Cynthia Parker

Biography: Cynthia A. Parker is responsible for the overall direction of BRIDGE, as well as its major affiliates such as BUILD, an investment advisor to CalPERS under the California Urban Real Estate Program, and BASS, a licensed life care provider. She joined BRIDGE Housing as President and CEO in February 2010. Ms. Parker brings over 30 years of diverse and relevant experience to BRIDGE, most recently as Regional President for Mercy Housing and President of Intercommunity Mercy Housing. Prior to her tenure at Mercy, she served as Senior Vice President for Seattle-Northwest Securities, a public finance firm, where she oversaw affordable housing, commercial and public facility real estate financing in five Northwest states. Previously, Ms. Parker worked for the City of Seattle, where she established the new Office of Housing, doubled the agency’s housing production and managed a $61 million biannual budget. Earlier, she served as the Executive Director of Anchorage Neighborhood Housing Services and General Manager of Portland Student Services. A former President of the National Neighborhood Housing Network and a former director of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, she has chaired the Sound Families Initiative for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She currently serves as a director of the National Affordable Housing Trust and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle. Ms. Parker is a graduate of Portland State University.