Mary Cohen, currently the executive director of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, will take over as the next executive director of the Housing Trust of Rutland County (HTRC) beginning in September. She will overlap with retiring longtime director Elisabeth Kulas until December.
Norm Lash, the Board President and Chair of the search committee, said the board was thrilled to welcome Cohen. “Mary is the perfect person to lead the Housing Trust of Rutland County at this time. Her background in housing and real estate, her management and fundraising experience, her deep roots in the Rutland community, and her passion for this work make her the right person to lead the Housing Trust into the future,” Lash said.
Cohen has led the Chamber in all operational aspects including management of 400 members, human resources, marketing, board facilitation, financial management and strategic planning. Prior to joining the Chamber, Cohen was deputy director of Neighborworks of Western Vermont, and prior that she worked as a real estate broker for many years, and was also a small business owner in Rutland.
Cohen has a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Vermont, as well as a Bachelor of Science from UVM.
“I’m extremely pleased to join the Housing Trust of Rutland County as its executive director, and to work with the team currently in place. Elisabeth Kulas has been phenomenal in her role in bringing the organization to the strong position it is in today, and I am proud to be taking over the helm from her,” said Cohen.
The Housing Trust of Rutland County provides housing that is affordable to residents of Rutland County, so that they can choose to stay, play, live, work and retire here. It offers affordable rentals and mobile home lots in several communities within the greater Rutland region.
