South Burlington, VT: United Way of Northwest Vermont (UWNWVT), an organization dedicated to improving lives in Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, elected new leadership to its Board of Directors and welcomed three new board members.

Phet Keomanyvanh and Adrina Walker were unanimously elected to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of UWNWVT’s Board of Directors, respectively. The Board also elected three new members: Rick Blount, Chris Jarvis, and Katie Titterton.

Phet Keomanyvanh, program manager of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the City of Burlington, joined the board in 2022 and served two terms as vice chair before being elected chair. Phet has a long history with United Way, having previously been part of the staff as a volunteer coordinator. She also serves on the board of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. “It’s an honor to have such a rich history with United Way of Northwest Vermont from my start as a staff member to serving as chair of the board. I’m pleased to be part of an organization that continues to be a movement to transform communities and enrich lives for the better,” Phet
said.

Adrina Walker is associate vice president of Human Resources for the University of Vermont Medical Center and University of Vermont Health Network. She has a wealth of human resources, education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion expertise and experience. Adrina was named one of the 10 Most Influential HR Executives to Watch in 2024 by CIO Views magazine. “Thriving community health is essential to allowing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion to be embedded into our daily lives. United Way of Northwest Vermont sits at the intersection of these issues, and I am humbled to serve on the board as a partner in amplifying these connections,” Adrina said.

Rick Blount is a longtime nonprofit fundraising professional currently working as a consultant with Gade Associates, helping nonprofits build lasting, productive relationships. At the Greater Burlington YMCA, Rick led the nearly $20 million fundraising campaign to build a new Y. His volunteer service includes the boards of Community Health Centers of Burlington, Vermont City Marathon, the Vermont Health Foundation, Howard Center, Catamount Outdoor Family Center, and The Parks Foundation of Burlington. “In a time, a state, and a nation where unity can seem like a vanishing ideal, I’m inspired by how United Way of Northwest Vermont lives up to the promise of its name. United Way has the trackrecord, relationships, skills, data, and moral authority to create powerful do-gooder unity among Vermont’s many nonprofits – and its donors,” Rick said.

Chris Jarvis has been involved with United Way since 2004 when he served as a Loaned Executive while employed by Merchants Bank. Chris has been in banking for 30 years and is currently vice president of commercial banking at Northfield Savings Bank. Over the years, Chris has served in many volunteering roles at United Way, including serving on and then co-chairing the Partner Funding Team. He currently serves on United Way’s Community Investment Committee. “I’m excited to join United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Board of Directors after many years of volunteering in various roles. I look forward to leveraging my diverse experience to advance United Way’s mission of bringing the community together to do the work no single organization can do alone,” Chris said.

Katie Titterton is founder and co-owner of Clear Spot: a small consulting business that supports Vermont mission-driven organizations with communications content and strategy. She is a trained writer and editor with a background in nonprofit marketing, membership, and fundraising, and a lens on audience experience. She previously served as a board officer with her local restorative justice center and has volunteered with many organizations.”United Way of Northwest Vermont matches a systems-based approach to social issues with local impact that really changes lives. This organization has bold leadership, sturdy values, intersectional vision, and great partners. The team here reminds me that important, difficult work should be fun, and it’s even better when that work is so effective,”
Katie said.