Susan Hammond
Relationship Manager for Native CDFIS at Fahe
About Susan
Susan Hammond is the new Relationship Manager for Native CDFIS at Fahe, a national CDFI serving rural Appalachia and other non-profits in rural and Native communities with a mission to building the American Dream. Her main focus in this position will be to develop strong partnerships/collaborations with Native CDFIs by providing training, expertise, and support in accessing the secondary mortgage market, which will increase the capacity and provide equity access to capital for these organizations while also addressing the severe housing needs faced by Native families and communities.
Susan is a tribal member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, a tribal community located in central Maine. She has dedicated her career to growing investments in Native economies and serving Native communities. After graduating from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Susan worked with the Penobscot Nation tribal government in various capacities – in vocational education, economic development, health and housing – and served eight years on the Tribal Council. Her work opened her eyes to the deep systemic changes needed in tribal communities, particularly with housing.
Susan brings 20 years of experience working in the Native CDFI sector as she was a founder of Four Directions Development Corporation (FDDC) in 2001 and which she served as its Executive Director until January of 2022. FDDC is a Native CDFI located in Orono, Maine serving the four Native tribes in Maine. Under Susan’s leadership, FDDC created a transformative on-reservation home mortgage product. Susan also led FDDC’s efforts to implement new legal infrastructure and lending codes in the Maine tribal communities, allowing collateral recourse. Since then, FDDC has closed $18+ million in loans so tribal members can buy, sell, improve and build equity in their homes.
Susan serves on numerous boards: Oweesta Corporation, Coastal Enterprises Inc, Four Directions Development Corporation, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Venture Fund and Bangor Savings Bank. She was awarded the Maine SBA Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year Award as well as the Visionary Leader Award from the Opportunity Finance Network/Oweesta Corporation.