2012 C AREERS E DITION
Jackson Named Community Development Officer
o r th e a s t P o r tla n d n a tiv e C o b i J a c k s o n is W e lls
F a rg o ’s n e w c o m m u n ity d e v e lo p m e n t o ff ic e r f o r
O r e g o n a n d S o u th w e s t W a s h in g to n , w ith a f o c u s o n
t h e b a n k ’s p r o g r a m s u n d e r t h e f e d e r a l C o m m u n i t y
R e in v e s tm e n t A c t.
J a c k s o n c o m e s to h e r n e w p o s itio n f r o m th e n o n p r o f it
s e c to r, w h e r e s h e h a s w o r k e d f o r th e p a s t s ix y e a r s w ith th e
O n e E c o n o m y C o r p o r a tio n o n e c o n o m ic a n d te c h n o lo g y
d e v e lo p m e n t f o r u n d e r s e r v e d c o m m u n itie s a r o u n d th e
w o r ld .
N
‘One of the things I do bring is
a strong tie to the community
itself and to our nonprofit
organizations. Because of that I
really do hope to enhance the
relationship between Wells
Fargo and the Portland
community in general’
—Cobi Jackson
N o w h e r m is s io n w ill b e h e lp in g c o n n e c t lo c a l c o m m u n i-
tie s to b e tte r c r e d it a n d f in a n c ia l o p tio n s , a n d b u ild in g p a r t-
n e r s h ip s w ith n o n p r o f it g r o u p s in r e a c h in g th e s a m e g o a ls .
“ I d e f in ite ly a m a P o r tla n d g ir l, b o r n a n d r a is e d ,” J a c k s o n
s a y s . “ M y f a m ily ’s h e r e , I ’ m r a is in g m y c h ild r e n h e r e , a n d
I r e a lly c a r e a b o u t o u r c o m m u n ity.”
T h e C R A , p a s s e d in 1 9 7 7 , r e q u ir e s th e b a n k to m a k e
in v e s tm e n ts , lo a n s a n d o th e r f in a n c ia l s e r v ic e s a v a ila b le to
lo w - a n d m o d e r a te - in c o m e c o m m u n itie s a n d in d iv id u a ls ; it
a ls o r e q u ir e s b a n k s to m a k e f in a n c in g a v a ila b le to a ff o r d -
a b le h o u s in g d e v e lo p e r s a n d lo a n s a n d te c h n ic a l a s s is ta n c e
to s m a ll b u s in e s s o w n e r s .
J a c k s o n is o ff ic ia lly a v ic e p r e s id e n t o f th e b a n k in c h a rg e
o f m a k in g s u r e s u c h p r o g r a m s a r e w o r k in g a t th e c o m m u -
n ity le v e l.
“ T h e jo b is f a ir ly b r o a d ,” J a c k s o n s a y s . “ I t r e a lly in v o lv e s
a ll a s p e c ts o f w o r k in g in a n d w ith o u r c o m m u n itie s , ju s t to
h e lp p e o p le g e t a c c e s s to b e tte r p r o d u c ts a n d h a v e a r e a lly
g o o d e x p e r ie n c e w ith W e lls F a rg o .”
A t th e O n e E c o n o m y C o r p o r a tio n , J a c k s o n s e r v e d a s v ic e
p r e s id e n t o f N a tio n a l P r o g r a m s a n d s e n io r d ir e c to r o f
N a tio n a l C o m m u n ity I m p a c t.
S h e c u r r e n tly v o lu n te e r s a s th e b o a r d p r e s id e n t- e le c t o f
th e P o r tla n d H o u s in g C e n te r a n d v ic e c h a ir o f th e B e th e l
E c o n o m ic D e v e lo p m e n t C o m m is s io n . S h e is a f o r m e r
b o a r d c h a ir o f th e N o r th /N o r th e a s t P o r tla n d B u s in e s s
A s s o c ia tio n a n d h a s s e r v e d in c o m m u n ity le a d e r s h ip r o le s
a t th e P o r tla n d D e v e lo p m e n t C o m m is s io n a n d th e S a b in
S c h o o l P TA in N o r th e a s t P o r tla n d .
S h e e a r n e d h e r b a c h e l o r ’s d e g r e e i n E n g l i s h a n d
J o u r n a lis m , a n d a M a s te r ’s d e g r e e in C o m m u n ic a tio n s a t
th e U n iv e r s ity o f O r e g o n .
J a c k s o n c o m e s o n b o a r d a t W e lls F a rg o a t a d iff ic u lt tim e ,
a s th e e c o n o m ic d o w n tu r n a n d th e n a tio n a l b a n k b a ilo u t
h a v e ta r n is h e d th e r e p u ta tio n o f b ig b a n k s .
I n P o r tla n d , th e O c c u p y M o v e m e n t h a s s p e c if ic a lly
n a m e d W e lls F a rg o a s th e c u lp r it in a w a v e o f h o m e f o r e -
c lo s u r e s th a t, p r o te s te r s s a y, h a v e h u r t th e lo c a l c o m m u n ity.
“ O n e o f th e th in g s I d o b r in g is a s tr o n g tie to th e c o m -
m u n ity its e lf a n d to o u r n o n p r o f it o rg a n iz a tio n s ,” J a c k s o n
s a id . “ B e c a u s e o f th a t I r e a lly d o h o p e to e n h a n c e th e r e la -
tio n s h ip b e tw e e n W e lls F a rg o a n d th e P o r tla n d c o m m u n ity
See JA C K SO N on page 5
Page 4
The Skanner News Careers Edition
M ay 30, 2012
Cobi Jackson