Board of Commissioners
The seven Commissioners of the VSHA are appointed by the Governor to serve five-year terms. VSHA is fortunate to have Commissioners with diverse backgrounds, including expertise in finance, community and economic development, federal housing programs, human services, and from the private sector.
Note: Board Members do not have phone numbers or email addresses issued through VSHA. Their contact information is private and will not be provided by VSHA staff.
Chairperson
Alex Farrell
Board Member Since: 2019
Alex Farrell serves the State of Vermont as the Commissioner of Housing & Community Development; previously, he served for several years as Deputy Commissioner. In addition to serving as VSHA Board Chair, he is the President of Housing Foundation, Inc. In the past, Alex has volunteered on several state and local Boards and Commissions, including the Vermont Real Estate Commission on which he served as chair for several years; Alex also served the city of Burlington on the Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Commission, the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Board, and the Board for Registration of Voters. Alex is a Vermont native who was raised in Shelburne and attended the University of Vermont where he received a BSBA in his undergraduate studies; he and his wife are currently residents of South Burlington.
Vice-Chairperson
Cory B. Richardson
Board Member Since: 2007
Cory is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Northfield Savings Bank. He is a certified public accountant and member of the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants. In addition to serving on the Board of VSHA, Cory serves on Committees at Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation and Central Vermont Medical Center.
Secretary
Not technically a Board Member, the Executive Director of Vermont State Housing Authority fulfills this role.
Board Members
Jo Ann Troiano
Board Member Since: 1982
Jo Ann is the Executive Director of the Montpelier Housing Authority, Chair of the Vermont Association for Public Housing Directors, a member of the Governor’s Housing Council and the Fair Housing Committee of that Council.
Jo Ann was the Board Chair from 1983-1992
Aaron Jones
Board Member Since: 2021
Aaron is a dedicated social service professional working to provide solutions to Vermonters affected by housing instability. He is a Home Repair Coordinator with NeighborWorks of Western Vermont. As a volunteer, Aaron has served on the Neighborworks of Western Vermont Leadership Transition Committee, the Rutland Town Select Board, and a Restorative Panel volunteer for Rutland County Restorative Justice.
Mary Houghton
Board Member Since: 2023
Mary served on The Housing Foundation Inc.’s Board of Directors from 2017 -2023. Prior to retiring in 2016, she was the Finance Manager for the Brattleboro Housing Authority for 9 years and Burlington Community Land Trust (now CHT) for 20 years. Mary currently serves on the Board of The Tri-Park Housing Cooperative in Brattleboro.
Linda Joy Sullivan
Board Member Since: 2023
Linda Joy Sullivan is the Mayor of Newport City and a former VT House Representative having served the Bennington-Rutland District for three terms. She was the lead sponsor on H. 603, a Bill on Human Trafficking signed into law as Act 140. She worked for generators on housing issues for victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and with legislators across the U.S. She is a licensed CPA and holds an MBA and LL.M.
Bryan Plant, II
Board Member Since: 2024
Bryan previously worked as an analyst for the U.S. Immigration & Naturalization Service, and then JPMorgan Chase in Corporate Real Estate/Portfolio Reporting.
After exiting a period of homelessness, he provided testimony at the state capital sharing his experiences. This led to his appointment to the VSHA Board, the Addison Housing Works (AHW) Board, the Counseling Service of Addison County (CSAC) Board, the Bristol Equity Committee, and is part of the State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) Coordination Committee & Cost of Living workgroup (connected to the VT Department of Health).
When not volunteering, Bryan can be found working on a Design & Digital Media degree from CCV or learning how to play the ukulele. Bryan has an Associate’s Degree in Business Management from Champlain College.