The Northern Border Regional Commission announced that Sarah Waring will join the commission as executive director on Wednesday.

Waring has most recently served as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s state director of rural development for Vermont and New Hampshire, where she has fostered a collaborative relationship with the commission.

As the NBRC’s second executive director, Waring brings extensive economic development leadership experience to the team alongside a thorough understanding of NBRC’s work. She has previously served as the executive director of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, an organization that is a multiple-time NBRC grant recipient, and worked in philanthropy at the Vermont Community Foundation as a co-investor in NBRC-supported projects. During her time at USDA, Waring’s leadership included management of a two-state jurisdiction and investment portfolio of over $200 million annually in grants and loans. This work included fostering interagency agreements between USDA and NBRC which directed millions of dollars across the commission’s four state territory.

NBRC’s executive director is responsible for the administrative and fiscal management of the commission, and for ensuring that the organization’s structure, budget and overall functions align with the organization’s strategic plan and executive branch initiatives within the region. The position oversees the NBRC’s programmatic, finance and administrative staff, and reports to the federal co-chairperson, as well as to representatives from each of the four NBRC states.

Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders said in a statement.