Bringing her extensive experience in finance, government and nonprofit collaboration, Williams will lead LISC LA’s ambitious work to expand housing, economic development, health, safety and jobs in underserved communities—particularly communities of color. "She has the vision to build on the city’s rich local culture and the expertise to connect programs, capital and community relationships in ways that fuel local economic growth,” said LISC President Denise Scott.
LOS ANGELES (February 16, 2023)—The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) has named Nicole Williams, a seasoned financial, nonprofit and government leader, as the new executive director of LISC Los Angeles.
Williams will spearhead a LISC program that has invested nearly $1.6 billion in affordable housing, small businesses, economic development, health, education, community safety and jobs throughout Los Angeles over the last 36 years—all designed to close race, class and opportunity gaps that keep people from reaching their full potential.
“For more than 20 years, Nicole has been designing and driving creative strategies that lift up families, businesses and whole communities—especially underserved communities of color,” said Denise Scott, LISC president. “She has the vision to build on the city’s rich local culture and the expertise to connect programs, capital and community relationships in ways that fuel local economic growth. I’m thrilled that she will be leading LISC Los Angeles into its next chapter.”
Williams’ background spans finance, government and community-focused nonprofits, all of which she will draw on to lead LISC LA. Most recently, she was senior vice president and head of nonprofit banking for Banc of California, where she built a line of business focused on nonprofits and community development financial institutions (CDFIs) in California.
Previously, she spent nine years at J.P. Morgan, where she worked closely with top CDFIs across the country as executive director of the commercial bank’s Intermediary Lending team. During her tenure, Williams helped lead the development and closing of the $100 million Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund, an impact investment fund launched in collaboration with LISC to help CDFIs accelerate the flow of capital to minority-led businesses. Earlier, she served in the Government Banking group, providing treasury and credit solutions to municipal clients in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.
In addition to her financial expertise, Williams also brings strong knowledge of public service and local government. She spent a decade in various roles with city and county agencies, most notably as senior director of economic development for L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
“Serving at LISC will enable me to bring together the many threads of my career, from supporting CDFIs, to advocating for small businesses, and engaging with local government,” Nicole explained. “I’m excited to be able to engage more deeply with nonprofits, philanthropy, corporate partners and government to improve economic mobility for all Angelenos.”
In addition to her professional work, Williams has long volunteered her time in a number of capacities, including as the board treasurer for the New Village Academy for Girls and as an executive council board member for the Northern California chapter of Women in Public Finance, as well as other taskforces and committees.
Williams has an MBA from the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She is an alumna of the Los Angeles African-American Women in Public Policy Leadership Institute.
Williams can be reached at LISC beginning on February 27 at NWilliams2@lisc.org.
About LISC
LISC is one of the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. We work with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since our founding in 1979, LISC has invested $26.7 billion to create more than 463,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 78.5 million square feet of retail, community and educational space and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances. For more, visit www.lisc.org