Our History

The CFE Fund’s mission is to leverage municipal engagement to improve the financial stability of low and moderate income households by embedding financial empowerment strategies into local government infrastructure. The Fund works with mayoral administrations and those interested in supporting them to implement innovative programs and policies—and measures its success accordingly.

Launched at the New York Stock Exchange in April, 2012, the CFE Fund provides funding and technical assistance to mayors and their teams to develop, launch, replicate and test financial empowerment strategies.

Support Our Work

The CFE Fund is a 501(c)3 corporation; our programmatic, research, and policy efforts focus on designing, embedding and replicating financial empowerment initiatives within the fabric of local government. Click here to partner with us.

 

To request a copy of our IRS Form 990, contact us.

Board of Directors

  • José Cisneros

    ex officio, Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition | Treasurer, City and County of San Francisco

    José Cisneros is the elected Treasurer for the City and County of San Francisco. As Treasurer, he serves as the City’s banker and Chief Investment Officer, managing all tax and revenue collection for San Francisco. Appointed in 2004, and first elected in 2005, Cisneros has used his experience in the technology and banking industries to enhance and modernize taxpayer systems and successfully manage the City’s portfolio through a major recession.

    Treasurer Cisneros believes that his role of safeguarding the City’s money extends to all San Francisco residents, and continues to expand his role as a financial educator and advocate for low-income San Franciscans through award-winning programs like Kindergarten to College and Bank On San Francisco. Cisneros serves as Vice Chair on the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans, and is a founding co-Chair of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition.

  • Michael Dubin

    Board Treasurer

    Michael Dubin recently served as Managing Director at Silvercrest Asset Management Group, heading up the alternatives group within the $20B wealth management firm. Previously, as a Partner at Powers & Dubin for over 15 years, he developed their expertise in hedge fund-of-funds. Prior to that, Michael held leadership positions at Morgan Stanley/GFTA, GFTA Services, and the International Financial Advisory Service at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. He authored the book, Foreign Acquisitions and the Growth of the Multi-National Firm, and lectures frequently on alternative investments and financial markets issues. He has a Doctorate of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, a BA from Yale University and holds a Series 3 Registration with the NFA/CFTC. He was Chairman of the Endowment Committee, a Trustee and Treasurer of the Town School, and currently serves as a Director & Treasurer for PlaNet Finance Corp., a non-profit NGO in global microfinance.

  • Latia Curry Harrison

    Principal, RALLY

    Latia Curry Harrison is a Principal at RALLY, an issue advocacy communications firm. With her background in public relations, marketing, government, and the world of international NGOs, Latia channels her wide breadth of experience into laser-focused messaging, communications strategy, and campaigns for non-profit and for-profit organizations looking to make positive change.

    Latia leads much of RALLY’s social justice and health equity work including work with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, The James Beard Foundation, and NRDC. She is also a leader in driving RALLY’s mission within the corporate space including providing guidance to Chipotle, Audi of America, Mattel and Seventh Generation. She has served as a featured speaker on effective corporate brand advocacy at South by Southwest, Engage for Good, B Corps Champions Retreat and MIT Sloan Management Review and has had her work published in Harvard Business Review.

    Previously, she served as Senior Director of Partner Engagement and Special Initiatives at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF where she created, developed, and launched new ways to engage corporate partners. She worked with American Airlines, UPS, Starwood Hotels, Pfizer, and Giorgio Armani Beauty. She also served as the lead campaign manager for America’s oldest youth movement, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, overseeing all marketing, communications, and programmatic elements for the national campaign.

    Prior to her work with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Latia managed all ethnic and specialty media outreach for former New York Governor David Paterson as Director of Special Projects. Latia regularly staffed the Governor at press conferences, acted as a spokesperson, led communications for new task force initiatives, and oversaw 83 state agency press offices, including coordinating messaging and fielding media requests.

    Latia is on the ACLU Foundation of Southern California Board of Directors. She holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter.

  • Karen Freeman-Wilson

    Board Chair | President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League

    Karen Freeman-Wilson began serving as President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League in January 2020. She brings a passion for equity and social justice to the organization, which works to advance economic, educational and social progress for African Americans through direct service and advocacy.

