COVID-19 Town Hall Series:
Building Resiliency Through Solar Energy
Tuesday, December 8 at 1:15 PM ET
Join the Inclusiv Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy for a town hall discussion on innovative financing approaches to residential solar energy loans and how they have resulted in proportionally more solar installations in low-income communities and communities of color. Solar energy can be a powerful tool to drive economic revitalization. Despite widespread growth in the renewable energy sector, too often solar loans are not made available to low-income communities and communities of color. In this session, hear from Bert Hunter, Chief Investment Officer of the Connecticut Green Bank, and Kerry O'Neill, CEO of Inclusive Prosperity Capital, on methods for successfully creating more equitable access to solar loans in Connecticut. Learn how credit unions and communities have benefited from green lending programs, and how yours can too.
Solar lending has been gaining traction in communities throughout the country. To share expertise among credit unions, Inclusiv and the Center for Impact Finance at the University of New Hampshire Carsey School of Public Policy have developed a new, FREE, Solar Lending Professional Training and Certificate virtual series. During the second part of this town hall, learn more about both the consumer and commercial solar lending training tracks in this series. Hear from course developers Eric Hangen, AICP, Principal of I Squared Community Development Consulting, LLC, and Cheryl Fatnassi, former CEO and President of Opportunities Credit Union, and learn how you can apply!
Please send your questions to Jules Epstein-Hebert, Membership Engagement Manager, at jhebert@inclusiv.org before 5:00PM ET, December 7.
If you have previously attended an Inclusiv Town Hall Call, you are automatically registered for Tuesday's call. If you have not yet registered, click the "register" button or the link below at:
https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5090089430827922699
Featured Speakers:
As Chief Investment Officer of the Connecticut Green Bank, Bert Hunter leads the finance team’s development of new and innovative financing programs that attract more private capital to scale-up the state’s clean energy investments, including energy efficiency, renewables and alternative fuel vehicles and associated infrastructure. Bert was Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Spectrum Capital, Ltd, an investment bank focused on commercial aircraft finance and investment in U.S. electric power generation. Prior to Spectrum, Bert was the treasurer of the international leasing company of Chemical Bank. Bert is an alumnus, a former Trustee and former member of the Board of Visitors of Wake Forest University (BS) and received his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
As CEO of Inclusive Prosperity Captial, Kerry O'Neill brings her experience with the kinds of institutional challenges – and opportunities – associated with clean energy investing for our communities that need it most and combines it with a passion for bringing the benefits of clean energy to underinvested neighborhoods and markets. Kerry has been beyond fortunate to work with the outstanding Connecticut Green Bank team to deploy award winning products for low-to-moderate income communities – and is thrilled to be working with the team that has spun out into Inclusive Prosperity Capital to bring these products to a broader market. Kerry’s favorite quote is “Be the change you wish to see in the world” and can’t believe she has the good fortune to come to work every day and do just that, showing her kids it really is possible.
Eric Hangen, AICP, is the Principal of I Squared Community Development Consulting, LLC, which provides strategic planning, market research, program evaluation, and financial modeling consulting to nonprofit clients nationwide. In his role as a Senior Research Fellow at the Carsey School of Public Policy, he researches trends in impact investing and opportunity finance in the United States. As a Management Consultant with NeighborWorks America, Eric helped nonprofit corporations across the country develop neighborhood revitalization, strategic, and business plans. Before coming to NeighborWorks, Eric worked as the senior planning advisor for the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico. He has also worked as a planner for the Puerto Rico Public Housing Administration and as a project manager in neighborhood economic development for the New York City Department of Business Services.
Cheryl Fatnassi is the former CEO and President of Opportunities Credit Union in Winooski, Vermont, in the role from 2008 until 2019. She is currently a consultant to Inclusiv, serving as the lead course designer and instructor for the Consumer Solar Lending Professional Training program. She has over 38 years of experience working in financial services and was formerly Senior VP for IT Systems & Planning at Banknorth Group, where she managed technology, retail banking, CRA and compliance. She serves on a number of local and national boards advocating for low-income and under-served members of her community, promoting fair housing, job creation and access to affordable financial services. She has led successful capital campaigns and attracted social investments to effect change in the community she serves. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a bachelor’s degree in French and Economics and the New England School of Banking at Williams College.