Community Vision is thrilled to welcome Luis A. Rodriguez to our Board of Directors. Mr. Rodriguez is in private practice as an attorney and consultant working on legal and public policy issues within the areas of affordable housing, economic development, tax exempt organizations, climate change and racial equity and inclusion policy measures. He assists organizations who are dedicated to working with low income communities and communities of color. He is motivated to work with organizations in an innovative manner centering his legal and policy work around equity and economic justice.
Recently, Mr. Rodriguez worked at the Treasury Department within the Biden Administration. As a Senior Policy Analyst, Mr. Rodriguez assisted in the design, implementation, underwriting and award process of several Treasury Covid economic recovery programs, such as the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP) and the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) program. These Treasury recovery programs were designed to assist low income communities and communities of color severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. These programs provided flexible capital to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), nearly all 50 states, U.S. territories, Tribal communities and other jurisdictions.
In addition to working on these federal recovery programs, Mr. Rodriguez also worked on a cross agency working group looking to modify the Community Reinvestment Act, a White House roundtable on Urban Equitable Development and a Treasury-led research working group composed of academics, activists, researchers and politicians focused on the racial wealth gap.
A former partner at the law firm of Goldfarb and Lipman LLP, Mr. Rodriguez provided legal counsel for over 15 years to public agencies, for-profit and nonprofit developers and other nonprofit tax exempt organizations. He assisted his clients to develop affordable housing projects, commercial buildings and nonprofit owned community facilities. Mr. Rodriguez grew and expanded the law firm’s practice in the New Markets Tax Credit program and has extensive experience working on various affordable housing and economic development programs, including HUD programs, Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Tax Exempt Bond programs.
Mr. Rodriguez has designed and taught law courses in the area of Community Economic Development at Berkeley Law School and UC Hastings Law School (now known as the University of California of the Law, San Francisco). He has also volunteered and served as a Board Member for East Bay Housing Organizations for six years and co-chaired the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Economic Development.
He received his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, his M.A. from the University of Chicago and his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles. He currently serves on the Finance Committee of Public Advocates and has recently joined the Board of Public Advocates.
A Berkeley resident and long-term “East Bayer” who is proud of his Los Angeles and New York/Nuyorican roots, Mr. Rodriguez is a devoted father of two ever-inquisitive children. He enjoys the beauty of the Bay Area and loves books, movies, basketball and music.
Luis A. Rodriguez is honored to be appointed to the Board of Community Vision.
