In this episode Everything Co-op continues to honor the 2024 Cooperative Hall of Fame inductees, featuring an interview with Clifford (Cliff) Rosenthal. Cliff and Vernon explore his extensive contributions to the cooperative movement throughout his career.
Cliff Rosenthal’s impact on community development finance spans decades. As CEO of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions (now Inclusiv) from 1980 to 2012, he championed financial empowerment. His original concept paper led to the creation of the CDFI Fund, and he played a pivotal role in the CDFI Coalition.
Post-Federation, Cliff managed the Office of Financial Empowerment at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). His initiatives improved access to financial services for vulnerable consumers. As an author, he penned “Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement” (2018) and co-authored “Community Capital: Race, Equity, and the Credit Union Movement” (2024).
His accolades include the Herb Wegner Award, recognition from the Opportunity Finance Network, and induction into the African-American Credit Union Hall of Fame. Cliff’s legacy continues through his work as a consulting producer on the TV series “Opportunity Knocks$.”
