Member, Board of Directors

Diane Farrell is a member of the board of directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). She was sworn-in on August 7, 2007 for a term ending on January 20, 2011.

As a member of the board of directors, Farrell is responsible for voting on Ex-Im Bank transactions in excess of $10 million as well as on significant matters affecting Bank policy.

Among her responsibilities, Farrell represents and promotes the interests of small-business exporters. She meets directly with the Bank's regional staff and the exporters they serve, and makes frequent presentations to national and regional groups, emphasizing the variety of Ex-Im Bank products designed to help small-business exporters grow their international sales. As evidence of its importance, during fiscal year 2008 Ex-Im Bank authorized 2,328 transactions amounting to $3.2 billion that were made available for the direct benefit of small-business exporters, or 86 percent of the Bank's transactions in 2008.

Through frequent visits to India and U.S. exporters she also encourages increased sales of U.S. goods and services to India, which is rapidly becoming one of Ex-Im Bank’s most important markets. She helped develop and foster Indian financial institution participation in the Bank’s $2.45 billion India Infrastructure Facility.

Farrell also serves on the Board of Directors Audit Committee.

She has had more than 25 years of professional experience in the private and public sectors in financial management, maintaining fiscal integrity and managing budgets. Her work has included the political, not-for-profit, governmental, advertising, planning, and educational arenas – at the state, national and international levels.

From 1997 to 2005, Farrell served as First Selectwoman in the town of Westport Connecticut. Among other innovations, she was responsible for the construction of badly-needed, state-of-the-art school buildings, while keeping increases in multi-million dollar town budgets within the CPI, and supervising the town’s Finance Department to maintain its annual Moody’s Aaa bond rating. During the previous four years, she served on the Westport Board of Finance.

Farrell, a 1977 graduate of Wheaton College with a B.A., in American Government, is married to Karr Winslow (“Win”) Farrell. The couple has two daughters.

Farrell was sworn in to her current post on August 7, 2007 for a term ending January 20, 2011.

Last Update: November 18, 2008