Tony Salazar

Biography: March 2011 Mr. Salazar’s entire professional career has been dedicated to rebuilding inner-city communities. He has used his skills and expertise to bring a sense of belonging and hope for the future to America’s forgotten neighborhoods. As a Principal at McCormack Baron Salazar, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company and its affiliates, including real estate development projects, real estate management, asset management, and the solar and renewable energy venture, Sunwheel Energy Partners. As President of West Coast Operations, Mr. Salazar is also responsible for west coast new business development, including seeking out and responding to solicitations, acting as liaison with joint venture partners, and interfacing with government officials and local community groups. McCormack Baron Salazar specializes in developing large-scale urban projects in distressed communities that involve mixed-use, mixed-income (affordable and market-rate), multi-generational, various housing types (rental and for-sale) and blended financing. The financing for McCormack Baron Salazar’s projects involve a combination of conventional debt, government sources (CDBG, HOPE VI, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, New Markets Tax Credits, Section 8, HOME, Bonds and Tax Increment Financing), Foundation grants and/or PRI loans, and pension funds. Mr. Salazar has been involved in developing a variety of innovative projects, including six HOPE VI (public housing redevelopment) projects, two senior projects, seven mixed-income communities, three transit villages, a large-scale SRO and five earthquake recovery projects. He currently serves on the board of Enterprise Community Partners, National Council of La Raza, and Farmworker Justice, Inc. Previously, he served as a board chair of the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic advocacy organization in the country, and as director of the California Community Foundation, the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation, the Community Development Research Center at the New School of Social Research, and with several private sector companies. He also served on Bank of America’s National Community Advisory Council. Tony has a master’s degree in social work specializing in administration from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City.