employer in the state of New Hampshire, during which time she established and chaired the system-wide environmental sustainability council that recognized human health and the health of our natural environment are fundamentally interconnected. Most recently, Robin was the vice president of operations and finance for the Upper Valley Land Trust, helping rural communities permanently protect forests, wildlife habitat, water resources, trails and scenic landscapes.

Robin holds a B.S. from Bentley University, an MBA from the University System of New Hampshire, a master’s in healthcare delivery science from Dartmouth College, and a master’s in environmental sciences from Antioch University New England. She is also a graduate of the Leadership New Hampshire Program and Certified Public Accountant licensed in New
Hampshire.

Robin currently lives with her wife and daughter in Cornish, New Hampshire. She enjoys the inspiration of the natural world, traveling, watercolor painting, and photography.

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Controller Mike Daly

Mike manages all aspects of accounting, financial reporting, and development of financial polices and procedures for the organization.

Prior to joining the team, Mike’s career has spanned nearly two decades working almost exclusively in small business environments. He most recently served as controller for a food export and trading company based in Boston.

Mike has a bachelor’s in business management from Virginia Tech and is an actively licensed CPA in Virginia since 2013. He resides in Roanoke with his spouse, two sons, and two dogs. Mike enjoys running, paddling, and exploring the mountains and waters of the southern Appalachians.

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Head of People Operations and Culture Sparkle Wimberly

Sparkle is an accomplished leader supporting the organization’s people operations and culture with a track record of success in over 20 years of experience, including a strong background in full life-cycle recruitment and talent acquisition.

Dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment, Sparkle is passionately committed to the nonprofit sector and strives to promote diversity, equality, equity, and improve systemic impartiality. With a focus on enhancing economic opportunities for all, she has consistently served as a key voice and representative for underserved communities, leveraging her expertise and experience to drive positive change.

Outside of work, Sparkle enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her family, and taking care of her two beloved dogs. These activities bring her joy and balance, further fueling her dedication and passion in her professional endeavors.

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Operations Manager Dalila Hall

Dalila works behind the scenes at the organization and provides support across all teams to ensure they have the resources to accomplish their work. She is focused on helping the organization codify policies and procedures as it grows in its mission.

Prior to joining the team, Dalila was the zoning administrator for the city of South Burlington where she managed all manner of permitting for the second-largest city in Vermont. She assisted residents and developers with interpreting the city’s zoning ordinance for small home improvement projects all the way through large-scale commercial developments. Before moving to Vermont in 2018, she worked in various positions for New York City’s Department of Transportation.

Dalila’s undergraduate degree is in geography from the University of Saint Thomas in Houston, Texas, and she did her graduate work in urban planning at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Her career has long focused on community development and public engagement.

Dalila grew up all over the U.S., but her roots are in rural Texas. She now resides in southeastern Vermont along the Connecticut River. Outside of work, she is passionate about her pets (a chihuahua and three cats), needle crafting, and pretending to be better at gardening than she is.

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Head of Data Analytics Drew Rosebush

As a member of the mapping and data analytics team, Drew develops data tools to help define and execute analytics for the organization.

Before joining RISI, Drew worked as a pricing analyst for an aerospace manufacturing company. Drew was encouraged to pursue business improvement projects through the use of data analytics. This resulted in designing and implementing processes to generate high-quality data for decision-makers and stakeholders.

Growing up in the White Mountains, Drew developed an understanding and appreciation for rural communities. He holds a B.S. from Portland State University and an M.S. in resource economics and policy, and a Graduate Certificate in geographic information systems from the University of Maine. Drew currently lives in New Hampshire with his wife and animals.

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Lead Software Developer John Hall

John has been coding professionally and personally for over a decade. Although he has specialized in web mapping and visualization for most of that time, his skills range from scripting simple utilities to crafting fullstack applications to spec.

Originally from Santa Monica on the California coast, John has lived in both large cities and small towns throughout his life, fostering a unique perspective on urban and rural social environments. He earned his B.S. in information technology from Western Governors University, settling on the IT field after many years of studying different disciplines, including music theory and cognitive psychology.

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