VHFA announced today that David Adams, Chief of Program Operations, will be retiring from the agency on November 17, 2017. Concurrently, Maura Collins will be promoted to the position of Deputy Director. “Dave has expertly led our programs through the turbulent economic and mortgage industry changes of the past two decades,” VHFA Executive Director Sarah Carpenter explained. “His dedication to VHFA’s mission and unmatched mortgage banking experience have led to many ground-breaking improvements in how our programs operate.”
Adams, a long-time Jericho resident, was inducted into the New England Mortgage Bankers Hall of Fame in 2012, an honor bestowed on professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the New England mortgage banking industry and to the communities they serve. He joined VHFA in 1999.
Collins joined VHFA in 2002 and is currently the agency’s Director of Policy and Administration. In her new role, Collins will oversee the Homeownership, Development, Asset Management and Compliance and Information Technology departments. “I know that Maura’s strong management skills will continue to strengthen these critical departments,” remarked Carpenter. “Maura has become one of the state’s most effective affordable housing players and I am delighted to have her helping me lead the agency,” Carpenter continued.
Earlier this year, Collins of Essex Junction received the Marshall Dimock Alumni Award from the University of Vermont, where she teaches a Housing Policy course in the Masters of Public Administration program. She also received the Rising Star Award from the Vermont Business Magazine in 2012.
In addition to Collins’ promotion to Deputy Director, VHFA will make several other organizational changes. “With feedback from our partners, we have decided that VHFA can be stronger by deepening our resources and providing more direct capacity in the program areas,” explained Carpenter.
For these reasons, the agency is currently hiring three new staff to bolster its capacity in the areas of development of real estate financed through VHFA tax credits and loans, business partner outreach and marketing for homeownership mortgage programs and general housing research and communication.
VHFA is a non-profit agency created in 1974 by the Vermont Legislature to finance and promote affordable housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income Vermonters. Since its inception, the Agency has helped approximately 29,000 Vermont households with affordable mortgages and financed the development of approximately 8,800 affordable rental apartments.