WE NEED RURAL  SOLUTIONS 

Director of Community Sustainability

Martha Claire Bullen

Martha Clare Bullen started Communities Unlimited (CU) in August 2021 as the Director of Community Sustainability. In her role, Martha Claire evaluates and selects communties for long term engagement. She identifies partners and resources within CU and externally to support the work in the communities. She develops and manages a program budget for the team. She leads a team of ten employees and guides them with resources to assist CU’s communities. 

Martha Claire has a strong history of working with communities. She is skilled in strategic planning, relationship building, public speaking, and research. Martha Claire has a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Mississippi College and is the previous Community Development Director for the Foundation for the Mid-South.

Area Director Broadband

Catherine Krantz

Catherine Krantz started working at Communities Unlimited (CU) in November 2022. She is the Area Director for Broadband. Catherine manages the implementation of broadband strategy by developing and submitting grant proposals to ensure equitable accessibility to infrastructure and funding for disadvantaged families in rural communities throughout CU’s footprint. Before coming to CU, Catherine worked as a Broadband Solutions Manager for Connected Nation. Catherine has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and a M.P.A Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.  

Interstate Coordinator

Mark Pearson

Mark Pearson, Interstate Coordinator for Broadband, is based out of Austin, Texas, and joined Communities Unlimited in 2004.

Mark works in community outreach, and strategic planning in low-income and underserved communities, while collaborating with community leaders. He has worked with infrastructure finance community management for water and wastewater for more than 17 years. He currently supervises two staff members assisting more than 30 community water and wastewater systems throughout West Texas. He leveraged more than $4 million in community infrastructure financing last year. He regularly participates in the Texas Water Infrastructure Coordinating Committee (TWICC) with state and federal agency partners.

He received a bachelor of arts University Scholar/Liberal Arts degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a master of science degree in Economics from Baylor. 

American Connection Corps Member

Ali Milligan

American Connection Corps Member

Shruti Machiraju

Shruti Maciraju started Communities Unlimited (CU) in September 2023 as an AmeriCorps Member. She works on the Broadband Team and offers broadband education to community members and stakeholders. Shruti gives basic broadband presentations to elected officials, community stakeholders and community members. She researches barriers that communities face with broadband and helps identify opportunities. 

Before starting CU, Shruti worked as a Congressional and Corporate Outreach Team Lead for Change the Chamber. Shruti has a Bachelor of Science in Bioenvironmental Sciences from Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.