Steering Committee

Partners for Rural Transformation is led by a steering committee made up of six CDFIs that serve three-quarters of the country’s persistent poverty counties.

With headquarters in the Mississippi Delta, Appalachia, Native American communities, the Deep South, the Rio Grande Valley and regions in the Rural West, our steering committee has a unique lens on the range of challenges these communities face and deep connections with diverse local leaders who are dedicated to creating change.

cdcb is a multifaceted affordable housing organization devoted to utilizing collaborative partnerships to create sustainable communities across the Rio Grande Valley through quality education, model financing, efficient home design, and superior construction.

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Communities Unlimited is unwinding generations of inequity and disinvestment. Communities Unlimited ignites hope by bridging racial, economical, and geographical boundaries in Southern communities emerging from generations of persistent poverty.

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Fahe is a purpose-oriented Network of 50+ diverse community-based nonprofits serving the Appalachian states of AL, MD, KY, TN, VA, and WV. We have cultivated the deepest-reaching platform to connect nationwide investment to boots-on-the-ground-leadership throughout one of the most challenging places to serve in the country, resulting in place-informed and people-responsive solutions.

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Hope’s mission is to strengthen communities, build assets and improve lives in economically distressed areas of the Deep South by providing access to high quality financial products and related services.

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Oweesta Corporation’s mission is to provide opportunities for Native people to develop financial assets and create wealth by assisting in the establishment of strong, permanent institutions and programs contributing to economic independence and strengthening sovereignty for all Native communities.

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RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions.

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Leadership

The steering committee is guided by leaders from the six CDFIs — bringing over two decades of combined experience in community development and economic justice.

Nick Mitchell-Bennett

CEO, cdcb

Ines Polonius

Chief Executive Officer, Communities Unlimited

Jim King

Chief Executive Officer, Fahe

William J. (Bill) Bynum

Chief Executive Officer, Hope

Suzanne Anarde-Devenport

Chief Executive Officer, RCAC

Chrystel Cornelius

Executive Director, Oweesta

Partners

The Partners for Rural Transformation is made up of 15 organizations, including the steering committee, that are committed to serving rural communities in persistent poverty across the nation.