Washington, D.C. (November 2, 2022) – The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) announced CEO Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr.’s selection to the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 Class of 2022. Harold joins a diverse list of leaders shaping our communities, bridging gaps, and improving the lives of others across the Greater Washington region for the second consecutive year.
“I am deeply honored to be part of this list of changemakers across the region and thank the Washington Business Journal for this recognition,” said Wacif CEO Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr. “Our work at Wacif is only beginning as we continue to invest in the future of entrepreneurship in our communities.”
A native Washingtonian, a graduate of the D.C. public school system, and a Ward 7 resident, bringing opportunity home through equitable economic development and inclusive entrepreneurship is Harold’s life’s work. He has served as an executive public servant, including as the Director of D.C.’s small business department, the District’s senior licensing administrator, the Director of Entrepreneurship at Prosperity Now, and advisor to the National League of Cities on equitable economic development strategies in cities across the country, such as Minneapolis, Birmingham, and Louisville. To help drive equity and economic opportunity nationally, Harold currently serves on several boards and councils, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Community Investment Council, the Board of Directors for Enterprise Community Loan Fund and Common Future, and advisory councils for major financial institutions. In 2021, President Biden appointed Harold to join the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution Community Advisory Board.
As the region recovers from COVID-19, Wacif’s leaders continue to shape and support an equitable recovery by empowering underserved communities through equitable economic development, inclusive entrepreneurship, and community wealth-building. Since 2020, Wacif has deployed roughly $48 million in loans, grants, and other financial aid to support thousands of small businesses across Washington, D.C., helping to create and retain more than 18,700 jobs. This impact included a partnership with the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education to disburse $36 million in grants to stabilize District-based childcare businesses and, by extension, the earning capacity of households across the city.
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About the Washington Area Community Investment Fund
The Washington Area Community Investment Fund, Inc. (Wacif) is one of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area’s leading Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) focused on small business development. Wacif’s mission is to increase equity and economic opportunity in underserved communities in the Washington, D.C. area by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low-and-moderate-income entrepreneurs. To learn more about Wacif’s mission,