VHFA’s leadership team is committed to supporting affordable, safe, and decent housing opportunities throughout Vermont. Their combined experience and strategic vision guide the Agency forward as it advances its mission to support the state’s affordable housing goals and meet the immediate and long-term housing needs of low- and moderate-income Vermonters.
Maura Collins, Executive Director
Maura Collins became Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency in January 2019. She joined VHFA in 2002 as a Research Analyst, and worked her way up in the Agency. Maura sits on the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, is Treasurer/Secretary of the National Council of State Housing Agencies, serves on the Executive Committee of Let’s Build Homes, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston Advisory Council, the Vermont Treasurer’s Local Investment Advisory Committee, and the Vermont Council on Homelessness and Housing.
Maura has her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Vermont and Bachelors from the University at Buffalo. She served on UVM’s faculty for a decade, teaching graduate-level housing policy courses. In her personal capacity, she serves on the Boards of VELCO and the Vermont Community Development Program Advisory Board.
Prior to VHFA, she worked at the Technical Assistance Collaborative in Boston, MA, as a housing consultant dedicated to the needs of people with disabilities and those without homes. She’s a mother of three and enjoys spending time with friends, boxing, and watching stand-up comedy.
Chris Flannery, Chief Financial Officer
Chris Flannery was appointed CFO in 2019. As CFO, Chris oversees financial, accounting, and audit areas as well as the development and implementation of financing structures that support the Agency’s loan programs, including the sale and management of VHFA tax-exempt and taxable bonds.
Chris came to VHFA from Oak Ridge Financial in Minneapolis, where he served as Managing Director, Structured Finance. Prior to Oak Ridge, he served as VHFA’s Financial Advisor from 2005 to 2017 while working at Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis. In this role he advised VHFA and several other state housing finance agencies on bond structures and capital market opportunities.
In addition to his experience in investments and risk management, Chris holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Northwestern University, and has taught mathematics and finance classes at several colleges and universities.
Deb Flannery, Deputy Executive Director
Deb Flannery joined VHFA in 2025 bringing with her over 25 years of senior leadership and management experience in affordable housing and community development. She has extensive leadership experience and deep knowledge across a wide spectrum of public and private investment including multifamily finance and development, community planning and economic revitalization, and affordable homeownership. Her work experience spans the public, private, and non-profit sectors with a proven track record of creating and successfully driving growth strategies that increase organizational effectiveness and community impact.
Prior to joining VHFA, Deb served as the Deputy Secretary for the Rhode Island Department of Housing Development and as Vice President of Lending at Evernorth. At Evernorth, she led Community Development Loan Fund development and operations, including launching the Upper Valley Loan Fund on behalf of area employers and institutions. Her earlier housing finance leadership positions in Minnesota and Iowa included spurring dramatically increased single-family loan production and revolving loan fund capital, administering twelve TIF districts and coordinating statewide efforts to preserve state and federally assisted properties. Deb has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans.
Jamee Robinson, Director of Human Resources and Administration
Jamee Robinson joined VHFA in 2023 and is responsible for the agency’s administrative and human resource functions. An experienced HR professional, she understands the pulse of the workforce and has helped the Agency remain one of the best places to work in Vermont. Jamee has 17 years of experience working for Fluor at the IBM/GlobalFoundries plant where she held a series of progressively advanced roles, most recently as the Site Manager. In that role she oversaw 30 employees managing their invoice & payroll processing, human resources functions, account reconciliation, and audits.
Leslie Black-Plumeau, Director of Research and Community Relations
Leslie Black-Plumeau is VHFA’s Research and Community Relations Director. She has 25 years of policy research and communications experience in the areas of housing, human services, and community development. She currently oversees VHFA's research, data, communications and engagement work and has also worked for the Vermont Department for Children and Families. Prior to moving to Vermont, Leslie worked in Washington, DC as a Congressional housing and community development program evaluator. She has a Public Policy master’s degree from the State University of New York at Albany and a bachelor's degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College. She is currently on the board of the Public Assets Institute.