BOSTON – BlueHub Capital, a national nonprofit community development financing organization, announced the hiring of Brenda Loya as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Loya’s experience in the banking, nonprofit and community development financial institution (CDFI) industries has provided her with a deep knowledge of how to use financial tools to build healthier communities. Loya is the nonprofit’s first COO; her addition to BlueHub’s senior leadership team will support the organization’s extended period of robust growth.
As Chief Operating Officer, Loya will be integrally involved in some of BlueHub’s most innovative and industry-leading initiatives, including One Percent for America, a first-of-its-kind citizenship financing program, and BlueHub Energy, which seeks to increase the accessibility of renewable energy resources. Loya’s fresh perspective and expertise will be instrumental in enabling BlueHub to continue building on the strength of its existing programs, while developing new strategies and products consistent with its mission of creating healthy communities where low-income people live and work.
“Brenda’s passion for mission-driven work and her outstanding experience in the CDFI world make her an excellent fit to lead the operations of our organization, and I am confident that she will help propel us into our next chapter,” said BlueHub Capital CEO Elyse Cherry. “As BlueHub continues to build on its nearly forty years of experience lending in low-income communities, we are excited to work with Brenda to drive planning and strategy while enhancing efficiency.”
Previously, Loya was the National Director of Community Development Finance and Commercial Banking at Amalgamated Bank where she led the bank’s community development lending strategy, including: overseeing investments in the development and preservation of affordable housing and community facilities; economic development initiatives to build wealth in communities of color; and environmental justice projects that protect communities of color from threats of climate change.
“I am thrilled to be joining the BlueHub team,” said Loya. “BlueHub has a reputation of being ahead of the curve, and I hope to contribute to the organization’s continued success. I see many opportunities for growth, new ideas and enhanced operations that will help bring BlueHub into its next phase of mission-driven work.”
Loya grew up in El Paso, Texas, as a child of immigrants from rural Mexico. As first-generation Americans, she and her brothers were the first in their family to go to college. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. in computer science and earned her MBA from Georgetown University. Demonstrating her commitment to community development and social justice, she serves on the boards of two CDFIs: Raza Development Fund and Nonprofit Finance Fund. She is also on the board of Masa, an education nonprofit focused on improving literacy and leadership skills for Mexican, Central American, and Indigenous children in the South Bronx.
Loya lives in Brooklyn, New York, and she will be splitting her time between Brooklyn and BlueHub’s headquarters in Boston.
