Lautaro “Lot” Diaz
Vice President, Housing and Financial Empowerment
UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza)
Since 2002, Mr. Diaz has led UnidosUS’ s Housing and Financial Empowerment (HFE) component which manages several housing and financial capability programs nationally. He leads UnidosUS Wealth and Housing Alliance and UnidosUS Financial Empowerment Network which serve over 65,000 families nationally and over 90% of which are from communities of color. These programs improve families housing outcomes and increase their understanding of credit and financial management.
He also founded a related development organization and is the current board chair of Hogar Hispano, Inc. (HHI) which, during the foreclosure crisis, bought and sold distressed assets to created affordable home ownership and to prevent foreclosures; its programs required housing counseling of all buyers and homeowners participating. Since 2011 HHI purchased and repurposed over 2,000 single family property and over 1,300 distressed mortgage notes and is still buying assets today.
His experience includes affordable housing development; credit underwriting; and increasing access to financial services and credit in low income communities. He is and served on several mission driven Board of Directors including National Community Stabilization Trust and is a graduate of the University of California at Los Angeles in Urban Planning program.
Hala Farid
Hala is the Executive Director of Texas Community Capital, a Texas wide certified CDFI loan fund.
Hala brings thirty (30) years of experience in community & economic development, mortgage lending, affordable housing, and non-profit relationship management. She led the Office of Homeownership Preservation then Office of Inclusive Housing at Citi Community Development for nearly nineteen (19) years; prior to joining Citi, she originated CRA-eligible mortgages, and was a homeownership training consultant with Neighborhood Housing Services of NYC for nine (9) years. More recently, she served as the Executive Fuse Fellow to Austin Housing Finance Corporation, City of Austin Housing Department for two (2) years.
Hala serves on four (4) boards; she is Vice Chair of the boards of Grounded Solutions Network & ShelterForce, and is a board member of Purple Heart Homes Inc., and Hogar Hispano Inc. She is also a member of Austin Women in Housing, and Austin Affordable Housing Coalition.
Hala’s daughter lives in the Austin metro area too, and her son-in-law is a Fireman in Pflugerville.
Elisabeth Coats
Elisabeth serves as the Director of the Homeownership Alliance, the National Community Stabilization Trust’s (NCST) practitioner-led coalition of CDFIs and nonprofit housing developers serving communities across the nation . In this role, Elisabeth manages the membership-based advocacy organization by promoting a practitioner-driven policy agenda to expand affordable homeownership in all communities across the nation. In coordination with the Homeownership Alliance’s Steering Committee and the broader membership, she facilitates multi-pronged advocacy strategies to deliver the Alliance’s affordable homeownership policy priorities to Congress and the Administration.
Before her time with NCST, Elisabeth served as the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National NeighborWorks Association (NNA), the trade association representing NeighborWorks organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. Here, she implemented actionable advocacy priorities informed by affordable housing and community development nonprofits that make up the NeighborWorks network. Before joining the NNA, Elisabeth worked as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, specializing in the federal budget process, affordable housing, homeless assistance, and community development issues.
Elisabeth holds a master’s degree in social work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, with a specialization in Policy and Social & Economic Development. She received her bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn., where she majored in Psychology and Political Science.
Yves M. Mombeleur
Yves M. Mombeleur is an executive who is driven to advance economic equality for all folk through his unique inclusive vision. Mr. Mombeleur offers a diverse background and proven skills in community development, brand and reputation risk management,
Mr. Mombeleur is the Chief Operations Officer at Clearinghouse CDFI, a $700 million national financial services company headquartered in Lake Forest, CA. Since its inception, Clearinghouse has provided over $2 billion worth of loans through innovative and affordable financing that is unavailable in the conventional market. Mr. Mombeleur also serves as Managing Director, at FVLCRUM Funds; a $300 million private equity firm headquartered in Washington, DC Metro. FVLCRUM represents the sophistication of private equity that intentionally focuses on diverse businesses and business owners with the end goal to generate top quartile returns for investors while simultaneously accelerating wealth creation for minorities.