    Having served in the public arena most of her professional life, Freeman-Wilson has deep experience in addressing issues that impact urban communities. She was mayor of her hometown of Gary, Indiana, from 2012 through 2019. She was the first female to lead the city of Gary and the first African-American female mayor in Indiana. Her mayoral accomplishments include job creation, completion of a $100 million airport runway relocation, and the development of key areas in the city. She previously served as Indiana Attorney General, Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and presiding judge of the Gary City Court. She also served as Executive Director of the National Drug Court Institute and CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, where she is currently Board Vice Chair.

    Freeman-Wilson is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She is a past President of the National League of Cities, past Chairperson of the Criminal and Social Justice Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and sits on the National Police Foundation Board of Directors. She is a member of Israel C.M.E. Church; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; the Links, Inc.; the NAACP; the Urban League of Northwest Indiana and the Indiana Bar. Freeman-Wilson and her husband Carmen Wilson II have a blended family of four children

  • Naomi Gendler Camper

    Chief Policy Officer, American Bankers Association

    Naomi Gendler Camper is Chief Policy Officer at the American Bankers Association. In this role, she oversees all government relations and policy research functions. Her portfolio includes legislative affairs, regulatory affairs, economic research, as well as the mortgage, tax, and accounting policy groups.

    Prior to joining the ABA, Naomi was Managing Director and the head of JPMorgan Chase’s Office of Nonprofit Engagement (ONE) where she built and managed a nationwide community relations team to engage with nonprofits involved in advocacy, thought leadership and services related to low- and moderate-income communities, communities of color, and people with disabilities. Prior to creating ONE, Naomi helped to launch and was Head of Consumer Public Policy for the Firm; she also served as the head of Federal Government Relations at JPMorgan Chase.

    Prior to joining JPMorgan Chase, Naomi was the Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Institutions for Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD). She also practiced tax and financial services law at the Washington law firm of what was then Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering, and was associate tax counsel at the Investment Company Institute, the national trade association for the mutual fund industry.

    Naomi holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. from Columbia University. She serves on the boards of Temple Sinai of Washington, D.C. and the Gendler Grapevine Project.

  • Cathie Mahon

    Board Secretary | President and CEO, Inclusiv

    Cathie Mahon oversees all of Inclusiv’s programmatic and investment activities. She is committed to continuing Inclusiv’s role of bridging the credit union movement to the community development field, promoting financial inclusion and identifying and connecting credit unions to unserved and untapped markets and communities.

    Ms. Mahon most recently served as Deputy Commissioner at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs where she started and led the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE). Ms. Mahon was a co-founder of the CFE Coalition and Fund, and has worked to integrate financial capability programming into municipal service delivery systems. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Mahon worked as a private consultant on issues of community development, financial empowerment and asset building, launching and directing the Asset Funders Network and serving as a lead researcher for the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. She previously served as a Program Officer and then Director of Policy and Program Development at the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions and served on the Boards of the Lower East Side People’s FCU and Transfiguration Parish FCU. Ms. Mahon has a BA from Duke University and a Master’s of City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

  • Jonathan Mintz

    Board President | Chief Executive Officer, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund

    Jonathan Mintz is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the CFE Fund. He also founded and co-chaired the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition (CFE Coalition), which brings together pioneering municipal governments from across the country to advance innovative financial empowerment initiatives on the municipal, state, and national level.

    Jonathan was previously the longest-serving Commissioner in the history of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, having been appointed to the role by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. During this time, he redefined the Department’s regulatory enforcement powers toward a focus on consumer financial stability, re-envisioning consumer rights in fields such as debt collection, process serving, employment, and finance. While there, he launched the NYC Office of Financial Empowerment, which has been replicated by local governments across the nation. Jonathan holds a BA from Indiana University, an ME from Bank Street College of Education, and a JD from Cornell Law School.

  • Leigh Phillips

    CEO, SaverLife

    Leigh Phillips is the President & CEO of SaverLife, a national nonprofit that helps working families achieve prosperity through savings. Since joining in 2015, Leigh has led SaverLife’s transformation from a local direct service organization to a leading financial technology nonprofit. SaverLife’s flagship program, SaverLife.org, now serves over 170,000 clients across all 50 states.

    Prior to joining SaverLife in September 2015, Leigh was the Director of the San Francisco Office of Financial Empowerment (SFOFE), playing an instrumental role in the emergence of municipal government as a strong leader in national efforts to build a safe and inclusive financial system for all consumers.

    Under Leigh’s leadership, the SFOFE spearheaded several “first in the nation” programs to reduce financial exclusion, including Bank on San Francisco, the first municipally led effort to bank the unbanked, and Kindergarten to College, the first universal and automatic college savings program for public school children. On the national level, Leigh was instrumental in the creation of the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition.

