Chicago Community Development Leader Joins Nonprofit IFF's Management

CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwired - November 02, 2015) - Chicago community development leader Susana Vasquez joins IFF in a new position as vice president of strategic initiatives and resource development to direct strategy and raise funds for transforming Midwestern communities.

"Community development has been my mission for my whole career," Vasquez said. "I am excited to bring my commitment and experience in this field to such a high-impact and respected organization as IFF. I look forward to continuing to make a difference, not only in Chicago but throughout the Midwest region."

Previously, Vasquez served as executive director of Local Initiatives Support Corporation's Chicago office, where she led a professional staff of 15, an active program grant-making and real estate loan portfolio, and an organizational budget of $10 million. During her 12 years at LISC, Vasquez led the New Communities Program -- considered a national model in comprehensive community development -- and helped to raise $100 million in grant and loan commitments from private and public sources for neighborhood development. Prior to LISC, Vasquez worked for The Resurrection Project, a community development organization in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

"I have known Susana for nearly 20 years and am proud to have someone of her caliber on IFF’s leadership team," IFF CEO Joe Neri said. "She is a proven leader and the right person to help IFF to deliver on its mission and strategic plan to strengthen communities across the Midwest."

Vasquez serves on the board for ChangeLab Solutions and the advisory board of the University of Chicago's Civic Leadership Academy, and is a member of The Chicago Network, an organization for professional women leaders. She earned a master's degree from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

About IFF
IFF is a mission-driven lender, real estate consultant and developer that helps communities thrive by creating opportunities for low-income populations and individuals with disabilities. From child care to senior housing, IFF works closely with clients from every sector, offering affordable, flexible financing; full-scale real estate consulting; and community development services. Since 1988, we have made over $536 million in loans, leveraged $1.7 billion in community investments and grown our total managed assets to $371 million.