Mr. Mombeleur has a demonstrated history of service and philanthropic engagement. Current commitments include:
Girl Scout of San Gorgonio Council– Treasurer (Redlands)
Latino Coalition – Board Member (East LA)
Instituto de Avance Latino – Chairman of the Board (East Los Angeles)
Endowment Commons Advisory Board Member (National)
Safety Center – Chairman of the Board, (Sacramento)
Children At Risk – Board Member (Texas)
Frisco Soccer Association – Treasurer (Frisco)
Mr. Mombeleur is a proud alumnus of The University of Texas @ Arlington (B.A., Cum Laude), The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (MBA- Finance, Magna Cum Laude), and Loyola University Chicago School of Law (Jurisprudence – Magna Cum Laude)
Vickie Tassan
Senior Vice President, The Academy Horizontal GT/GO Program Management
Vickie Tassan leads the horizontal for GT/GO Program Management in The Academy at Bank of America. Her team is responsible for enabling and supporting program design and execution functions across the academy for Global Technology and Global Operations. The team also Integrates workforce management capabilities across GT & GO in collaboration with significant internal and external partners to promote, grow and manage efforts around workforce development that support career mobility, learning, upskilling, and reskilling, retention, foster diversity, and inclusion and ultimately improve employee satisfaction. Programs managed by the team include: Year Up, GT and GO Risk Bootcamp, and the GT and GO Executive Development programs.
Prior to rejoining Bank of America, Vickie worked most recently as a Senior Director at Morgan Stanley, who recently acquired her employer, E*TRADE. At E*TRADE she led the compliance and risk efforts focusing on low- and moderate-income communities from both a business perspective and from a philanthropic and program support focus for local non-profit organizations. Before E*TRADE she worked at Ally Bank where she was the CRA Business Executive driving results in the Salt Lake City market where Ally Bank was headquartered at the time.
Vickie worked at Bank of America for more than 20 years starting in Community Development Banking and ending in ESG where she worked with national partner relationships and related efforts to drive business results across the country and branding for the company.
She is a recognized leader in public/private partnerships, issues impacting underrepresented communities and non-traditional pathways to employment.
Kevin Smith
Chief Financial Officer at UnidosUS
Kevin Smith is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at UnidosUS, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. Kevin is responsible for delivering strong financial leadership; providing prudent fiscal stewardship; promoting a culture of exceptional performance, cross-functional collaboration, and commitment continuous improvement; and advising senior leadership and the Board of Directors on strategies to achieve the organization’s goals and objectives. In his role as CFO, Kevin oversees Finance, Information Technology, Unidos Investment Fund, and Unidos Properties LLC and serves as a member of the UnidosUS Cabinet.
Kevin brings to UnidosUS and supporting entities more than 30 years of successful finance, accounting, grant-making, procurement, information technology, facilities, and human resources management experience in the non-profit, financial services and real estate sectors.
Kevin also supported the initial concept to establish the Raza Development Fund—a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and support organization to UnidosUS.
Prior to joining UnidosUS, Kevin was the CFO for United Way of the National Capital Area, where he helped to dramatically improve the organization’s annual planning process, financial wherewithal, and operational effectiveness.
Prior to United Way of the National Capital Area, Kevin was the Vice President, Finance for Pew Charitable Trusts, where he helped to launch a robust financial operation at Pew’s new DC headquarters building; upgraded its financial management systems and reporting capabilities; streamlined and standardized its policies, processes and structure; and promoted a culture of customer service, collaboration, teamwork and fiscal stewardship.
Before joining Pew, Kevin was the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer for Fannie Mae Foundation, where he helped to launch, lead, and manage the largest national foundation, at the time, committed to promoting affordable housing and community development across the country.
Kevin has also held key finance positions with businesses that include The Rouse Company, Sun Oil Company, and Coopers & Lybrand, where he became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Kevin earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from American University. Kevin is also a long-standing volunteer board member for several national non-profit organizations who promote the financial empowerment of underserved individuals and families living throughout the United States.