January 30, 2019
We are excited to announce two new board members, growing our governing body to nine seats. Our newly-elected members are Christopher Coburn (Muscogee Creek), the Chief Executive Officer of Mvskoke Loan Fund in Oklahoma, and Robin Danner (Hawaiian), the Chief Executive Officer of Homestead Community Development Corporation in Hawaii.
“Both Robin and Chris come to us with vast skill sets and strong ties in Indian Country. We are glad to welcome them to our team,” says Pete Upton, Board Chair of the Native CDFI Network, and also the Executive Director of Native360 Loan Fund in Nebraska.
Danner was a founding co-chair of the Network in 2009, and saw the organization through its initial stages of development. In reconnecting with the Network, she is dedicated to pushing federal policy to the heights of the industry’s capacity. As a board member, Danner will serve as our Policy Committee Chair and work to develop policy priorities that every Native CDFI can identify with.
Coburn has implemented an aggressive, goal-oriented plan for Mvskoke Loan Fund since he joined the organization in July of 2017. He joins our board with 25 years of management experience serving a wide variety of industries, including consumer and commercial banking, higher education, public utilities, and marketing. During his term on the Board of Directors, he’ll serve as the Organizational Development Committee Chair.
“The addition of these two new seats really rounds out our governing body, creating stronger representation for Native communities across the country,” says Upton.
The Native CDFI Network’s Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse group of Native CDFI practitioners, representing the Great Plains, Mid-West, Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii regions. All of the board members have a long history of working in Indian Country as well as experience in implementing innovative solutions that increase access to capital in Native communities.
“Our Board of Directors is looking forward to a great year in 2019,” says Upton.