Washington, D.C. (July 20, 2021) – The Washington Area Community Investment Fund (Wacif) today announced CEO Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr.’s selection to Class V of the Aspen Institute’s Finance Leaders Fellowship. Harold will join a diverse class of leaders across the global finance industry.
“I am truly honored to join the Aspen Global leadership Network through Class V of the Aspen Institute’s Finance Leaders Fellowship,” said Wacif CEO Harold B. Pettigrew Jr. “As a Fellow, I look forward to advancing the finance industry with a deeper lens towards equity, and I am excited to join this global network at a critical time when conscious capital is needed to rebuild our economy and move our communities forward.”
“When our co-founders, Ranji Nagaswami and Chris Varelas, founded this Fellowship in 2016, they had a vision of creating more values-driven leaders across every sector of the finance industry,” said Aspen Institute Finance Fellows Executive Director Kara Gustafson. “I congratulate Harold and the other members of this class of outstanding leaders who have the belief, talent, and resilience needed to positively reshape the future of the industry at an inflection point that demands values-driven leadership.”
The Finance Leaders Fellowship is a program of the Aspen Institute, a global nonprofit organization building an equitable and just society through dialogue, leadership, and action. The Finance Leaders Fellowship develops a community of high-integrity leaders in the global finance industry. Using the Aspen Institute method of text-based dialogue, and building upon the Institute’s commitment to values-based, action-oriented leadership, the program encourages selected Finance Fellows to consider values and perspectives necessary for effective, high-integrity leadership in finance—and in society at-large. Prospective Finance Fellows are nominated by a third party and undergo a selection process by the Aspen Insititute in order to be considered for the program.
Wacif is dedicated to building deep connections with leaders and organizations advancing equity, inclusion, and economic opportunity. Recently, Wacif’s CFOO Kevin Fryatt joined Credit Builders Alliance (CBA) Board of Directors as Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair for CBA and the CBA Fund. In the last year, Wacif CEO Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr. and Board Member Matt Glatting graduated from Leadership Greater Washington’s Signature Program, and Wacif Chief Development and Communications Officer Brendon Miller graduated from Leadership Montgomery’s CORE Program. As the region recovers from COVID-19, Wacif’s leaders are positioned to help shape and support an equitable recovery by leveraging their experience empowering underserved communities through economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, and community wealth building.
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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 Institution (CDFI) 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, visit www.wacif.org.
About the Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.