Marshall E. Crawford, Jr., MPA President & Chief Executive Officer In 2017, Marshall joined The Housing Fund, a CDFI private nonprofit revolving loan fund located in Nashville, TN. As President & CEO, he carries the full range of responsibilities typically associated with such a position. Reporting to the board of directors, his responsibilities are grouped in five major areas: organization leadership and management, strategic planning, resource development, management of loan portfolio and lending operations and community external relations. Marshall’s leadership also ensures support for community building and housing development to residents to ensure the revitalization of communities.
Marshall is a leading subject expect on community development and affordable housing with nearly 30 years of experience in banking and nonprofit management. He has accumulated several accolades and currently sits on several boards including the Nashville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, and NashvilleHealth. Four consecutive years, he has been recognized as one of Nashville’s Most Admired CEOs by his peers and the Nashville Business Journal. He is currently recognized as one of the most powerful business leaders in Nashville and in 2019, Marshall was installed into the Tennessee Affordable Housing Coalition Hall of Fame for his efforts in affordable housing over the years. He recently completed Leadership TN Class VIII.
Marshall is a military veteran, who was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving five years in overseas in Germany and at Fort Knox, Kentucky. He started his banking career in Nashville, Tennessee and later relocated to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked as a mortgage loan officer with several banks. Eventually, he became a safety and soundness bank examiner with the Department of the Treasury. Prior to joining The Housing Fund, Marshall served as President of Housing and Multifamily Development for Community Ventures in Lexington, KY and he spent 13 years at NeighborWorks America in various roles.
Marshall is a graduate Western Kentucky University, where he received a degree in finance (‘95). He completed a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (‘06). Finally, in 2016, Marshall completed an Executive Leadership Certification at Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
Mission: The Housing Fund provides resources and creative leadership to individuals and communities to create and maintain affordable and healthy places for low- and moderate-income people to live.