LISC Applauds Confirmation of Wendy Spencer to Lead National Service Agency

News provided by

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

Apr 02, 2012, 10:50 ET

NEW YORK, April 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is applauding the confirmation of Wendy Spencer as CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

President Obama's nomination of Spencer to this important post offers strong leadership to the national service programs that CNCS oversees, particularly AmeriCorps and the Social Innovation Fund (SIF), two programs in which LISC has played a leading role, said Michael Rubinger, LISC president and CEO.

"We have long been impressed with Wendy's leadership and dedication to service at Volunteer Florida," Rubinger said. "She has consistently demonstrated the value of national service as a positive force for meeting our country's most pressing needs. And, she has a strong vision for nonprofits as integral drivers of community growth and change. It is a welcome perspective for all of us who care about healthy neighborhoods of choice and opportunity."

LISC was among the earliest AmeriCorps sponsors back in 1994 and has placed more than 2,400 members with community-based organizations focused on the revitalization of disadvantaged communities. LISC AmeriCorps is unique in that it primarily attracts members from the low-income neighborhoods in which it works. LISC members support a range of local programs from affordable housing development to education enhancements to health and safety improvements. In the process, they hone the skills needed for a career in community development. For more information, contact Stacey Rapp at 212-455-9308 or [email protected].

LISC is also among the initial recipients of the Social Innovation Fund (SIF) to support Financial Opportunity Centers across the country. More than $6 million in SIF grants are supporting new and expanded Centers in Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Duluth, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Providence/Woonsocket, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay area. These centers provide services for 15,000 clients. For more information, contact Kevin Jordan at 202-739-9282 or [email protected].

About LISC: LISC combines corporate, government and philanthropic resources to help nonprofit community development corporations revitalize distressed neighborhoods. Since 1980, LISC has raised $12 billion to build or rehab 289,000 affordable homes and develop 46 million square feet of retail, community and educational space nationwide. LISC support has leveraged nearly $40 billion in total development activity. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

Contacts:
Colleen Mulcahy, LISC Communications
312-697-2482 or [email protected]

SOURCE Local Initiatives Support Corporation