Federation to Open San Francisco Field Office - National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions

Further Expanding National Presence of CDCUs

(August 6, 2008 – New York, NY) The National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (Federation) is pleased to announce that long-time staff-member Rafael O. Morales, the current Public Affairs Officer, will soon be relocating across the country to open a regional office in San Francisco, CA.

Rafael O. Morales, Public Affairs Officer

At the new location, Morales will continue to focus on Federation communications as a primary duty, but will increasingly provide leadership and support to regional initiatives and events, including working with the California Low Income Credit Union Network; acting as liaison to the California and Nevada Credit Union League, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, state and local government agencies and officials; and working on other special projects as required.

“We are extremely pleased to be able to have a physical presence in California where a large percentage of the Federation’s Western Region members are located,” explained Federation President / CEO Cliff Rosenthal. “Rafael has been with the Federation for five years and is very familiar with the organization and our work, and I’m confident that he will be able to hit the ground running to promote new partnerships and initiatives that leverage the capacity of CDCUs, credit unions in general and other institutions across the Bay Area and statewide.”

Morales also served as the coordinator of the Federation-sponsored New York Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) for the past two years. That task will be taken over by Melanie Stern, Assistant Director of the Federation’s Community Development Investment Program, and Dan Apfel, Program Associate for Education and Training.

“Melanie is very familiar with the work of CDFIs, having worked for one previously, and she is well acquainted with the various agencies and officials integral to the New York CDFI community,” explained Morales. “Dan Apfel is great at bringing people together and coordinating meetings and events, and between the two of them and the ongoing efforts of the Coalition’s steering committee, I am confident that we will be able to keep New York CDFIs energized in the coming year to secure state funding for the New York CDFI Fund, beyond the current $1.5 million appropriated in 2008.”

“While it’s difficult to leave all the incredible people I’ve met while working at the New York office, I’m very excited for the prospects that lie ahead,” explained Morales. “It is an honor to be allowed to open a field office, and I look forward to working on programs and initiatives that expand the capacity and recognition of CDCUs across our Western Region,” he added.

The Federation’s San Francisco office will be operational in early September. Specific information will be posted on this website as it becomes available.