Gary Hattem
President
Americas Foundation

Managing Director
Deutsche Bank

Current Member and Past Chairman (2007-2010)
Living Cities Board of Directors

One would expect that putting bankers and philanthropists in the same room together would naturally cause each group to run for the exit door as quickly as possible. Despite that gravitational pull, Living Cities has sustained a conversation among America’s largest foundations and financial services firms that has lasted 20 years and continues to result in defining new ways of collaborating for the good of our country.

When Living Cities first got going, community development was an early stage industry with lots of promise and talent but limited capital and few champions. A narrative thread of citizen self–help and physical transformation had the makings of a great American movement that Living Cities astutely recognized had the power and potential to reshape how cities invest in their low-income residents. Using the clout and prestige of its institutional members, Living Cities defined a new political equation that validated the actions of grass roots activists, aggregating their actions into “a theory of change” for foundation executives and “an investable proposition” for bank officers. What was once exceptional became the new normal as all levels of government realigned urban policy to leverage off of the hidden assets of self-determination in even the most fragile communities.

For two decades, Living Cities has sustained its position as a center of gravity for those who aspire and work to create communities of opportunities for all Americans.