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LEADERSHIP

To maximize the impact of RDF’s mission and purpose requires both a unique commitment to our customer as well as an organizational culture that helps create it.  RDF has elevated the borrower relationship to one that demands mutual performance and agreement on business and relational principals known as Partnerships of Hope. In addition to direct customer impact, RDF views its investments similarly to Adam Smith’s revolutionary redefinition of capital which sees it as a “conversion process” that unleashes the potential of new production, ideas and leadership.

Lender relationships will not reflect these dynamics unless, at the heart of its work, RDF’s identity is focused on a common cause through teamwork dedicated to a common good. To actualize this good into opportunity beyond just a mission statement requires an internal leadership culture capable of rapid change, innovation, reasonable risk taking, and self motivated quality improvement.  Similarly, emphasis on overall industry contribution and collaboration is also how RDF sees its value in the marketplace.

Executive Team

Tom Espinoza, President and CEO
Under Mr. Espinoza’s leadership, RDF has become the largest Latino Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) loan fund in the U.S with total assets in excess of $100 million. In 1999, Mr. Espinoza pioneered a faith base approach to community development, establishing RDF’s Partnership of Hope (POH) and the Hope Fund. Over the last ten years, under Mr. Espinoza’s leadership, RDF has served 125 organizations that have received over $135 million in community development loans, leveraging $681 million in private capital for projects serving low income individuals and families.

Tom EspinozaMark Van Brunt, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Van Brunt has been at RDF since its inception in 1999. He was responsible for leading the start up of the organization, and has ongoing responsibility for the operation of all lending components and systems, capitalization strategies, investment management, and new product and policy development. Mr. Van Brunt has held positions relating to community development for over 20 years, including serving as the Deputy VP of Community Development for the National Council of La Raza from 1981 to 1999.

David Clower, Chief Credit Officer
Prior to joining RDF as Chief Credit Officer in 2010, Mr. Clower served as Vice President of the Financial Institutions Group at The Situs Companies in Houston and New York, where he advised commercial and investment banks and private equity investors on matters of probable loss estimation, enterprise risk management, and troubled debt restructuring / loss mitigation in the context of recapitalizations and M&A transactions. Mr. Clower has nearly 20 years of real estate and commercial lending experience along with specialized knowledge of structured finance and commercial real estate construction and development products.

Tom EspinozaBrian Champeau, Director of Lending for the Eastern Region
Since 2002 Mr. Champeau is responsible for identifying and negotiating financing opportunities among non-profit service providers and non-profit real estate developers. Mr. Champeau has been a community development real estate and lending professional for over 20 years. Before joining RDF, Mr. Champeau served as Director for the Phoenix Local Initiatives Support Corporation where he managed all real estate development activity as well as a $15M loan pool. Prior to his Directorship, Mr. Champeau served as the Community Development Lending Officer with Bank of America, providing a broad suite of deal structuring, underwriting and lending services to the nonprofit development sector.

Board of Directors

  • RDF has a distinguished Board of Directors who are all leaders in their respective fields of work.
  • James W. Feild, Chairperson
  • Tom Espinoza 
  • Janet Murguia
  • Arabella Martinez, Vice Chairperson, Secretary 
  • Art Ruiz
  • Joseph F. Reilly
  • Kimberly Latimer-Nelligan
  • Roldan Trujillo
  • Janis Bowdler
  • Kenneth I. Trujillo
  • Read Full Board Member Bios