Joining the Greater Franklin Development Council (GFDC) as Executive Director in 2017, Charlie has since broadened its mission’s focus to recognize the vital connections between both economic and community development. GFDC wants to remove the roadblocks that currently hinder opportunities for students, remote workers, the elderly and our businesses. As an entrepreneur, Charlie has an appreciation for the challenges facing business owners, including accessing an adequate labor pool in a county with an aging and shrinking population. In response, he has led the Franklin County Broadband Initiative, aiming to expand high-speed Internet access to help diversify the economy, create opportunities to work, run a business, and learn from home, reverse out-migration, and attract new residents. The initiative has required broad outreach to, and buy-in from, towns, businesses and citizens, and has helped identify additional priorities such as childcare, workforce housing, and transportation.