Wacif is excited to announce the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors

Bringing with them expertise in banking and finance, venture capital, communications and law they will join the rest of the board in providing guidence as Wacif takes on new initiatives including its local CDFI collaboration to implement the 11th Street Bridge Park’s Equitable Development Plan, and the launch of the Downtown Ward 7 Main Street, DC’s newest main street program. Both initiatives will further Wacif’s mission of inclusive entrepreneurship and equitable economic development.

Brian Lewald is a Senior Vice President and senior banker in Citibank’s Washington, D.C. office, where he develops and manages Middle Market relationships for the Bank. Brian joined Citi in September, 2016 after three years in Middle Market Banking with HSBC. He began his banking career thirteen years ago in a regional bank’s not-for-profit group, where he was responsible for underwriting and relationship management duties. Brian is a graduate of UCF (BA) and Georgetown University (MBA) and a frequent volunteer in local community programs.

Erin Crossett is a Portfolio Manager with USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures, a tiered funding model that sources and tests innovations with significant potential for impact, cost-effectiveness, and scale. With a background in social impact measurement and evaluation, Crossett previously worked on a WASH randomized controlled trial in Rwanda with Innovations for Poverty Action and Georgetown University, and supported additional impact evaluations of a latrine finance program in Cambodia and a social protection program in Brazil.  She also served as a Data Analytics Fellow for the Deloitte Foundation. Crossett holds a Master of International Development Policy from Georgetown University and a B.A. from the University of Rochester.

Richard Bottomley is the founder of Evergreen Associates, a firm providing accounting, internal control and financial management services to the mortgage and asset backed securities markets. Mr. Bottomley previously served as the SVP Guarantor and Securitization Accounting at Freddie Mac. He received a BA in Accounting and Financial Administration from Michigan State University, holds CPA and CFA certificates, and has substantial experience in accounting, controls, financial analysis and operating systems.

Rob Riordan is director of advancement communications at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He has worked in communications and fundraising in the non-profit sector for more than two decades. His expertise includes branding, publications, writing and editing, and web. Rob also leads pro bono consulting teams with the Taproot Foundation to carry out marketing projects for local non-profit groups. It was through the Taproot Foundation that Rob was introduced to Wacif in 2015 as he helped design our new logo and visual identity.

Nora Diamond-Jones is an associate at Covington & Burling LLP, where she advises clients on a range of corporate, securities, and transactional matters. Her practice includes capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities and broker-dealer compliance issues, and corporate governance and other strategic matters.

Wacif's Board of Directors also includes: Board Chair Dawnn Leary, Treasurer Brian Rajan Nagendra, Secretary Caitlin Welsh, Anne Morrison, Richard Lowery, Alejandro Golding, Jamila Braithwaite, Kevin Bailey, Devin Leary-Hanebrink, and Ross George.