We enable anyone to make positive and lasting change in our local food ecosystem.

Charley started Walden Mutual to help people grow their savings while supporting local farms and food businesses daring to do things differently. After 8 years as founder and CEO of Walden Local - a sustainable meat company, which now serves thousands of families across the Northeast - Charley has brought the shared name and ethos to the banking world (though the two companies do not share a formal relationship). Before Walden (1 and 2) Charley played key roles in companies and non-profits covering commercial-scale composting, offshore wind energy, and management consulting. Charley is a New Englander through and through, from growing up on Cape Cod and the White Mountains, to studying in Rhode Island and settling down in rural New Hampshire with his wife, two children, two dogs, eighteen chickens and a growing flock of Kitahdin sheep.

Debbie comes to Walden Mutual with a wealth of industry experience—from playing key roles in the startup, growth, and eventual sale of Centrix Bank, to leadership positions at several long-term local institutions. Before joining Walden, Debbie was the CFO of the NH Community Development Finance Authority and Executive Director of Finance and Human Resources of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Debbie is committed to New Hampshire, where she has grown up, attended college, and dedicated her career to developing financial and community institutions across the state. She currently lives with her husband and two daughters in Auburn, NH.

Joe comes to Walden with a deep interest in money – how people choose to use it, what it means to them, and the emotions it elicits in them. With an undergraduate degree in finance and a graduate degree in design, he’s examined those questions from a myriad of perspectives – including product, customer success, research, and design. Prior to Walden, Joe spent 10 years at Visa. As a director of their Innovation Studio, he helped many of North America’s largest financial institutions incubate new products and services – while leading Visa’s inclusive design practice. He also co-ran a small design consultancy with co-founders in Toronto and Mexico City. He now splits time between Concord, NH and Brooklyn - while pursuing graduate studies in psychology part-time. In his free time, he enjoys yard work, the WNBA, and failing to deliver on ever-ambitious New Years resolutions.

Christine is a passionate advocate for local, community business. She comes to Walden with an 11+ year record of crafting tailored, commercial banking services for her partners. Prior to joining our team, she held several leadership roles including Chief Lending Officer and SVP at Litchfield Bancorp - A Division of Northwest Community Bank and VP & Commercial/Wholesale Banker at United Bank. In her hometown of Torrington, Connecticut, Christine was part of the startup commercial banking department at Torrington Savings Bank and aided in significant loan growth across many industries. Christine has an MA in Psychology from the University of Chicago and a BA from Clark University. She is also a graduate of Connecticut School of Finance and Management. She loves spending her free time outdoors, at the gym, and enjoying quality time with her family.

Chloe comes to Walden Mutual with a strong interest in creating healthy, resilient, and inclusive communities. Chloe was introduced to the power of food systems through working in the field of public health while pursuing an MBA exposed her to innovative finance and the notion that capital can and should be accessible and inclusive. In an effort to blend innovative finance (and ownership) to food systems, Chloe found Walden Mutual. A native Buffalonian, she has lived in Boston, Providence, the Adirondacks, and England. Outside of the office, Chloe can be found in the pottery studio, running or biking on trails, or cooking up something tasty.

Leslie comes to Walden Mutual with deep curiosity and passion for making people feel understood and valued. She is dedicated to sustainable living and founded a network of consignment retail businesses in Massachusetts, which ran for 10 years and worked to return money to the local economy. Upon moving to NH, she found a home at the Concord Food Co-op where she connected Member-Owners to local growers and other sustainable food companies. With years in Operations at local nonprofits such as the Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire and Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, it became clear to her that local banks have the opportunity to fuel real change. Leslie has traveled to all continents except Antarctica and has lived in Washington D.C., Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts (where she worked at Carlson's Orchards at age 14), and now New Hampshire. In her free time you can find her exploring Concord with her rescue dog Althea, hiking, playing tennis and visiting to the seacoast as often as possible.

Victor comes to Walden Mutual with an abundance of banking experience including accounting, compliance, and commercial underwriting. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys hunting, fishing, and camping - you can find him bear hunting during the month of September in NH. Victor stays active in his community while coaching his children’s local sports teams. Like you, Victor is excited to learn more about our regional food ecosystems and work to bridge the gap between individuals and the local food economy.