    Leigh received both her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Social Sciences and a Masters of Economic and Social Sciences in Women’s Studies from the University of Manchester, in her native United Kingdom.

Staff

  • Leah Adelson

    Senior Associate

    Leah Adelson is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund. She primarily supports the Financial Empowerment Cities initiative, helping municipal governments build infrastructure to launch and implement Offices of Financial Empowerment. She also works on the Local Consumer Financial Protection Initiative. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Leah worked as a Policy Associate at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and prior to that as a Trial Preparation Assistant at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Leah holds a BA in History from Yale University and a MPA from New York University.

  • Courtney Bettle

    Principal

    Courtney Bettle is a Principal at Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund where she oversees the organization’s legacy planning and long-term asset building initiatives.  Previously, she served as the Economic Mobility Practice Manager for the Bloomberg Center of Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University where she supported local governments in the U.S. and abroad in implementing data-informed strategies for promoting economic well-being for residents.  Prior to that role she served as the Director of Financial Capability at the CASH Campaign of Maryland where she was responsible for leading the organization’s asset development initiatives to increase financial security among low- and moderate-income families in Maryland.  Courtney hold a BA in Sociology from Goucher College and a MA in Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

  • Kant Desai

    Senior Principal

    Kant Desai is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where he oversees the organization’s policy strategy, consumer financial protection initiative, and municipal financial empowerment leadership work. Previously, he served as Chief of Policy for Chicago City Treasurer Stephanie Neely, where he developed and launched the City’s first Office of Financial Inclusion. Prior to that role, Kant spent eight years as an Economist at RCF Economic Consulting where he focused on Energy, Environmental, and Urban Policy research. He has a BA in Chemistry from Kalamazoo College and an MPP from University of Chicago.

  • Paige Diner

    Principal

    Paige Diner is a Principal at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to Bank On coalitions looking to increase access to safe and affordable financial services in their communities. Prior to this, Paige served as a Teach for America corps member in District of Columbia Public Schools. Paige holds a BA in Sociology from Vanderbilt University and an MSW from Columbia University.

  • Ben Elconin

    Deputy Finance Director

    Ben Elconin is the Deputy Finance Director at the CFE Fund. He partners with the Chief of Research, Evaluation and Finance to manage all aspects of the organization’s finances including accounting oversight, audit and budgets. Previously, Ben served as Director, Finance, Data and Administration with Multiplying Good, a national nonprofit that promotes and celebrates public service. Prior to that, Ben worked at Pencils of Promise where he managed on-the-ground operations of the organization’s country office in Laos. He has a BA in Political Science from UC Irvine and an MA in International Relations from Syracuse University.

  • Amelia Erwitt

    Chief Operating Officer

    Amelia Erwitt is the Chief Operating Officer of the CFE Fund.  Amelia provides leadership to CFE Fund staff in the development and execution of programs, technical assistance, research, policy and communications. She also manages organizational development, fundraising, administration and infrastructure. Previously, Amelia was the Associate Commissioner and Executive Director of the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) where she worked closely with government agencies, communities, and the private sector to implement OFE’s critical initiatives.  Amelia has also worked for the United Nations, USAID, and the White House. She holds a BA from the George Washington University and an MPA from Columbia University.

  • Nicky Grist

    Chief of Research, Evaluation, and Finance

    Lisa-Nicolle (Nicky) Grist is Chief of Research, Evaluation, and Finance at the CFE Fund. Previously, Nicky served as Senior Director of Evaluation for the National Urban League, as the Executive Director of a national social policy advocacy organization, and as the Executive Director of a community-based housing counseling agency. Nicky has a BA from Yale College, a Master’s in Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs, and an Executive Certificate from Harvard’s Kennedy School.

  • Olivia Grondy

    Associate

    Olivia Grondy is an Associate at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities on replicating the Financial Empowerment Center model. Previously, she supported development and communications efforts at Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement, a large social services provider in Queens. Olivia began her career in the nonprofit sector as Volunteer Coordinator with NYC Civic Corps. She holds a BA in Global Development and Sustainability from St. Johns University.

