NEW YORK, NY (December 7, 2023) — Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) has announced that Clifford “Cliff” N. Rosenthal, Retired CEO of Inclusiv, will be inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame for 2024. Cliff led Inclusiv (then the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions) as CEO from 1983 to 2012, is a co-founder of the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) movement, and authored Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement.
Cliff is one of five inductees, including Nannie Helen Burroughs, educator, orator and civil rights activist; Tony Bedard, CEO, Frontier Natural Products Co-op; Dr. Christina Clamp, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Cooperatives and Community Economic Development, Southern New Hampshire University; and Vernon Oakes, Radio Host, Everything.Coop. Inclusiv congratulates Cliff and all of the 2024 Hall of Famers.
Established in 1974, the Cooperative Hall of Fame honors extraordinary individuals who have made heroic contributions to the cooperative movement. The stories of those inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame demonstrate that, “there is no one path for induction.”
“Heroic contributions perfectly characterizes Cliff Rosenthal’s impact and journey as a cooperative leader. Sustaining and building Inclusiv through his commitment, sacrifice and determination, Cliff shaped not just our organization but the entire community development movement into a leading force for financial inclusion,” said Cathie Mahon, President/CEO, Inclusiv.
“Inclusiv is proud to champion Cliff’s vision of a financial system that truly works for all communities, including those harmed by racism, disinvestment and lack of opportunity,” said Pamela Owens, Senior Vice President, People and Organizational Development, Inclusiv.
Founded in 1974, Inclusiv empowers its member credit unions to advance financial inclusion through advocacy, education, technology, and impact investment. Inclusiv is a certified CDFI intermediary instrumental in driving private and public investment in credit unions to build wealth for individuals, households, businesses, and communities formerly excluded from the financial mainstream.
Neda Arabshahi
Vice President
Inclusiv Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy
(929) 445-2251
Alexis Iwanisziw
SVP Policy & Communications
(332) 282-0985