Nick comes to Walden Mutual with a deep passion for helping mission-driven businesses scale their impact. He has a formal background in engineering, and in previous roles has designed algorithms and hardware subsystems for fiber-optic sensors, 3D printers, and regenerative supply chains. Most recently he served as VP of Engineering at Walden Local, where he led the digital transformation of the company's fulfillment, inventory, and subscription management systems. Outside of Walden, you can find Nick studying natural communities from his aspiring urban meadow to opportunities for regenerative economies in local government.

Tyler comes to Walden Mutual with a strong interest in sustainable agriculture and community engagement. He brings a unique skillset, drawing from his varied experience in journalism, non-profit advocacy, and tech development. Prior to Walden, he founded and sold a startup that made websites more accessible for people with disabilities. His favorite part was crafting bespoke experiences through old-fashioned customer care. In his free time, Tyler can often be found exploring New England, supporting local performing arts, or brewing a strong cup of hot tea.

Tiffany comes to Walden Mutual with eight years of banking experience, including stops at larger regional banks as well as a small community bank – in roles spanning customer service and operations. She’s a mother to two kids and one dog, and stays busy running (including “mud runs”!) and practicing martial arts. She’s been in New Hampshire for the past 20 years, after prior stops in California and Texas. She’s excited to be at Walden as a place where her work has the potential to make a real difference.

Cara joins Walden Mutual with 15 years of banking experience in New England-focused community banking, with particular specialization in commercial services. She’s an expert in organization and process, and she brings much-appreciated structure to our support of partner-businesses. Outside of the professional realm, Cara enjoys spending time with family, hiking, cooking, reading, and exploring new destinations. Some of her favorite places include Nashville for its vibrant music scene and Arizona for its awe-inspiring landscapes.

Brett is a Granite Stater to the core, born and raised in Portsmouth, New Hampshire before receiving his degree from the University of New Hampshire. His career has spanned both credit and risk at financial institutions across the region – both big (like TD Bank) and small (like First Ipswich). Most recently, he was Associate Director of Portfolio Management at Cambridge Trust. When he’s not working, he’s an avid reader and golfer, and enjoys spending time with his wife, son, and daughter at their home in Brentwood, NH.

Patrick is a transplant to the Seacoast region of New Hampshire, by way of the Midwest (the suburbs of Detroit specifically). His past professional experiences all tie back to one theme – helping businesses of all sizes grow in one way or another. With nearly a decade of experience in commercial underwriting, he was drawn to Walden by the opportunity to use his skills to make a real impact in the region he now calls home. When he’s not working on underwriting new deals, he spends time visiting local breweries, hiking in the White Mountains, skiing across the country, cooking with friends, and otherwise staying active.

Like others at Walden, Sarah is a banker who wants to push the limits of the impact banking can have. She was most recently SVP, Commercial Lending at St. Mary’s Credit Union, and she’s a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking (through the Wharton School). She also holds an MBA from Nichols College and a BS from Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University. She’s eager to bring all of that experience to bear in pursuit of our mission to create a positive and lasting change in our local food ecosystem. Outside of work, she has some serious wanderlust – spending her free time traveling, hiking, running, reading and hanging out with her dog, Finnegan.

Mel is a jack of all trades – combining professional experiences in operations, customer service, hospitality, cash management and business banking. She’s worked in larger regional financial institutions, smaller community banks, and now the first new mutual bank in 50 years. She enjoys using her banking expertise to teach financial literacy classes in her community (through a partnership with the local school district). Outside of banking, she’s (again) a jack of many trades – including participating in improv groups, dressing up for ren fairs, attempting to visit every national park, playing video games, reading an incredible number of fantasy books, and supporting local small businesses with her family.

Patrick is Walden’s resident expert in all things agricultural. While studying at SUNY Cobleskill (BS in Agriculture Business), he worked on several different farms. After graduation, he spent 8+ years (across two separate stints) at Farm Credit East in a range of lending and credit roles. With over 10 years of total banking experience ranging from commercial farm to rural home lending, and a wide network of relationships in New England and North New York, he’s energized by finding new ways of supporting our region’s producers. When not working, he’s involved in a range of industry organizations and enjoys volunteering in his community.

Nick brings his extensive – and diverse – commercial banking experience to Walden’s lending practice. Across 16 years, he’s worked in banks small and large, focused on both small business and larger commercial customers, in areas of specialization ranging from SBA 504 and dental/medical…all the way to cannabis. Before making the jump to banking, Nick worked as a middle and high school social studies teacher – while coaching baseball. He’s a proud father of a talented singer and performer (Broadway, here we come!), and spends time outside of work traveling, including to the New York City to see shows. When not working or spending time with family, he’s likely tinkering with his vintage Harley.