Election Day is Tuesday, 

You can call Ernie with your questions about himself, his positions, and priorities for Windsor 5 at (802) 432-8132, or email at erniefdzvt@gmail.com.

Who is Ernie?

Ernie Fernandez grew up in Miami, Florida, in a large, close Cuban-American family. His grandparents owned businesses in Cuba but fled the communist revolution in 1959. They resettled in the United States, where his grandfather became an electrician and carpenter. Ernie's mother, now retired, was an elementary school teacher. His father worked in the furniture industry despite losing his sight at the age of 30. Ernie was raised with two older sisters, who also became teachers.

Ernie attended both public and parochial schools before graduating from St. Thomas University. He moved to Boston in 2011 to earn a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School, initially planning to become a Jesuit. Upon graduation, he instead began a career in university development at Harvard University and earned a Masters of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

During his ten years at Harvard, Ernie led many projects that improved the university's fundraising and alumni engagement. He specialized in researching and implementing used best practices and new technologies to make Harvard's fundraising enterprise more effective. Ernie's work contributed to many fundraising successes between 2012 and 2023 across the university, including Harvard's Central Administration, the Graduate School of Design, and the Business School.

Most recently, Ernie moved to Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH, where he heads up the boarding school's annual giving efforts.

Ernie is also a committed community leader. He served as president and trustee on the boards of several community organizations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Now living in Woodstock, Vermont, he is an elected member of the Mountain View Supervisory Union in Windsor County and serves on the Town Development Review Board in Woodstock. He writes for The Vermont Standard.

An avid woodworker and traveler, Ernie lives in Taftsville, Vermont, with his wife, Alexandra.