NeighborWorks Capital, a national nonprofit and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), is pleased to welcome Jay Wilson as its inaugural Director, Green Initiatives, leading the organization’s participation with Climate United to deploy the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) investment. Following an extensive national search led by Good Insight, Wilson begins his new role on October 15.
“Jay’s strong technical knowledge of green buildings and leadership experience building new initiatives and lines of business will be a boost to NeighborWorks Capital’s capacity as we launch our work building a CDFI lending channel with Climate United,” said James Peffley, CEO.
In his new role, Wilson will build, implement, and lead NeighborWorks Capital’s GGRF program, focused on ensuring that CDFIs, developers, and owners of affordable multifamily properties have access to the knowledge and financial resources needed to incorporate measures that will reduce or eliminate on-site fossil fuels at their properties. He will lead NeighborWorks Capital’s collaboration with Climate United and other partners to support the wider objective of ensuring that all communities have access to the capital they need to participate in and benefit from a cleaner, more sustainable economy.
“I am thrilled to join NeighborWorks Capital at such a critical time for green building, decarbonization investment, and an exciting time for the growth of the organization,” said Wilson.
About Jay Wilson
Jay Wilson brings 20 years of experience in public and private sector green building initiatives. He has a strong base in affordable and multifamily housing, with extensive knowledge about green finance, sustainable design and renewable energy technologies, and climate adaptation and green building policy. Jay is known for his innovative thinking, complex problem-solving, team management, and ability to complete the toughest projects.
Most recently, Jay served as Vice President of Sustainability, based in Washington, DC, at JLL, a global real estate services firm. He led the Emerging Services practice group within JLL’s North American sustainability consulting practice. Jay’s team specialized in electric vehicle strategy, social sustainability, green leasing, waste/circularity, and integration of sustainability services that complemented JLL’s robust sustainable buildings, ESG, and decarbonization practice groups.
From 2014 to 2021, Jay held leadership roles at the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment, including leading the launch of the D.C. Green Bank, a new financial institution that leverages public funding to attract and expand private investment for sustainable building projects. He also led the application and certification process for D.C.’s first-of-its-kind LEED for Cities Platinum Certification. Earlier in his career, Jay served as Director of Sustainable Design at Wiencek and Associates, an award-winning architecture and design firm.
Jay holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University, LEED Building Design + Construction (LEED BD+C) certification, and is a Registered Architect. He has served on boards related to sustainability, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s National Capital Region Chapter and the American Institute of Architects DC Chapter’s Committee on the Environment. Jay was the 2009 AIA|DC Emerging Architect of the Year. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his partner, Javier, and 15-year-old “puppy” Murphy.
About NeighborWorks Capital
Founded with seed capital from NeighborWorks America in 1994, NeighborWorks Capital is a national nonprofit and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), serving member organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. NeighborWorks Capital financing solutions cover critical costs for predevelopment, land and property acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, and preservation. Learn more at neighborworkscapital.org.
NeighborWorks Capital is a member of Climate United, a broad coalition organized to deploy federal investment from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) capital to support the equitable adoption of green technologies in communities across America, with an emphasis on serving low income and disadvantaged (LIDAC) communities. Learn more at https://weareclimateunited.org/.
About Good Insight
With a mission to connect good causes to great leaders, Good Insight is an executive search firm and governance consultancy serving the social sector. They plan leadership transitions, recruit talented senior executives, and strengthen boards of directors. Good Insight focuses on leadership searches for small and mid-sized nonprofits with a nationwide reach. Learn more at www.good-insight.org.
