VCCDC Welcomes New Board Member: Leilani Barnett, Regional Manager for the Federal Reserve Bank Of San Francisco
Ventura County Community Development Corporation is proud to announce Leilani Barnett as a new addition to its Board of Directors. VCCDC works to strengthen and sustain vibrant communities by empowering low to moderate income individuals and families to build wealth through education and homeownership. Ms. Barnett joins VCCDC’s board with 23 years of experience in community development and her passion for using innovative, cross-sectoral approaches to help low- and moderate-income communities, offer a fresh perspective that aligns well with VCCDC’s mission.
“I have very much enjoyed working with VCCDC to establish the Family Financial Well-Being Collaborative over the past years. I look forward to the opportunity to be of service to the VCCDC board and to participate in creating solutions for our communities.”
Ms. Barnett’s extensive background in community development came through various agencies including Pacific Municipal Consultants, Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency and most recently, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco (FRBSF). In her most recent role as Regional Manager of Community Development for the FRBSF she supports & leads multi-sector collaborations to help low- and moderate-income communities throughout California and Idaho in the areas of affordable housing, financial resiliency, health, equity, early childhood education, and climate resiliency. Ms. Barnett holds a Master’s degree in City Planning – with a focus on Affordable Housing & Real Estate Development from the University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She currently serves on the Board of the San Joaquin Valley Affordable Housing Coalition and the Sacramento County Children’s Coalition Advisory Board. She is part of the Finance Technical Advisory Committee for the Mayors’ Commission on Climate Change in the cities of Sacramento & West Sacramento and an Ethnic Studies Task Force Member for the Davis Joint Unified School District.
“The partnership with Leilani and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco assisted VCCDC in bringing much needed resources to Ventura County after the Thomas Fire disaster hit our community. Leilani’s insight and expertise were also instrumental in the formation of the Family Financial Well-Being Collaborative, a group created to advocate on behalf of families and individuals to address barriers to financial well-being. Leilani’s passion and valuable expertise in community development, affordable housing and financial resiliency will help bring new, innovative ideas to VCCDC. I look forward to the future accomplishments of VCCDC with Leilani on board,” says VCCDC’s Executive Director, Bertha Garcia.