Local Advisory Committee (LAC) Member Highlight: Norma D. Dominguez

10.18.2019 — LISC StoriesAffordable Housing

Norma D. Dominguez is the Vice President and Relationship Manager of Community Lending and Investment at Wells Fargo Bank. She is active in her community. Not only is she on the LAC for LISC LA, she also serves on the board of A Community of Friends and is the former president of the board of directors for Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project. We recently sat down with her to learn more about her passion for community development work.

LISC LA: Why were you interested in joining the LAC of LISC LA?

ND: I was always a fan of LISC and the catalytic work across the country. After Tunua [Thrash-Ntuk, LISC LA Executive Director] joined and built up an impressive new team, I wanted to be involved in conversations and learn from the team and the folks around the LAC about all of the community development and economic development work happening in the region. Wells Fargo and LISC’s values are aligned.

LISC LA: What's the best part of your job?

ND: At the bank, I provide financing to many of the same clients LISC serves. I love being part of this community of housers. I love real estate. I love seeing a project go up. I admire all of the work that goes into what it takes to build affordable housing. I've been here at Wells for nine years; today is my anniversary.

LISC LA: Wow, happy anniversary!

ND: Thank you. It's gone quickly. And I think part of it is because there are a lot of great people at Wells Fargo and there are a lot of great people specifically in this group of community lending and investment. And what a win-win, a great group of colleagues who also believe in the mission of our clients and building affordable housing. To me that’s a win-win.

As far as being an LAC member, I think it goes to the first question. We can get tunnel-vision, "housing, housing, housing, housing." And while I believe that's an important pillar for the quality-of-life issues for our neighbors across the region, housing interplays with transportation and jobs, good jobs- with the economic ecosystem of a region. So that's why I appreciate being on the LAC. The conversation widens to incorporate different important issues, topics, challenges, and solutions that impact the quality of life of Angelenos and throughout the region.

LISC LA: Yeah. Are you from Los Angeles?

ND: I am. I was born and raised in the Wilmington community by the port. I'm a proud Angeleno. I moved back to the LA area in 2006 after doing undergrad, grad school and starting my banking career back East. I've been a lender in affordable housing ever since.

LISC LA: As a young girl, did you ever imagine that this is what you would be doing?

ND: No, actually I fell upon affordable housing by accident. But a fortunate accident. I went to public policy school and was trying to decide what to do between my first and second year of grad school. I was an intern in San Francisco at a nonprofit called SF Earn. The board chair at that time was a gentleman that worked at Citibank. He looked at my resume and saw that I had worked for a member of Congress. He asked, "Why don't you do something in the private sector? To broaden your perspective.” And I thought, "Sure, I'll try it." One conversation led to another and I found myself within two weeks at final round interviews for a two-year management rotation program at Citibank, and that's how I entered banking. When I completed a rotation here in Los Angeles it was with Citibank's community development team; that's when I was introduced to this whole world of affordable housing development and I’ve been hooked ever since.

LISC LA: That's cool. It's nice to know you learn policy in school, but then there are all these other career options, not just the government track, but-

ND: Yes, and there are a number of colleagues in this industry who have a public policy or urban planning background.

I appreciate that with the little they had, my parents bought this home and that was a huge investment, not only for themselves but for my sisters and me and everything we've created as a family.

LISC LA: That's awesome. What motivates you to work hard?

ND: It's the way that I was taught to show up. If you say you're going to do something, you do it. If I raise my hand to volunteer for something, then I see that through, regardless of whether I get paid or not or am in the mood to do it or not.

I like everything that I'm involved with. Clearly, I like my work, so I’m going to go above and beyond for our clients, for the projects that I'm involved with outside of work, and for different committees that I'm involved with here at the bank. I enjoy what I do. It's easy to work hard when you enjoy what you do.

I am involved with other activities outside of work and I do them because they’re aligned with my values and is in some way furthering a mission, whether it's education, leadership programs for young people, sitting on a board of a local affordable housing developer, all of that I enjoy.

LISC LA: You were already on this path of doing policy, but then you were given this opportunity to work in the private sector for this bank doing affordable housing. Was there an actual instance, some memorable experience you had that was like, "This is what I want to do for the next few years."

ND: For me, I love real estate, and I enjoy the banking and finance part. But what really is always very moving to me is attending grand openings and hearing from a tenant or a new resident who for any number of reasons found themselves without a home or moving a lot, and finally has a permanent home. It's so gratifying to be a small, small part of what made that home possible to that family or person.

I grew up in a working class family and we had a home. When you grow up around other working class folks, you don't lament, "Oh, I'm working class or low-income.” My parents didn’t have a lot, but they instilled values that I live by and, they owned a home in Wilmington. I didn't ask for a lot. We worked, all my sisters and I worked throughout high school to pay for our school activities. We knew that, to some extent, we were lucky to have a home my parents purchased back in the day. As an adult, I appreciate that with the little they had, my parents bought this home and that was a huge investment, not only for themselves but for my sisters and me and everything we've created as a family. So, it's a combination of seeing what that home means to the resident and then a huge appreciation to my parents for what they provided me and my sisters.

LISC LA: If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

ND: I would choose a day with my daughter. I have a toddler. I love being a mom and I love work. There aren't enough weekends in a month. So if I have an extra day then I would spend it with her doing weekday fun stuff that you do with a toddler. I wouldn't even know what that is since I spend my Monday through Friday working.

LISC LA: And is she two?

ND: She's almost two. She’s 20 months. So I would go from working to working double time because I’m very clear that stay-at-home parents and daycare providers work much more than I do. But I would totally sign up for that happily.

LISC LA: Who is your hero?

ND: I'm a big fan of Justice Sonia Sotomayor. I read her autobiography and I related to her in the sense that she was a woman of color at an Ivy League school, and you have to figure it out. I so admire that she beyond figured it out, she excelled and is now a Supreme Court Justice. I admire her grit, intellect, her warmth and her commitment and connection to her family. I'm sure that applies to a lot of people, but as a Latina, it totally resonates. She came from very humble beginnings and reached the epitome of excellence in her field.

LISC LA: That's awesome. Did you go to an Ivy?

ND: I did. I went to Brown University.

LISC LA: Did she also go to Brown?

ND: She went to Yale.

LISC LA: What are you most looking forward to in 2020? We're almost at the end of the year.

ND: I'm a political junkie. 2020 is an election year. There are a lot of candidates who I'm invested in personally, and that's exciting to me. Some folks I know, some folks I know well.

LISC LA: Personally?

ND: Yes, there are a lot of people in the region who I've known for a long time. Some are running for the first time and others for re-election. Nationally, I feel it's a pivotal moment in our country's history; like many people, I'm paying close attention to everything going on. It’s like months on end of game day. I'll be tuning in like a lot of people. Debates, the whole thing.