2006 Conference Planning

The Program is Shaping Up. I had my first chance yesterday to look at the near-final agenda for our 2006 Conference in Washington, DC, later this year. Terry Clark, our new Senior Vice President in charge of the Conference, has had the double challenge of learning the industry and planning the conference. It probably has not helped that I keep telling him that I want this to be "our best conference ever." Fortunately, he has had lots of help from our Conference co-hosts (DC-area CDFIs), our sponsors, and many Members.

The heart and soul of the conference this year will be sessions spotlighting innovations toward our industry's goal of dramatically increasing the volume of financing we do to benefit low-income and low-wealth people and communities. More than 80% of the Conference content will be new. We will pay special attention to Members who have brought important innovations to the field (for example, Clearinghouse CDFI's for-profit, mission-centered loan fund model), strategies with great potential (including our own anti-predatory mortgage strategy), and policy strategies (for instance, how to make New Markets Tax Credits work better for CDFIs).

We have some special events planned, as well. In addition to the historic keynote address by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Wednesday, November 1st, we will be paying tribute to Senator Paul Sarbanes, who is retiring this year. Senator Sarbanes has agreed to accept a Lifetime Achievement Award from Opportunity Finance Network in recognition of a Senate career dedicated to affordable housing and community development. We will open the conference with a panel discussion of how "grow, change, or die" is taking root in Washington, DC. And we will close the conference with a roundtable on the midterm elections (five days after we end) featuring national journalists and pundits.

Make sure you plan to attend October 30th-November 2nd in Washington, DC. Find out more on our web site.