Sarah is a lifelong resident & leader in Burlington
Sarah receiving a Lifetime Leadership Award from the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD)- August 14, 2022
Over the years, Sarah, along with her parents Torrey and Dot Carpenter, and her three brothers have been involved in many, many Burlington activities. Her father Torrey was a former Burlington alderman and state legislator. Sarah is a graduate of Adams Elementary, Edmunds Junior High, Burlington High School, and the University of Vermont. As well Sarah has a master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government.
With a degree in Social Work Sarah began her first professional job at Birchwood Nursing Home; following that she served as the Social Services Director and Interim Executive Director of the Champlain Valley Area Agency on Aging (Age Well). After a stint in graduate school Sarah returned to Burlington as the Executive Director of Cathedral Square Corporation. During her tenure there she built the organization from a single affordable residence for seniors to a nationally known organization providing affordable housing and community services for older and disabled persons.
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In 1998, Sarah was appointed Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA). VHFA is an instrumentality of the State and serves as Vermont’s largest affordable housing funding organization. VHFA has provided billions of dollars in financing to Vermont homeowners and affordable rental housing. The Executive Director provided leadership and management oversite for all of VHFA's activities. As Executive Director she served as the lead in policy and as liaison to the State Legislature, Congress, federal and state officials, industry partners, and was involved in a variety of housing policy initiatives, special committees, and regional and national boards.
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In addition to her professional work Sarah has been involved with numerous community and non-profit boards, including the Burlington Community Land Trust (Champlain Housing Trust), Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), Housing Vermont (Evernorth), Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Fanny Allen Hospital and Fletcher Allen Healthcare (UVM Medical Center). Sarah was the recent Chair of the Vermont Rental Housing Advisory Board, and currently serves on the boards of Heineberg Senior Community Center and Fern Hill Housing.
Sarah has also been recognized for work in affordable housing by the Vermont State Legislature and the United States 115th Congress; received leadership awards from the Vermont Council on Rural Development, Vermont Housing Managers, Cathedral Square Corp, Housing Vermont, COTS, Champlain Housing Trust, NeighborWorks America, National Organization on Disability; and was chosen as Woman of the Year, Susan B. Anthony Award, Vermont YWCA.