Melanie Stern, Lending Program Officer

Melanie Stern joined LISC in October of 2020 as a Lending Program Officer. She is responsible for lending activities to foster equitable and inclusive community development initiatives throughout DC.

Prior to joining LISC, Melanie worked with The Community Builders where she supported the development of affordable and mixed-income housing throughout the DC and Baltimore region, from predevelopment through construction and lease-up. Projects ranged from $19M-$100M+ in total development cost. Throughout her career, Melanie has partnered with a variety of nonprofits in St. Louis, Boston, DC, and Latin America, promoting inclusive economic growth and equitable development in underserved communities. While receiving her Master’s, Melanie worked with the City of Fitchburg to develop a master plan for the revitalization of the city’s main street corridor, as well as in partnership with the Town of Tisbury and a Martha’s Vineyard affordable housing developer to transform an industrial site on the Island into mixed-income housing. Melanie also spent a year in Uruguay as a Princeton in Latin America Fellow where she supported operations and management of a nonprofit providing programming for children and families in an underserved Montevideo community.

Melanie received her Master’s in Urban Planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, with a concentration in Housing and Neighborhood Development. She also holds a BA in Urban Studies with minors in Spanish and Architecture from Washington University in St. Louis.