Amid rapid change driven by economic, environmental, and social forces, ensuring access to capital, advancing inclusion, and promoting sustainable policy are more critical than ever. It is an honor to return to the Urban Institute to help expand research, data analysis, and partnerships that drive equitable housing, economic opportunity, and community resilience.
Alanna McCargo is a nonresident fellow in the Housing Finance Policy Center and Senior Fellow for Inclusive Capitalism with the Clinton Foundation. With decades of experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, she has deep expertise in housing finance, capital markets, and inclusive economic policy. McCargo’s research focuses on advancing policy solutions that strengthen US housing finance, catalyze capital for underserved communities, and support sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
McCargo is the founder of iAM Housing Advisors, a strategic advisory firm that helps executives and boards navigate change and transformation efforts to improve business outcomes and deliver on the mission.
Previously, McCargo was president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, leading the organization’s work to provide liquidity and support affordable housing and community development programs for more than 300 financial institution members in the bank’s district.
In 2021, McCargo was nominated by President Biden and confirmed with bipartisan Senate support to serve as the 18th president of Ginnie Mae, becoming the first woman to lead the $2.5 trillion federal mortgage-backed securities program. McCargo led the launch of the agency’s first social impact and sustainability framework, responding to global investor demand and creating value to the US-guaranteed securitization program, propelling social bonds to more than $1 trillion outstanding.
Earlier, McCargo was senior housing finance adviser to the secretary of housing and urban development, helping shape housing recovery policies during the pandemic and implementing interagency efforts on appraisal equity, community investment, and financial stability in the housing finance system.
McCargo holds a BA in communications from the University of Houston, an MBA from the University of Maryland, and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from Georgetown University.
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