Adrianne B. Furniss

Executive Director
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society

Adrianne is Executive Director, Board Member, and Trustee of the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, a private operating foundation with offices in Evanston, IL. Benton has made the case for a simple proposition: that communications policy – rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity – has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities. We have effectively articulated the essential goal of bringing open, affordable, high-capacity broadband to all people in the U.S. to ensure a thriving democracy.

Currently, Adrianne serves on two boards – the Board of Advisors for the Coalition for Local Internet Choice (CLIC), which represents a wide range of public and private interests who support the authority of local communities to make the broadband Internet choices that are essential for economic competitiveness, democratic discourse, and quality of life in the 21st century; and the Board of Directors of PC’s for People, a nonprofit in St. Paul, Minnesota. PCs for People strives to bridge the digital divide by providing affordable personal computers, computer repairs, internet service, and education to people with limited technological experience due to social, physical, or economic circumstances.

Adrianne lives in Wilmette, Illinois, with her husband, Bob Furniss. They have two daughters: Lily, 23, is enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia in their MFA program; Carrie, 27, received her Master’s Degree in vocal jazz performance from New England Conservatory of Music and is teaching voice in Boston.