  • Allan Guce

    Senior Data Systems Associate

    Allan Guce is a Senior Data Systems Associate at the CFE Fund where he supports the maintenance and development of the database for the Financial Empowerment Center initiative. Previously, he was a client finance manager at a global healthcare communications agency. Prior to that, he worked for an ad-tech company specializing in ad verification and brand safety, overseeing international billing for all APAC and EMEA offices worldwide. Allan holds a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Mathematics cognate from Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, FL

  • Rose Harvey

    Manager

    Rose Harvey is a Manager at the CFE Fund where she provides support and technical assistance to municipalities to design and implement Financial Empowerment Centers. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Rose was an Associate Consultant at Matter + Form where she provided business planning and strategic finance services to nonprofits. Previous to that, she worked at the New York City Housing Authority and the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab. Rose holds a BA in Sociology from Northeastern University and a MPA from New York University.

  • Aaron Hirsh

    Principal

    Aaron is a Principal at the CFE Fund where he supports Bank On integrations. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, he was a high school teacher and a fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab. Aaron holds a B.A. in Political Science from Carleton College and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. 

  • Mark Hunter

    Director of Operations

    Mark Hunter is Director of Operations at the CFE Fund. He is responsible for managing all of the CFE’s vendor relationships, providing administrative support to all program functions and logistics support for special events. Previously, Mark worked at the Doe Fund as the Director of a social enterprise that taught basic office skills to homeless and formerly incarcerated people.

  • Katie Koleini

    Senior Development Associate

    Katie Koleini is a Senior Development Associate at the CFE Fund, where she supports fundraising and development efforts across the organization. Previously, she was the Development Project Manager for the Downtown Memphis Commission. She holds a BA in Non-profit Development and a Masters in Urban Planning.

  • Tamara Lindsay

    Chief of Strategy

    Tamara Lindsay is Chief of Strategy at the CFE Fund. Previously, she was the Director of Programs at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment. Tamara holds a BA from Syracuse University, an MSc from the London School of Economics and an MPA from Baruch University, City University of New York.

  • Angela Lowery

    Manager

    Angela Lowery is a Manager at the CFE Fund where she provides technical assistance to municipalities interested in designing and replicating the Financial Empowerment Center model in their communities. Angela has diverse professional experiences working within community-based organizations, healthcare institutions, and higher education to design and implement high impact programs. In a previous role, she served as the Director of Financial Empowerment at United Way of Summit & Medina County where she worked with public and private stakeholders to launch and manage the City of Akron’s Financial Empowerment Center. Angela holds a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College and a MA in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University.

  • Elisa López

    Director of Data Systems

    Elisa López is the Director of Data Systems at the CFE Fund, where she supports the implementation and management of the database for the Financial Empowerment Center initiative. Previously, she was an Admissions Associate and then Program Coordinator of Research and Evaluation at Math for America. She holds a BA in Sociology and Education from Swarthmore College and an MA in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College, City University of New York.

  • Allison Miller

    Contracts and Grants Associate

    Allison Miller is an Associate at the CFE Fund, where she supports grant management and contracts for all projects. Previously, she worked in nonprofit fundraising, writing and managing grants for financial and health-equity organizations. She also served as a Youth Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine. She holds a BA in Psychology from Rhodes College.

  • Madeline Murnane

    Senior Associate

    Madeline (Maddy) Murnane is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund where she provides technical assistance to municipalities to design and replicate Financial Empowerment Centers. Previously, Maddy was a Senior Associate at the New York Immigration Coalition, where she oversaw government contracts and foundation portfolios. She also brings direct service experience working in asylum law and financial empowerment programming. Maddy holds a BA in International Studies with a focus in Economics from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.

  • Jonathan Mintz

    Chief Executive Officer

    Jonathan Mintz is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the CFE Fund. He also founded and co-chaired the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition (CFE Coalition), which brings together pioneering municipal governments from across the country to advance innovative financial empowerment initiatives on the municipal, state, and national level.

    Jonathan was previously the longest-serving Commissioner in the history of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, having been appointed to the role by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. During this time, he redefined the Department’s regulatory enforcement powers toward a focus on consumer financial stability, re-envisioning consumer rights in fields such as debt collection, process serving, employment, and finance. While there, he launched the NYC Office of Financial Empowerment, which has been replicated by local governments across the nation. Jonathan holds a BA from Indiana University, an ME from Bank Street College of Education, and a JD from Cornell Law School.

  • Ulrike Nischan

    Deputy Research and Evaluation Director

    Ulrike “Ulli” Nischan is the Deputy Research and Evaluation Director at the CFE Fund. Previously, Ulrike served as Assistant Director of Policy and Research at the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection’s Office of Financial Empowerment. Before her time in city government, Ulrike worked as a policy researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute. She is a proud community college graduate (College of Lake County) and holds a BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an MIPA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech.

