Neighborhood Impact Investment FundOne Neighborhood at a Time
Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund
Mark Kaufman has served as the CEO of the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund since its inception. A lifelong Baltimorean, Mark was previously Executive Vice President at City First Bank, a CDFI with a 30 year history of providing mission-oriented capital in DC, Maryland and Virginia, and President of the Bank’s non-profit holding company. He served as Counselor to the Deputy Treasury Secretary in the Obama Administration with responsibility for domestic finance issues for three years and as Maryland’s Commissioner of Financial Regulation for five years in the wake of the financial crisis. In addition to his work in government, Mark has over 15 years of finance experience as an investment banker in Baltimore, with Alex. Brown & Sons and various successor entities. He is a Trustee and Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, a board member of the Jacob K Javits Foundation and a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Council of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta. In September 2024, he was appointed by President Biden to the Community Development Advisory Board at the CDFI Fund.
Email: [email protected]
Ryan Rattanni is the Chief Lending Officer of the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund. He has over 10 years’ experience working in community and economic development in Baltimore City. Most recently, Ryan was a Director of Lending at Reinvestment Fund, where he was responsible for business development, originating, and underwriting the firm’s mission-aligned lending in Baltimore. Previously, he worked for Baltimore Development Corporation and the Baltimore City Department of Finance. Ryan has graduate degrees in Community Planning and Real Estate Development from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from the University of Connecticut. He serves as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Federal Hill Main Street and is a resident of South Baltimore.
Email: [email protected]
Sammy Ndiyo is the Chief Financial Officer of the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund after having served as the Controller for 2 years. He has over a decade of experience in finance and accounting and has worked with both nonprofit and governmental organizations. He most recently served as the Finance Director for Nexus-Woodbourne Family Healing where he led the Finance Department and oversaw all aspects of the accounting and finance function including month-end close management, accounts receivable, accounts payable, financial reporting, budgeting, compliance, grant tracking and reporting. Sammy has also been involved in professional organizations, serving as the treasurer of the National Association of Black Accountants – Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter (NABA) and as a member of the CFO Leadership Council.
He earned his accounting degree from Morgan State University and obtained his CPA license in 2015 while working at the Center for Urban Families.
Email: [email protected]
Jake Crouse is a Loan Officer for the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund after having served as NIIF’s Baltimore Corps Fellow in 2022-2023. Born and raised in Maryland, Jake is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins. Prior to joining NIIF, he was a Finance Specialist at EdOps, a registered B Corp serving nonprofit public charter schools in Washington, D.C., where he oversaw all financial aspects for his clients including bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable, grants administration, reporting, and compliance. Previously, he worked at the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity, first as an AmeriCorps volunteer and later as a Construction Site Supervisor, building affordable housing in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Email: [email protected]
Heidi Hansan is serving a dual role at Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund as General Counsel and Loan Officer. Heidi previously was a long-time resident of Baltimore and spent the past 25 years practicing law. She began her career at Miles & Stockbridge in Baltimore working on asset based lending and other commercial finance transactions. For the past 15 plus years, Heidi has focused on community development finance, primarily representing CDFI lenders and specializing in tax credit finance, charter school lending and other impact investments such as “pay for success” transactions. Heidi prides herself on being collaborative and on her ability to handle complex, multi-tiered, multi-party financing structures. Prior to joining NIIF, she took a year-long sabbatical, and immediately prior to that she was a Principal at Miles & Stockbridge P.C. working in the Baltimore and Washington DC offices. Heidi has an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and obtained both her J.D. and Master of Theological Studies degree from Emory University.
Brenda Dillard is the Staff Accountant of the Neighborhood Impact Investment Fund. A native Baltimorean, she has more than 18 years of experience in accounting. In particular, Brenda served 12 years at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore as Accounting Manager, Accounts Payable Supervisor, Budget Analyst and Accounts Payable Coordinator. She also worked for 7 years at the Hyatt Hotel. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and management while working 7 years with Sinai Hospital holding positions of Financial Analyst, Grant Accountant and Accounts Receivable Clerk.