Phyllis brings more than 30 years of experience in housing and community development finance across the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors. She served at the U.S. Department of the Treasury under President Barack Obama, where her team implemented foreclosure prevention initiatives in response to the 2008 financial crisis. Previously, Phyllis was President and CEO of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation. She retired in 2008 from Bank of America, where she held several executive leadership roles, including President of Community Development Banking.

Over the course of her career, Phyllis has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards, including Onity Group, City First Bank of DC, the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor, Indonesia.

Passionate about social enterprise, women’s philanthropy, and entrepreneurship, Phyllis is an advisor and mentor to female entrepreneurs and an investor member of Portfolia, MEDA Angels, and Citrine Angels. She also serves on the Leadership Council of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation and is a sustaining member of Women of Color in Community Development.

Phyllis received her MBA from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park, and served as Executive-in-Residence at the Smith School from 2019 to 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and urban planning from the University of Maryland, College Park.