San Francisco, California — The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco is pleased to announce membership and leadership appointments to the Bank’s Community Advisory Council (CAC).
Terry Benelli, executive director, Local Initiative Support Corporation Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ has been appointed chair and Fred Blackwell, president, The San Francisco Foundation, San Francisco, CA has been reappointed vice chair of the CAC.
Additionally, Daisy Gordon Crompton, Reinvestment Task Force Manager, San Diego Housing Commission, San Diego, CA; Cyndy Gustafson, chief executive officer, Strategic Progress LLC, and executive director, Applied Research and Policy Institute, Reno, NV; Carmen Rojas, PhD, co-founder and chief executive officer, The Workers Lab, Oakland, CA; and Tony To, director emeritus, HomeSight, and Project Director, Othello Square, Seattle, WA, have been appointed to the CAC.
The CAC serves as an important source of information on current and pending developments in the Twelfth District with an emphasis on underserved and lower-income communities. The members provide observations, opinions and advice to the management of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco on the present state of the economy and on developments in the respective members’ communities and areas of interest. The CAC members reside within the nine-state District of this Reserve Bank and provide the Bank’s senior management with information on current and pending developments in the regional and national economies. Members are appointed to three-year terms.
Ms. Benelli joined Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Phoenix in 2014 as executive director. Prior to joining LISC, she was executive director of the Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation, Mesa, AZ. She was a Flinn Brown Fellow holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Arizona State University.
Mr. Blackwell joined the San Francisco Foundation as CEO in 2014. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as interim city administrator and assistant city administrator for the city of Oakland. He was also the executive director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency and director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development in San Francisco. He holds a master’s degree in city planning from the University of California, Berkeley and a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Morehouse College.
Ms. Crompton joined the San Diego City-County Reinvestment Task Force at the San Diego Housing Commission in 2013. Prior to joining the Task Force, she was a nonprofit strategy consultant and project manager. She also a Presidential Management Fellow at the US State Department and US Agency for International Development. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a dual MBA and Masters in International Policy Studies from Stanford.
Ms. Gustafson joined Strategic Progress, LLC, as CEO in 2002. In 2013, she also became the founding director of the Applied Research and Policy Institute. Ms. Gustafson specializes in designing and implementing large scale systems change projects at the state and local level that are driven by applied research, data, model analysis, and strategic financing. She holds an MA in Political Science with an emphasis in Public Law from Washington State University, and is a past Women’s Research and Education Institute Fellow.
Dr. Rojas co-founded The Workers Lab in 2014, an organization that invests in experiments and innovation to build power for working people. Prior to her work at The Workers Lab, Carmen was the Acting Director of Collective Impact at Living Cities and the Director of Strategic Programs at the Mitchell Kapor Foundation. Carmen holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and was a Fulbright Scholar.
Mr. To joined HomeSight since 1993 and was named executive director in 2004. Tony is also the Project Director for Othello Square. He helped to create 3,000 new homes for low and moderate income homebuyers, several cultural facilities including the Wing Luke Asian Museum, and adoption of equitable development policies and resources in Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. He holds degrees from the University of Washington and the University of Pennsylvania.
The balance of the council includes:
La Shelle Dozier, executive director, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, Sacramento, CA
Paulina Gonzalez, executive director, California Reinvestment Coalition, San Francisco, CA
Carol Gore, president and chief executive officer, Cook Inlet Housing Authority, Anchorage, AK
Michelle Kauhane, senior vice president, Hawaii Community Foundation, Honolulu, HI
Irma Morin, chief executive officer, Community Council of Idaho, Caldwell, ID
Tim Paulson, secretary-treasurer, San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, San Francisco, CA
José A. Quiñonez, chief executive officer, Mission Asset Fund, San Francisco, CA
Carl Talton, ex officio chair, United Fund Advisors, Portland, OR
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (SF Fed) serves the public by promoting a healthy, sustainable economy, and supporting the nation’s financial and payment systems. With offices in Los Angeles, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Portland and Phoenix, the Bank serves the Twelfth Federal Reserve District, which includes one-fifth of the nation’s population and represents the world’s fourth-largest economy. As part of the nation’s central bank, the SF Fed informs monetary policy, regulates banks, administers certain consumer protection laws and acts as a financial partner to the U.S. government.