Andrew Plepler
Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Consumer Policy Executive
Bank of America
Living Cities Board of Directors

Living Cities has been a beacon in the community development field for 20 years and I’ve had the honor and pleasure of being associated with it for about 12 of those years.

I was at the Fannie Mae Foundation when I first learned of this veritable “dream team” of financial institutions, foundations and community development stakeholders who were leading the charge on tackling the tough issues of the day. We became involved as members, but to my disappointment, my stature did not immediately command a seat at the table. However, I dutifully took my place along the perimeter, and waited for my big moment to be invited to join the legends.

My big day finally came and I haven’t given up my seat since!

I moved to Bank of America with the stipulation that I would be grandfathered in and would never again have to return to the perimeter. Mark Willis made a motion on my behalf and after some late night lobbying, my motion was approved and I remain firmly entrenched among giants.

More seriously, Living Cities is a unique collaborative that has allowed me and my company to stay abreast of a rapidly changing community development environment, make connections that enable us to do our work more effectively and to simply be smarter about understanding the challenges that our communities face. One of the most compelling ways Living Cities effects change is through its ability to bring together the various stakeholders who can implement policies and programs dealing with community development issues. The notion of partnerships—whether public-private or between the corporate and nonprofit sectors--— is something that Living Cities embodies. The real power of this collaborative is in its unique ability to bring the leaders of all sectors together in ways that are infrequent yet invaluable.

Reflecting on this journey, I recognize that Living Cities has had a profound impact on me personally and professionally. I’ve become more knowledgeable on the issues I grapple with daily, and more importantly, I’ve developed friendships with leaders who I have come to deeply admire and whose impact on me is immeasurable.