BRATTLEBORO — Carmen Derby was recently elected as Brattleboro Savings & Loan new board chair, replacing Tom Wallin, who has retired from the board after 22 years of service.
Derby has been a force for good in our community for many years as the former executive director of the United Way of Windham County and as the current director of Windham County Dental Center. After having been on the board since 2014 - and as the chair of the audit committee for the past four years - the board voted unanimously to elect her as the board chair.
“Carmen has been a leader for the bank, but more importantly for our community as a whole,” said BS&L President Dan Yates said in a news release.
She has been a tireless advocate for some of the underrepresented voices in our community for decades. As the executive director of United Way, she worked to create new services to provide for underserved populations such as free tax return preparation, the Kids In Coats program, and building a dental center that gave much needed dental care to those who couldn't otherwise afford it.
Derby left her position with the United Way last year to oversee and expand the dental center, which is finding and creating great success in our community.
Brattleboro Savings & Loan says it “has been intentionally increasing its focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and, as the benefit director for the bank, Derby has been a tireless leader toward that. Her continued drive and leadership has directly led to her appointment as the board chair - the first woman and the first person of color to hold this position in the bank's 110-year history, as well as the first person of color to hold this position in the state of Vermont.”