Vermont Secretary of State’s Director of Elections Moving On, Secretary Sarah Copeland Hanzas Announces Nationwide Search

January 08 2024

Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Secretary of State’s long-time Director of Elections, Will Senning, has announced he will be leaving that position next month for a new job with the federal government. Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas shared the news today along with plans to conduct a nationwide search for Senning’s replacement. Senning has been with the Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office for more than 12 years, 10 of those as Director.

“This is a bittersweet moment for me,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “We will certainly miss Will, both personally and professionally, here at the office and I am so happy for him with this new opportunity. He has done incredible work during his tenure and Vermont’s elections are nationally recognized for their accessibility, fairness, and transparency.”

Senning will become the Region 1 Election Security Advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agency is responsible for cybersecurity and infrastructure protection at all levels of government, and this includes the protection of elections. Senning will be one of ten Election Security Advisors, a newly created position for CISA to further its charge to assist state and local election officials with strengthening the cyber, physical, and operational security of our nation’s elections. Senning will be responsible for CISA’s Region 1, which includes all six New England states, and will work virtually from his home in Vermont.

“Working on election administration and policy here in Vermont has been the honor of my life,” said Senning. “I love the work and the team here at the Secretary of State’s office, and all of our incredible municipal clerks and local officials I have had the pleasure of working with over the past decade. It is difficult to leave, but I am looking forward to my next chapter.”

Secretary Copeland Hanzas said that the search for Senning’s replacement will begin immediately as 2024 will be a busy election year. Vermont holds its Presidential Primary on March 5^th, which is also when Town Meeting and municipal elections are held. The state primary will be held in August and then the General Election is in November. Both Copeland Hanzas and Senning are confident the Elections Division will continue the incredible work that has made Vermont’s elections the envy of other states.

“Vermont’s democracy is strong and resilient, and our elections team is amazing,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Certainly, Will’s leadership contributed to the strength of and trust in the state’s elections, but democracy is a team sport. The faith Vermonters have in our elections is a product of this team effort, along with the state’s long-held traditions of civic engagement, helping our neighbors, and serving the public. It’s a legacy that I inherited and will build on as Secretary, and one that the Secretary of State’s office and elections team will continue to build on and improve.”

The Secretary of State’s Office will begin active recruitment for a new Director of Elections and Campaign Finance. The position will be posted on the Department of Human Resources career site in the coming days.