Feb 2019 Puerto Rico CDFI Convening
The CDFI Convening for Financial Cooperatives hosted by Inclusiv together with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Asociación de Ejecutivos de Cooperativas de Puerto Rico met in San Juan, Puerto Rico Feb 6-7. This is the third convening since Feb 2017 that brings together stateside credit unions, local financial cooperatives, state leagues, funders, policy makers, and non-profits committed to redeveloping Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and building resiliency against future disasters. Welcoming Remarks from the first financial cooperative to have been certified in Puerto Rico (Cooperativa Sagrada Familia) and present and former Executive Presidents from the first four cooperatives in Puerto Rico to have received CDFI TA awards (GuraCoop, Bonicoop, Jayucoop, and Cooperativa Jesus Obrero).
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Pictured left to right in photo at upper left are: Diogenes Gonzalez, Executive President, GuraCoop; Jose Julian Ramirez Ruiz, Executive Director, ASEC; Carlos Ortiz, Executive President, Bonicoop; Luis Rodriguez, Former Executive President, Jayucoop; Aurelio Arroyo, Executive President, Cooperativa Jesus Obrero; Eddie Alicea, Executive President, Cooperativa Sagrada Familia.
At upper right is David Alvarez Geeter with Primary Productions. At lower right, hugs between new friends. At lower left are speakers Pablo DeFilippi, SVP, Membership and Network Engagement, Inclusiv; Aisha Benson, EVP, TruFund Financial Services; Juli Lewis, Director, Southeastern Credit Union Foundation; Rachel McIntosh, Senior Opportunity Investment Officer, LISC: John Deese, CEO, Guardians Credit Union.
Clockwise from top left are Aurelio Arroyo, Carlos Ortiz, Jose Julian Ramirez, Alejandra Seluja, Inclusiv Consultant, Eddie Alicea, Miguel Colon, Executive President, MacCoop; Amber Kuchar, CDFI Fund Program Manager, and Pablo DeFilippi. New friends share stories across the table, Lilly Lopez, SVP, Citi Community Development, and Elizabeth Angeles, Manager, Clinton Global Initiative; Juli Lewis and John Deese; Pablo and Jose with Jay Fonseca at WKAQ580, Univision Radio.
Pictured above, left to right: (top row) full house at Cooperativa de Seguros Multiples de Puerto Rico HQ; Jean Carlos Rosario Mercado and Amarylis Roldan, Project Development Managers at Fidecoop. (Center row) Josue Rivera, State Director for USDA Rural Development; and Tony Davis, Community and Economic Development Director, Outreach & Education at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. (Bottom row) René Vargas Martínez, Program Officer at Inclusiv, and Rolando Calderón, Executive President at Agricoop; Elizabeth Angeles, Manager at the Clinton Global Initiative, Agnes Crespo, Lead of the Economic Development Unit at Fundación Comunitaria of Puerto Rico, and Pablo DeFilippi, SVP at Inclusiv.
Pictured above, clockwise from top left: Jill Nowacki, President/CEO of Connecticut Credit Union League; CUNA Mutual Group's Jay Isaacson, VP, P&C Solutions, and Gerry Singleton, VP, Credit Union System Relations; Frankie Chevere, Executive Director, Catholic Charities; Mayra Velazquez, CEO of Cidrena Coop; and Robert Francis, Senior Community Affairs Specialist at FDIC.