Written by Pam Young, Guilford Courier-Zip06

When Sarah Blanton joined the Guilford Foundation board four years ago, much of her professional work had taken place outside the town she had called home for nearly a decade.

Joining the foundation offered her a chance to learn more about the organizations serving Guilford and the people behind them. Now, after serving on several of its committees, Sarah is stepping into a new role as chair of the foundation.

“I liked the idea of being involved in something local,” Sarah says. “It gave me the opportunity to learn more about the nonprofit organizations in Guilford and how the community operates. A lot of my work has been in the New Haven and New York areas, so I was looking forward to getting more involved locally.”

Born in New Haven, Sarah has lived in Guilford for 13 years. She attended Dartmouth, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and later attended law school at New York University.

Her career has remained centered on nonprofit work. She has worked in the charter school sector in New York and Connecticut, both as a school leader and in administrative roles. For the past 4½ years, she has worked with 4-CT, which designs and operates cash-transfer programs in partnership with hospitals and nonprofits around the state.