Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
The Vermont Data Collaborative is a partnership to create user-friendly, community-driven data tools to address public challenges in the state of Vermont. The Collaborative leverages the University of Vermont's resources to better serve Vermont communities and government.

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Both the availability of and access to relevant data has been a barrier to planning and decision-making for Vermont organizations, governments, and communities. While there are a multitude of reasons for why these challenges persist, the University of Vermont (UVM) is developing an innovative partnership to create user-friendly, community-informed data tools and services that can be used to address a variety of public challenges, from housing development to environmental conservation. The Vermont Data Collaborative is a partnership between the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, Vermont Open-Source Program Office at the Vermont Complex Systems Institute, and the Center for Rural Studies, all housed at UVM. Each entity brings a unique perspective that contributes to the Vermont Data Collaborative’s capacity to provide critical information and insights to Vermonters looking to make positive change in their communities.

How to engage

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Thank you for your interest in the Vermont Data Collaborative. Our team at UVM has been working hard to develop infrastructure that allows for the large-scale hosting of open data from a variety of different sources, and ways of accessibly sharing and visualizing that data so that it is useful for Vermont communities, organizations and businesses. 

Explore the Vermont Data Collaborative platform

Take a look around the Vermont Data Collaborative platform, then provide us with feedback. We're happy to take any comments, or connect in person to further discuss how we can support you, our community partners, in this work. We're specifically wondering:

  • What data, information and/or topics would be useful in your work?
  • How do you want to consume and/or use that data?
  • What tools and/or support do you need to use this data?

Send us your feedbackCheck back here to learn more about updates, stories and new offerings from the Vermont Data Collaborative.

Our Team

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Fitzwilliam Keenan-Koch

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Fitz is a rising Master's student in Complex Systems and Data Science, leveraging data visualization and accessible analysis for VERSO and the Leahy Center for Rural Studies to improve living conditions across Vermont. In addition to computer and data science, Fitz has a background in technical writing and agricultural work. He's lived in Burlington for the past four years, and has planted trees on farms all over the state with the Intervale Conservation Nursery. When Fitz isn't studying or working to make public data more accessible, you can find him biking, skiing, hiking, or play guitar in forests and bars across the state.

Emma Spett

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Emma is the Engagement Initiatives Coordinator at UVM's Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships. In that role, she oversees programming related to community-university partnerships and how they can be leveraged in support of data governance, rural capacity building, and community resilience. She is also a PhD candidate in UVM's Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, and teaches courses in the Master of Public Administration program. Emma lives in Jamaica, Vermont, where she owns and operates a restaurant and inn with her partner.

Ian Sargent

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Ian serves as the Data Specialist with the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA), a program that enables undergraduate students to contribute to community-engaged projects. As an analyst, he develops a community-focused tool that combines Census, zoning, infrastructure, and flood data to inform Vermont towns on their housing and policy priorities. Ian is also a UVM undergraduate student majoring in Statistics with minors in Psychology and Mathematics. 

Michael Moser

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Michael (he/him) is operations director at the Center for Rural Studies (CRS) at the University of Vermont and coordinates the State’s Census State Data Center. The CRS collaborates across sectors with communities, organizations and agencies at local and national levels to design and implement primary research, program evaluation and indicator projects. Michael has particular interest in population demographics including wellbeing indicators, and enjoys providing data trainings, conducting outreach, and building networks. He has extensive experience designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative research projects including data collection, management, analysis and reporting.  

Kendall Fortney

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Kendall Fortney is the Program Director of the Vermont Research Open Source Program Office (VERSO) at the University of Vermont, where he works with faculty, staff, students, and the local community to advance the open-source ecosystem. Through the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) program, Kendall leads efforts to foster innovation, research, and community engagement via student-led open-source projects.

Previously, Kendall served as the inaugural Fellow at the Vermont Center for Geographic Information (VCGI), playing a pivotal role in the state's geospatial and data science initiatives. He has also been a key organizer of the Burlington Data Scientist Meetup and the Open Source Connector, and led both GeoDatSci 2018, a conference focused on geospatial technology and data science, and PyData Vermont 2024, which centered on research data and open-source data science.

Kendall’s deep commitment to open-source and community-driven technology continues to shape Vermont’s technology landscape.

Serena Buono

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Serena Buono graduated from the University of Vermont in the spring of 2026, with a B.S. in Sustainability, Ecology, & Policy. As one of the founders of UVM’s Vermont Policy Institute, she worked with the Leahy Institute during most of her undergraduate years on projects that address Vermont’s challenges such as conservation, governance, and data gaps. Currently, she continues that engagement as a Policy and Research Assistant, helping to lead outreach and strategy for the Vermont Data Collaborative and working on a variety of projects that aim to support the broader Vermont community. Her interests lie in initiatives that promote long-term sustainable community development and resiliency.

Vermont Data Dashboard
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  • Question-based database supporting community and economic development in Vermont
  • Draws data from federal, state, univeristy, and private sources
  • Uses statistical analysis to understand complex rural challenges in Vermont
  • Offers comparative and longitudinal features
  • Establish a process for direct engagement with researchers to create tool sand services to answer specific questions

Vermont Data Ecosystem Research
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  • Conduct research on data resources, community needs, and the potential convergence of those components in practice
  • Study data producers, users, and processes in a Vermont context

Trainings and Workshops
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  • Host trainings and workshops for data use in community integration

Read more about the Vermont Data Collaborative

The Vermont Data Collaborative

Rural Data Infrastructure

The Challenge of Rural Data: Setting the Stage for the Vermont Data Collaborative

Using Data for Good: UVM Unveils New Digital Planning Tool

UVM’s Leahy Institute Receives $250K from Ford Foundation to Boost Partnerships Across Vermont