  • Katie Plat

    Senior Communications and Development Director

    Katie Plat is the Senior Communications and Development Director at the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund where she oversees the organization’s communications and fundraising efforts. Previously, she was the Chief of Staff at the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Financial Empowerment. Ms. Plat holds both a BA and an MPA from New York University.

  • Sol Vilera Ramos

    Manager

    Sol Vilera Ramos is a Manager at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities for emergent financial crisis programming. Previously, she was a Financial Counselor and then a Relationship Manager at a New York City based financial inclusion nonprofit. She also served as an Economic Development Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. She holds a BA in Economics from Texas A&M University.

  • Sydney Ruben

    Associate

    Sydney Ruben is an Associate at the CFE Fund where she supports the Bank On initiative by providing technical assistance to coalitions looking to increase banking access and assisting in the certification of safe and affordable products at financial institutions. Her previous experience includes project administration in the nonprofit sector as well as at a law firm specializing in employment, consumer, and human rights. Sydney holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Georgia and an MSW from Columbia University.

  • Vicky Selkowe

    Senior Principal

    Vicky Selkowe is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where she leads the national Bank On initiative’s operations. Previously, she served as Manager of Strategic Initiatives & Community Partnerships in the City of Racine (WI) Mayor’s Office, and as the head of government relations and compliance for Wisconsin’s largest civil legal aid law firm. Prior to that, Vicky was Chief of Staff to a Wisconsin State Representative, and a public interest attorney. She holds a BA from Beloit College and a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

  • John Solano

    Director of Training and Technical Assistance

    John Solano is the Director of Training and Technical Assistance with CFE Fund, where he supports staff and partner training and technical assistance across all projects. Previously, he project managed the content redesign and delivery methods for staff training at the Center for Employment Opportunities and served as Executive Administrator at Refoundry. Before entering the non-profit sector, he was the Inventory Control Manager at Eataly USA, LLC. He holds a B.S. in Chemistry from University of Richmond and an M.S. in Chemistry from Wake Forest University. John also participated in the New York Community Trust Leadership Fellows Program at Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs. 

  • David Rothstein

    Senior Principal

    David is a Senior Principal at the CFE Fund, where he leads the national Bank On initiative. Previously, he served as Director of Resource Development and Public Affairs for Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland providing fund development and policy leadership. He also served as a research fellow for the New America Foundation in asset building and the Program Director for the Ohio CASH Coalition with Policy Matters Ohio. He has a BA in Political Science from John Carroll University and an MPA from Kent State University.

  • Scott Schwartz

    Deputy Contracts and Grants Director

    Scott Schwartz is the Deputy Contracts and Grants Director at the CFE Fund, where he supports contract and grant management for all projects, as well as the Financial Empowerment Center initiative database. Previously, he was a paralegal at a law firm specializing in civil rights and defense litigation in state and federal court. He has a BA in Economics from Washington University in St. Louis.

  • Matt Trombley

    Senior Associate

    Matt Trombley is a Senior Associate at the CFE Fund where he supports program integrations and building banking access into municipal programming. Prior to joining the CFE Fund, Matt was the Leadership Training Coordinator for the University of Rochester’s Center for Community Engagement out of Rochester, New York. He holds a BS from the University of Rochester with a degree in Business Management.

  • Fernanda Villaseñor

    Principal

    Fernanda Villaseñor is a Principal at the CFE Fund, where she provides technical assistance to municipalities looking to replicate financial empowerment strategies. Previously, she served as a Planning Fellow for the Fund for the City of New York and as a Project Associate for the World Bank. Prior to that, Fernanda was the Strategic Alliances Coordinator for the Office of Civic Innovation of the Mexico City Government. She holds a BA from the Monterrey Institute of Technology, a Certificate of Political Science from Science Po, and a MUP from New York University.

  • Nora Walls

    Senior Communications Associate

    Nora Walls is a Senior Communications Associate at the CFE Fund, where she ­­­­­­­supports communications efforts across the organization. Previously, she was a Senior Associate Consultant at the Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit that helps mission-driven organizations amplify their impact by mobilizing skilled volunteers to advance resource equity. Nora holds a BA in English and Media Studies from the University of Virginia and an MS in Professional Writing from New York University.