SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 25, 2013—BRIDGE Housing has appointed Elizabeth Van Benschoten as President of its CDFI (Community Development Financial Institution) affiliate, effective Nov. 4.In this newly created position, Ms. Van Benschoten will lead the organization’s aggregation of capital to fuel affordable housing production and community development. BRIDGE is a nationally recognized nonprofit developer, owner and manager of affordable housing.
Ms. Van Benschoten has spent the past 10 years working for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, most recently as Senior Vice President and Senior Client Manager for the Healthcare, Education and Institutions Group, where she managed a $12 million portfolio of business with leading universities and nonprofits. She has assisted clients in the navigation and utilization of commercial and investment banking products, and leveraged her New Markets Tax Credit experience to assist non-affordable housing developers. Earlier, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch Community Development Banking, Ms. Van Benschoten worked in both a credit and client management capacity. She supported the Bank’s efforts to finance affordable housing development both in California and nationally, based out of Washington, DC. In 2006 as the manager of a national product development team, she launched a proprietary direct placement tax-exempt bond product for multifamily affordable housing, growing the product’s utilization year-over-year. Additionally, she has worked with secondary market debt purchasers, social impact investors, and public finance professionals. Prior to joining the Bank Ms. Van Benschoten worked for the federal government and nonprofits in Washington, DC.
Ms. Van Benschoten graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies, and she received an M.B.A. from the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. She is a current Board member and previous Board Chair of the Global Social Venture Competition.
“We are thrilled to have Elizabeth join our team,” said Cynthia A. Parker, BRIDGE President and CEO. “Her depth of skill and experience with new products will catalyze our CDFI and position us to achieve our ambitious five-year production goals.”
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