| September-October 2003 | Issue 196 |
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NTIC celebrates 30 years of organizing neighborhoods |
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| In late October, the National Training and Information Center celebrated its 30- year anniversary and 25 years of the landmark Community Reinvestment Act as well as the legacy of its co-founder, Gale Cincotta. More then 200 people attended the event held at the Chicago Cultural Center, including national leaders and organizers, and bankers from around the country. In its 30-year history, NTIC has often had to fight and organize against bankers. Those fights have led to significant partnerships such as NTIC’s recent accomplishments with Citifinancial and our longer term partnership with Fannie Mae. For community groups across the country, the event was also a celebration of the respect which many financial institutions now have for the needs, ideas and issues that neighborhood groups bring to them. NTIC was created because neighborhood groups needed a national presence, a national resource, a way to work together, and a way to network with each other. At the celebration it was obvious that in addition to fighting for neighborhood improvement, NTIC has grown into a network that enables neighborhood groups to work in partnership with such powerhouses as Fannie Mae and other major financial institutions. The event was sponsored by Fannie Mae, Northern Trust, MB Financial Bank, State Farm Insurance, LaSalle Bank and Harris Bank. Speakers included Thomas FitzGibbon, President of the MB Financial Community Development Corporation and member of the Gale Cincotta Fund Steering Committee; Marilyn Evans, NTIC Chairperson and Executive Director of Communities United for Action in Cincinnati, Ohio; NPA Co-Chairs, Brenda LaBlanc, Inez Killingsworth, and Emira Palacios; James Cincotta, youngest son of Gale Cincotta and a member of the Gale Cincotta Fund Steering Committee; Joseph Mariano, Executive Director of NTIC; Daniel Mudd, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of the Fannie Mae Corporation; and U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis, D-Ill. Mudd was the keynote speaker at the event. In his speech he reflected on the history of Fannie Mae and NTIC. “Fannie Mae and NTIC were never enemies…we just hadn’t been properly educated,” Mudd said. He went on to credit Cincotta with many of the mortgage products and initiatives that help Fannie Mae meet its affordable housing mission today, and its efforts to combat predatory lending. “Gale Cincotta’s leadership, direct and to the point-honest and….sometimes polite….changed housing forever,” Mudd said. Davis credited Cincotta and NTIC for setting the standard in furthering the cause of mortgage finance for those who could not fight for themselves. “Gale did so much to advance the cause of affordable housing, that in a true sense, she lives on throughout her work.” Evans said she credits Cincotta with empowering women to fight for community improvement. “In some ways my story was what Gale Cincotta was all about because she challenged women to go ahead and face challenges we thought we couldn’t conquer,” Evans said. “Gale made a difference in my life, and for my family. I know I can’t follow in her footsteps, but I am proud to carry the banner.” LaBlanc told the crowd that in her experience working with NTIC, the power of the people’s vote is much stronger than the power of the dollar. “We’ve come a long way since CRA was passed, but the market keeps changing and we need to also,” she said. Mariano reflected on the accomplishments NTIC has made in the area of affordable housing, and other critical neighborhood issues. “Although we have come a long way, we still have further to go,” he said. “Issues such as ending the abuse of homeowners caused by predatory lenders, and redlining, are just some of the things that we have set our sights on. The legacy of Gale Cincotta deserves, and will receive, no less.” |
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Disclosure
is published by the National Training
and Information Center. 312-243-3035 |
