Freedom First 2024 Board of Directors
Freedom First is pleased to share our 2024 Board of Directors announced at our Annual Membership Meeting on May 9, 2024. We would also like to acknowledge and thank outgoing Board Chairman, Brent Cochran for his many years of service. The Freedom First Board of Directors is volunteer based and democratically elected by membership. We would like to welcome our new member Kevin Byrd and announce three board members who have been approved to serve an additional term.
• Kevin Byrd is joining the board to serve a one-year term. Kevin has served as the Executive Director of the New River Valley Regional Commission since 2009. He has close to 20 years of community development experience in the public sector at the town, county, and regional levels of government along with private sector consulting experience. He is a past president of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), and currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer of the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions, and is on the Board of Directors for Carilion Clinic-NRV; the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce; Live, Work, Eat, Grow, Inc.; and the Southeast Regional Directors Institute.
• Andrea Garland will continue serving on the board for an additional term of three years. Born and raised in Colombia, Andrea brings a Latin immigrant perspective to our board. She is a transportation professional with a wealth of knowledge and technical expertise in the sustainable transportation field. Recognizing that transportation is, on average, the largest household expense for American families after housing, she actively shapes the Credit Union’s understanding of transportation. Her innovative ideas focus on how various transportation options can directly benefit our valued members.
• David Lowen will continue serving on the board for an additional term of three years. David, a retired CPA, dedicated 43 years of his career to working in Downtown Roanoke for Foti, Flynn, Lowen & Co. His love for the Roanoke community remains unwavering, and he is enthusiastic about continuing to serve Freedom First members. Bringing broad expertise in audit, tax, and financial consulting to the Board, David is committed to ensuring the credit union’s financial health. His passion lies in supporting small businesses within Freedom First’s geographic area. By fostering their success, he believes we not only benefit the businesses themselves but also uplift their employees and the entire community.
• Keith Perry will continue serving on the board for an additional term of three years. He possesses over 40 years of expertise in the information technology field. He currently leads the alignment of information and technology services with the overall strategic objectives of Carilion Clinic. In addition to Information Technology, he also oversees Information Security, Clinical Engineering and Health Information Management under the Technology Services Group. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME) and the Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
