| Matt Dunne | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Vermont Senate from the Windsor district |
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| In office 2002–2006 |
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| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives | |
| In office 1992–1998 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | November 20, 1969 New Haven, Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Stewart Taylor |
| Residence | Hartland, Vermont |
| Alma mater | Brown University (B.A.) |
| Profession | businessman, politician |
Matt Dunne (born November 20, 1969, in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American politician and businessman from the U.S. state of Vermont. He served four terms in the Vermont House of Representatives, two terms in the Vermont State Senate, was the Democratic candidate in the 2006 Vermont Lt. Governor's race, and an unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 Vermont gubernatorial Democratic primary.[1]
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While being a Connecticut native, Dunne has spent much of his life in Hartland, Vermont. Dunne attended Hanover High School in Hanover, New Hampshire, graduating in 1987. He then spent a year at Choate Rosemary Hall, a top boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, where his father had studied. After graduating from Choate in 1988, Dunne attended Brown University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in public policy in 1992, the same class as Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.
Dunne was Director of Marketing for Logic Associates, a Vermont software company that during his tenure grew to over $18 million in sales. He also co-founded Cabin Fever Productions, which managed the Briggs Opera House and facilitated concerts in downtown White River Junction, Vermont. He has worked within the high-tech sector, working as Director of Marketing for Logic Associates, a Vermont software company. Following the 2006 election, Dunne was hired by Google to run community affairs for the company from White River Junction, Vermont.[2]
At age 22, Dunne was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives representing Hartland and West Windsor. He served four terms in the Vermont House, during which he served as Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. In 1998 he became the youngest House majority whip in the country.[3] After serving in the legislature for 7 years, President Clinton asked Dunne to serve as Director of AmeriCorps VISTA, an organization that oversees over 6,000 full-time volunteers in the fight against poverty. As director, Dunne improved recruitment numbers and overhauled the organization's training programs. He served as director for two and a half years, under both President Clinton and President Bush.
After returning to Vermont in 2002, Matt was elected to the Vermont State Senate. He served on the Appropriations, Economic Development, and Administrative Rules Committees. During this time he served as Assistant Director of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth College, where he oversaw programs to prepare young people for careers in public service and non-profit management, including the Policy Research Shop. He also served as Chair of the Vermont delegation to the New England Board of Higher Education.
In 2006, Dunne ran for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. After winning a tightly contested primary, Dunne faced off against incumbent Lt. Governor Republican Brian Dubie. Dunne's campaign received attention for its service politics events, where campaign volunteers worked with Vermont communities on local service projects. This led to the creation of the Service Politics Institute. Dunne lost to Dubie 45%-51%.[4]
On November 3, 2009, Dunne announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for Governor of Vermont in 2010. Dunne was one of five Democrats vying for the nomination. The primary was held on August 24, 2010. Dunne finished fourth. He finished ahead of Susan Bartlett, but behind Peter Shumlin, Deborah Markowitz and Doug Racine, winning 20.8% of the popular vote. He was endorsed by many members of the Vermont State legislature, including Kesha Ram and Suzi Wizowaty.[5]