Cherry brings four decades of experience in community development, law and finance to regional advisory board
Elyse Cherry has joined M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council for Massachusetts. She is the CEO of BlueHub Capital, a Boston-based national community development financing organization focused on building healthy communities where low-income people live and work.
Serving as ambassadors to the business community, members of M&T's Directors Advisory Council meet regularly to provide bank leadership with valuable perspectives on opportunities to strengthen local communities, support economic growth and deepen relationships across the region.
“For forty years, BlueHub has shown the power of mission-driven capital and has invested billions of dollars into schools, affordable housing, health centers and other projects across the country. M&T Bank shares our deep commitment to expanding access to capital, creating strong partnerships and building healthier communities,” said BlueHub CEO Elyse Cherry. “I am honored to join M&T's Directors Advisory Council and contribute my perspective from years of working and living in Greater Boston.”
Cherry has led BlueHub since 1997, transforming the organization into a national leader in impact investing and community development finance. Under her leadership, BlueHub has invested more than $3.3 billion to finance affordable housing, health centers, schools and other community facilities, as well as clean energy projects; support foreclosure relief; and remove financial barriers to U.S. citizenship.
Before joining BlueHub, Cherry was a partner at Hale and Dorr (now WilmerHale), where she specialized in affordable housing, real estate and development. She is an active civic leader, serving on the board of The Boston Foundation, in addition to M&T Bank, and previously served on the boards of Wellesley College, ADA Forsyth Institute and Eastern Bank’s Board of Advisors. Her work has earned recognition from organizations including the Boston Business Journal and the Financial Times.
About BlueHub Capital
BlueHub Capital is a mission-driven, nonprofit community development finance organization focused on building healthy communities where low-income people live and work. BlueHub uses innovative financial tools to support projects that make communities more vibrant places to live through three distinct programs: BlueHub Loan Fund (community development financing), BlueHub SUN (foreclosure relief) and One Percent for America (citizenship financing).