Joe Neri
Chief Executive Officer
Joe Neri is CEO of IFF, one of the nation’s leading community development financial institutions (CDFIs). IFF is a mission-driven lender, developer, and real estate consultants committed to helping nonprofits and the communities they serve to thrive. As CEO, Joe leads a staff of over 140 highly dedicated and talented professionals working across finance, real estate, development, policy, research, program management, and more.
With over 35 years of comprehensive community development experience, Joe has broad, direct experience in nonprofit management, community facility finance, planning and development; affordable housing; community small business lending; child care facilities design, finance, systems planning and charter school authorizing; and development. He is a passionate writer and advocate for the power of the nonprofit sector as engine of change.
Joe first joined IFF in 1997 and established IFF’s Real Estate Consulting and Research businesses, led IFF’s expansion to 10 states and created Home First, a housing development corporation for persons with disabilities.
He is past Chair of the Board and current Treasurer for Allies for Community Business, serves on the Community Advisory Committee for U.S. Bank, leads the CDFI/FHLB Working Group and previously served on the Community Advisory Committee of the St. Louis Federal Reserve and numerous nonprofit Boards.
Prior to joining IFF, Joe was Associate Director of The Resurrection Project, a nationally recognized Chicago community development corporation that he helped to create.
Joe has held adjunct instructor positions at the graduate planning schools of the University of Iowa and the University of Illinois, Chicago. He holds a Masters in City Planning from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelors in Urban Affairs from Grinnell College.