Executive director

SARAH E. CARPENTER, a native of Burlington, Vt., was appointed Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) in December 1998.

From 1983-1998, Sarah served as the Executive Director of Cathedral Square Corp. in Burlington, Vt. Under her direction, Cathedral Square grew to be a nationally-recognized leader in combining affordable housing and community services.

Prior to that Sarah held several positions with the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging.

She received a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in social work from the University of Vermont, graduating cum laude.

Awards and boards

Sarah has been the recipient of several awards including the Vermont YWCA Susan B. Anthony Woman of the Year Award, the National Organization on Disability Outstanding Contribution Award, and a NeighborWorks® America Government Service Award.

Sarah has served on numerous voluntary boards. Currently, she serves on the Community Development Advisory Board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston; the Boards of the Vermont Community Development Program, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund, and Fletcher Allen Healthcare, Vermont's academic medical center and healthcare system.

In 2004, Sarah was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) and has served on NCSHA's Working Group on HFAs and the GSEs, the Legislative and Regulatory Priority-Setting Committee, and the NCSHA Working Group on Improvements to the Housing Bond and Credit Programs.

Previous board appointments include the national board of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging; AAHSA Assurances Limited, a captive liability insurance company; the Community Development Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; Housing Vermont, Vermont's non-profit statewide equity fund; the Vermont Alzheimer's Association; the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS); and a number of other local charitable organizations.