September 20, 2016

CDFI Fund: The Fund’s Lisa Jones Wins Service to America Medal

Ceremony Honoring Ms. Jones and Other Outstanding Federal Workers Tonight

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) is extremely proud to share with you that Lisa M. Jones will receive one of eight Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals for her pioneering work to launch the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program.

The Service to America Medals – also known as “the Sammies” – are highly respected awards presented by the non-profit, non-partisan Partnership for Public Service after a rigorous selection process. Often called “the Oscars of government service,” the Sammies are one of the most prestigious awards honoring our nation’s civil servants. Ms. Jones was one of 32 exceptional federal employees named as finalists for the 2016 Sammies.

The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program is a government innovation that injects new and substantial investment into our nation’s most distressed low-income communities. The program makes long-term, low-cost capital available to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) at no cost to taxpayers. As a result of the $852 million in bonds Treasury has issued since 2013, CDFIs have financed small businesses, affordable rental housing, day care centers, senior living facilities, charter schools, and health care facilities.

“The CDFI Bond Guarantee Program is a game changer for the CDFI industry,” said CDFI Fund Director Annie Donovan. “The program is a gateway to the capital markets for CDFIs, who are proving that low-income communities are credit-worthy. In the not-too-distant future, we expect the CDFIs who use this program to be attractive to a larger universe of institutional investors as bridges between distressed communities and the capital markets.”

The 32 Sammie finalists competed for eight medals in the following categories: Science and Environment; Homeland Security and Law Enforcement; National Security and International Affairs; Citizen Services; Management Excellence; and the Federal Employee of the Year. Ms. Jones is the Service to America medal winner in the Citizen Services category.

The 2016 Service to America medal winners will be honored tonight, September 20, 2016, at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. Watch the ceremony live at www.servicetoamericamedals.org.

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