IBA announced last week that CEO Vanessa Calderón-Rosado has been selected to the Federal Reserve Board’s Community Advisory Council. She will serve a three-year term for this committee, which advises the governing body of the Federal Reserve System.
In her role as a Councilmember, Calderon will be an integral part of a team charged with providing thoughtful counsel and strategic recommendations to the Board on relevant policy matters and emerging issues of interest, particularly as it relates to the concerns of low-and moderate-income populations. She joins 15 experts and representatives from consumer, workforce, and community development organizations across the nation, whose expertise include affordable housing, economic development, labor, small business, and asset and wealth building.
“The impact that Vanessa has had on IBA throughout the past several years is significant, and a testament to her leadership skills,” said Hector Cruz, president of IBA’s Board of Directors. “Her passion for bettering our residents’ lives, coupled with her ability to speak out on important matters, will be instrumental in shaping the actions of the Federal Reserve Board, and we are proud to watch her enter this role.”
As an outspoken leader on development and affordable housing in Boston, this role will provide a new platform for Calderon’s unique voice. Her commitment to creating a better city, particularly for the low-income minority population, has been influential in shaping Boston’s South End neighborhood. Under her oversight, IBA has turned into the largest Latino-led nonprofit in Greater Boston.
Calderon has also served as an advisor to key local groups, including the Boston Police Department, Boston Public Health Commission, and Mayor Walsh’s housing task force. She is a co-founding member of the Greater Boston Latino Network (GBLN), which advocates for the inclusion of Latinos in decision-making positions in Boston city government, and as a result of a study she commissioned on Latino representation in municipal government, the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force for the City of Boston was created. Furthermore, in 2009, she was selected for the prestigious Barr Foundation Fellowship granted to the most gifted nonprofit leaders in Greater Boston.
Calderon and fellow members of the Fed’s Community Advisory Council will meet twice a year to discuss priorities and the focus for the Federal Reserve Board.