Nonprofit Finance Fund Expands Regional Leadership Teams

Opens Los Angeles Office; Names New Site Leaders in Newark, Detroit, and Chicago

New York — February 17, 2010 — Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), a national leader helping nonprofits strengthen their durability and effectiveness, today announced the hiring of site leaders for regional offices in Newark, Detroit, and Chicago, and its newly opened office in Los Angeles. NFF's expansion in these markets comes in response to increased local demand for services. Each new site leader brings deep expertise and extensive experience helping nonprofits, foundations, and governments navigate mission-critical financial and operational decisions. They will oversee NFF's provision of financial and consulting services to nonprofit clients and philanthropic partners, as well as new business development, and the creation of strategic initiatives in their local markets.

Karla V. Salazar joins NFF as Director, Los Angeles Program. She combines fifteen years of professional experience in the public and private sector with a focus on program, finance, and operations management. She will manage the newly opened Los Angeles office and the "Nonprofit Sustainability and Effectiveness Initiative" launched by NFF last fall. Prior to joining NFF, Salazar served as the Assistant Manager for the Los Angeles Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Previously, she served as the Field Director in Los Angeles for the California State Controller. Salazar has a Masters in Public Policy from Claremont University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a specialization in Chicana and Chicano Studies from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2008, she also completed the Executive Program in General Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, John E. Anderson School of Management.

Archie Colander, Jr. has been hired as Director, New Jersey Program. His experience combines over 30 years of management in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors. Most recently, Colander served as Vice President, Community Development for PNC Bank, where he focused on business development and lending to nonprofits in PNC's Northeast Territory. He is Chair of the Urban League of Essex County, a member of Newark LISC Local Advisory Committee and Jersey City Episcopal CDC board. Colander holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Trinity College, Hartford, CT.

Kevin M. Sweeney joins NFF as Director, Detroit Program. He brings more than 25 years experience as a lending and financial services executive. Most recently, Sweeney served as an independent consultant to NFF, and prior to that, Vice President and senior lender at Fifth Third Bank. He is a member of the Urban Financial Services Coalition Detroit Chapter, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Morehouse College and an MBA from Clark–Atlanta University. 

A valued member of the NFF team, Shilpi Shah has been promoted to Associate Director, Midwest Region, where she will oversee the expansion of NFF's services in the Chicago market. Shah has been with NFF for 3 years, previously serving as Advisory Services Manager in the New York office. She is a member of the Chicago Foundation's Asian American Leadership Council, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.

"Each region has its own economic story" said Leon Wilson, Executive Vice President of Nonprofit Finance Fund." With each story comes both challenges and opportunities specific to that region, and the nonprofits that exist within. Karla, Archie, Kevin, and Shilpi have a keen understanding of their local markets, and possess the expertise and commitment essential to helping nonprofits achieve durability and mission success."

About Nonprofit Finance Fund
A national leader in social sector finance, Nonprofit Finance Fund connects money to mission success through consulting, innovation, and direct investment. Founded in 1980, NFF (www.nonprofitfinancefund.org) provides services that build the capacity and durability of nonprofits. A leading community development financial institution with over $80 million in assets, NFF has provided over $200 million in loans and access to additional financing via grants, tax credits and capital in support of over $1 billion in projects for nonprofit clients nationwide. NFF has a staff of more than 75 serving nonprofits nationally from offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Newark, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

For more information, contact:
Tricia McKenna or Crystal Noble
Louder Than Words
781-487-0002
nff@louderthanwords.com