Propel Nonprofits Names Respected, Experienced CDFI Leader Henry Jiménez as President and CEO

Propel Nonprofits has named Henry Jiménez, a highly-respected and experienced nonprofit and Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) leader, as its new President and CEO. Jiménez is charged with furthering the organization’s commitment to providing capital to and support for nonprofits in achieving their missions including the ability to link strategy, governance, and finance throughout their organizational lifecycle.

“Following in Kate Barr’s footsteps is an honor and a privilege and one that I am excited to take on,” Henry said. “Estoy enthusiasmado to champion nonprofits alongside the amazing group of leaders at Propel Nonprofits.”

Jiménez is currently the President and CEO of the Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) and will assume the President and CEO at Propel role in late February. He succeeds long-time President and CEO Kate Barr. Henry and Kate will work together to ensure a smooth transition.

“Henry embodies Propel’s mission, vision, and values. He is a champion for nonprofits,” Sarah Clyne, Propel Nonprofits Board Chair said. “He understands the role of CDFIs and nonprofits in creating generational wealth and connecting communities to essential services so all members of our communities can flourish and thrive. We are thrilled to welcome Henry to the Propel Nonprofits team to lead the organization into this next chapter.”

Clyne added, “As we make this transition, we are deeply grateful for Kate Barr’s contributions, especially in building Propel, her leadership in bringing financial resources to undercapitalized communities, and her role in creating responsive products and programs for nonprofit organizations and leaders throughout her 23-year career.”

Kate Barr, Propel’s outgoing President and CEO said, “I am thrilled with the board’s work and decision to name Henry as the new President and CEO of Propel. He is a champion of nonprofits, a great developer of people, and a fierce community advocate. I am excited to witness how he leads the organization into a new chapter.”

Board member Jean Adams, Principal at JMAdams Advisors and outgoing board member Diane Tran, System Executive Director of Community Health Equity and Engagement at M Health Fairview, co-chaired the search with support from the national search firm BroadView Talent Partners. Scott Marquardt, President at the Southwest Initiative Foundation, and Sony Malhotra, Vice President – Services & Operations at Ameriprise Financial, will co-chair the board transition committee. They said, “We are delighted that after a long and comprehensive process that included many highly-qualified candidates from around the United States, we can announce Henry as the newest member of the team at Propel. Henry impressed the Committee with his resolute focus on equity, commitment to capital access, and deep understanding of Minnesota’s nonprofit sector. We trust in his strategic vision for Propel in the years to come.”

Over the past five years at the Latino Economic Development Center, Henry has led successful efforts to build generational wealth, reimagine cultural corridors, and invest in all communities, particularly Latino, immigrant, and undocumented communities. Henry is a trustee on the board of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota and is the founding president of the board of directors of COPAL (Comunidades Organizando el Poder y Acción Latina), a Twin Cities-based non-profit working to consolidate and activate the civic power of MN’s Latinos. Nationally, he serves on the boards of the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) and National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB). He is a 2023 Bush Fellow, a program hosted by the Bush Foundation that supports accomplished leaders with extraordinary track records who are ready to take their efforts to the next level and have even greater impact with and across communities.

You can learn more at Propel’s President and CEO transition page.