The credit union holds its Board of Directors election and annual meeting in the spring. This event is open to the community and includes lunch and an engaging guest speaker. Previous speakers have included Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, Jennifer Lim, Matthew Luhn, Robyn Benincasa, and Ryan Leaf.

NorthCountry’s Board of Directors and Supervisory Committee are comprised of credit union members who volunteer their time and skills for the benefit of the credit union and its members.

Candidates for open positions are nominated in one of two ways: by the Nominating Committee, or by petition. Blank petitions are available from the Nominating Committee by contacting the credit union’s Executive and Member Loyalty Coordinator at (800) 660-3258 x6712.

The nomination process takes place annually prior to NorthCountry’s Annual Meeting. If any election is held, the results are announced at the credit union annual meeting.

If you have a passion for sharing your expertise, consider joining! Questions? Please contact the Nominating Committee at nominatingcommittee@northcountry.org.

The following members volunteer their time and knowledge by serving terms on the credit union’s Board of Directors:

Rachel Allard, Chair

Rachel has served on the NorthCountry Board of Directors since 2014. Rachel currently works as the Vice President of Operations at Union Street Media. Rachel has her Bachelors in Communication from Boston University College of Communication. During her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and skiing.



Beth Chenette, Vice Chair

Beth joined the NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2017 following the merger with Granite Hills Credit Union, where she was a member of the Board of Directors and a longtime volunteer. Beth is the Director of Digital Channel Management at National Life Group and has more than 20 years of experience in corporate communications, web strategy and management, and digital marketing.

Active in the community, she currently serves as a public member of the Vermont Board of Architects, a governor-appointed position overseeing licensing and supervision for the Office of Professional Regulation. Beth is a former board member and marketing committee chair of Green Mountain United Way, and is a past volunteer for Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice.

Beth holds an A.S. in public relations and communications and a B.S. in business management from Champlain College, and a MBA with a concentration in organizational leadership from Ashford University. She has also earned several insurance industry professional designations. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, live music and snowboarding.



Steve Kirby, Treasurer

Steve has served on the NorthCountry Board of Directors since 2012. Steve is a retired General Dynamics employee. Steve is currently self-employed as a project management consultant. Steve has his Bachelors in Chemistry from the University of Vermont. Steve previously served more than 30 years as a Supervisory Committee member. During his free time, he enjoys hunting and competitive shooting sports.



Frank Thompson, Secretary

Frank has served on the NorthCountry Board of Directors since 1999. Frank is a Licensed Master Plumber and Certified Gas Fitter in Vermont and New Hampshire. Frank has worked as a Project Manager for New England Air Systems for the past twenty-nine years. Frank is retired the US Navy reserve. During his time in the Armed Forces of the United States he was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and South Korea. Frank is also Past President of the Vermont Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors. During his free time, Frank and his wife Elaine spend the free working on their 1910 Victorian and flower gardens at their home in Barre, Vermont.



Francis Taginski, Director

Francis has served on the NorthCountry Board of Directors since 2014. Francis was chair of the Supervisory Committee. Francis was also the Director of Business Operations for the Vermont State Colleges, and Business Manager for the Barre Supervisory School District. Francis has worked at various Vermont communities as a Town Manager. Francis dedicates his time volunteering for the Vermont Symphony, Vermont City Marathon, Fletcher Library and Charity golf. During his free time, he enjoys fishing, golfing and historical research.



Teresa Kajenski, Director

Teresa wants to use her knowledge to assist in making decisions that will benefit the credit union members while being mindful of the credit union’s core values. She also wants to assist with keeping the strategic plan current and useful.

Teresa is a Certified Public Accountant and current board member of the New England Graduate Accounting Study Conference. She was previously a council member for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and past president of the Vermont Society of Certified Public Accountants.



Charles Roumas, Director

Charles J Roumas has rejoined our NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2017 after a short hiatus. He had served for 6+ years prior, including several as Chairman. Charles is a retired American Express executive, and a former Director of the Amex Bank of Canada. Until recently, he was a 10+ year resident of Monkton in Addison County. A graduate of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in accounting and organizational management, Charles brings private and public sector experience, most recently as a Town Treasurer, a Justice of the Peace, a Sewer Commissioner and his proudest involvement-- as a former director and fund-raiser for Vermont's largest special needs therapeutic horseback riding program, CHAMP (Champlain Adaptive Mounted Program).



Michael Peterson, Director

Mike joined the NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2019, but has been a NorthCountry member since moving to the Burlington area in 1999. Mike holds a MS in Managing Innovation in Information Technology (MSMIIT) from Champlain College, and currently works for GE Healthcare in South Burlington as a Senior Manager, Software Engineering where he has a passion for technology quality and simplification. Mike enjoys travel (especially beaches), being outdoors in warmer months, reading, and home improvement projects.



John Maitland, Director

John joined the NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2019. As a labor and employment lawyer, John works with employers to develop effective solutions that integrate legal compliance, good human resource practices, and strategic alignment with the organization’s mission.

John has served on various Boards, including the YMCA of Greater Burlington, the Visiting Nurses Association of Chittenden and Grande Isle Counties, the United Way of Chittenden County, and the Vermont State Council for the Society of Human Resource Professionals.



Floyd Nease, Director

Floyd joined the NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2020. He is currently employed as Executive Director at the Lamoille Family Center in Morrisville, one of Vermont’s fifteen family resource centers. In Nease’s long career he has, among other things, served as Clinical and Administrative Director of a Community Mental Health Center, as Executive Director of Laraway Youth and Family Services in Johnson, as Majority Leader in the Vermont House of Representatives, as Senior Advisor to Governor Shumlin on Health Care Reform, and as Director of Communications and Government Relations at One Care Vermont. He has been a member of NorthCountry since the early 80’s and chose to serve because he believes in the organization, its core values, and its leadership. He and his wife live in Jericho, and between them they have four children and five grandchildren. In their free time they enjoy traveling. Floyd is a lifelong fisherman and is beginning to tie flies again.



Sergey Shpaner, Director

Sergey joined the NorthCountry Board of Directors in 2020. He is a Senior Commercial Attorney at Cox Automotive, currently specializing in SaaS, licensing, and online advertising contracts. Sergey's prior experience includes aviation finance work, as well as representing lenders worldwide while in private practice. Sergey is a graduate of Cornell Law School (JD/LL.M) and Dartmouth College (BA), and has been living in Colchester, VT since 2010. Besides being a hockey dad, his interests include racquetball, reading and writing science fiction, and promoting children's financial literacy.