Grow Your Change
We enable anyone to make positive and lasting change in our local food ecosystem.
Systemic shifts like the ones we hope to inspire start locally, with individual relationships and communities.
What Makes Us Different
Banks make money by using your deposits to fund loans or investments—and what they use your money for has a giant impact on the world we live in.
Big Banks
100% mission-aligned to:
- Farms
- Food businesses
- Non-profits
- Other sustainable businesses
Trillions in fossil fuel project financing9
3.05%
APY1 on FDIC-insured4 Grow Local accounts
1.2%
APY on FDIC-insured savings accounts10
As a co-owner,
you come first
Wall Street stock prices over everything
Big Banks
Lending
100% mission-aligned to:
- Farms
- Food businesses
- Non-profits
- Other sustainable businesses
Trillions in fossil fuel project financing9
Deposits
3.05% APY1 on FDIC-insured4 Grow Local accounts
1.2% APY on FDIC-insured savings accounts10
Governance
As a co-owner, you come first
Wall Street stock prices over everything
Sustainability
1 year's worth of CO2 emissions
is equivalent to keeping $125,000 in an account at one of the four largest banks in the U.S. for 1 year9
That's an estimated reduction of 1.83 metric tons of CO2 from your carbon footprint (80.4% smaller than the biggest banks).b Instead of financing fossil fuel projects, your dollars at Walden fund loans to farms, food businesses, and other sustainability-focused organizations.
We may be an online bank, but we do a few things differently.
Money on a Mission
Your dollars directly support something you can feel good about.
Designed For You
For individuals:
Simple FDIC-insured4 accounts with no surprise fees, competitive interest, free ATM access11 - and digital services with just the right amount of human touch.
For businesses:
Competitive rates, simple pricing, digital tools—and support from people with a passion for food and agriculture. Plus straightforward FDIC-insured business checking accounts.
The Benefits of Community
Our differentiated account benefits come from the connections we make between our individual partners and partner-businesses.
What Is a Mutual?
In short, "mutual" means cooperative.
We are governed by our community, funded by investors with a bias towards the long-term, and engineered to endure the test of time.
Your Team
As a mutual, we report to our account holders... so it's as much your team as it is ours.
Staff
Charley Cummings
Chief Executive Officer
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 Morin
Chief Financial Officer
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 York
SVP - Partners & Impact
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 lives in Concord, NH with his partner and two dogs. In his free time, he enjoys yard work, the WNBA, and failing to deliver on ever-ambitious New Years resolutions.
Christine Bascetta
Chief Commercial Officer
christine@waldenmutual.comChristine 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.
Leslie Fincke
Business Development Officer
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 Ranfos
Accounting/Operations Specialist
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 Sohn
Chief Technology Officer
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 Puckett
Product Manager
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 Galvin
Operations Specialist
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 Kores
Senior Loan Administrator
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 Hill
SVP - Credit & Risk
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 Monahan
Senior Credit Analyst
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.
Sarah Day
Commercial Lender
sday@waldenmutual.comLike 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 Foden
Partner Onboarding Manager
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 Hostetter
Agriculture Lender
phostetter@waldenmutual.comPatrick 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.
Greg Doolittle
Vice President - Audit, BSA, & Compliance Officer
Greg brings over 20 years of banking experience to his role at Walden Mutual, including more than eight years specializing in compliance and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) – most recently at Piscataqua Savings Bank. Outside of work, he’s very engaged in his community - co-chairing the FAST of NH board (a nonprofit focused on increasing public awareness of financial exploitation to protect vulnerable populations) and serving as treasurer of Rett’s Roost (a nonprofit offering support to families affected by pediatric cancer). In his downtime, Greg enjoys spending time with his husband and their dog, Teddy. He loves cooking, traveling, reading, and taking Teddy on walks and trips, making the most of their adventures together.
Avril Kenney
Integration Engineer
Avril is passionate about agriculture and food - and has experiences personal and professional to prove it. After studying cognitive science and computer science at MIT, she's worked on a range of projects at the intersection of ag, finance, and software (always start-ups). Her work has touched everything from analyzing weather data and satellite imagery to integrating billing and payment services. When she's not working, you're still likely to find her involved with food - including supporting a mutual aid gardening group she helped found in Somerville (where she lives now), or cooking food for social events to bring people together.
Megan Pigsley
PX Officer
Megan is an experienced banker, working in institutions large and small – in roles ranging from teller to branch manager. Her favorite part of banking is the opportunity to instill a human touch in everyday experiences – and she joins Walden with the hope of breaking the status quo in service of our mission. Outside of work, she enjoys golfing, cooking, and keeping her puppy entertained. Notably excluded – anything related to the cold. A native Floridian, New Hampshire winters are a necessary evil. She’s currently completing her bachelors in business administration with a focus on finance at Southern New Hampshire University.
Matt DiSciacca
Agriculture Loan Officer
mdisciacca@waldenmutual.comMatt comes to Walden Mutual with an eclectic mix of experiences – a degree in accounting; work on farms, in gas sales, plus agricultural and CDFI lending. He has a deep love for farmers and their work, and an underlying passion for helping others (on both small and large scales). Outside of work, favorites include: quality time with his wife and two kids, laughing (or pretending to laugh) at the same Peppa Pig video for the 106th time, cooking, singing with his band, and playing and learning a growing range of instruments.
Heather Baldyga
Portfolio Manager
Heather is passionate about helping others succeed. She comes to Walden Mutual with more than 15 years of experience in banking, having worked at financial institutions such as Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Cambridge Savings Bank. Most recently, Heather was a Vice President/Senior Underwriter and Portfolio Manager at M&T Bank. Prior to M&T, Heather spent several years at First Republic Bank in San Francisco, developing a love of working with nonprofits and smaller organizations - and understanding the importnace of excellent customer service. Heather graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in economics, and a pre-med concentration. After living in Boston and the Bay Area, Heather is glad to be back in New England again. She currently lives in Portsmouth, NH with her husband. In her spare time, Heather enjoys cooking, trying out new restaurants, reading, watersports, and spending time with her nieces.
We're Hiring!
View Open rolesIf you're passionate about our mission and excited by big challenges, we'd love to talk.
Corporators
Corporators are representatives of our community—from business leaders to farmers and neighbors—who are responsible for stewarding us for the long term.
driving 4,690 fewer miles every year in a gas powered car,
skipping 10 flights from Boston to Denver each year,
or preserving 2.18 acres of U.S. forests.a
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