Creating Wealth in Low Income Communities

Forescee Hogan-Rowles founded and was Executive Director of Westview Economic Development Strategies, a Los Angeles-based training, organizational development and consulting organization. From 1990 to 1993, she served as Executive Director of Coalition for Women’s Economic Development. Previously, she taught on the faculty of Brooks College and Woodbury University, both in Southern California. She now teaches as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix School of Business Administration.

Ms. Hogan-Rowles serves on a number of boards, including the Graziadio Board of Visitors, the Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Advisors, the National Community Capital Association Board of Directors, and the Comerica Bank California Community Advisory Board. In July 2007, she was named by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a member of the California Commission for Economic Development.

Ms. Hogan-Rowles earned her Masters Degree in Business Administration at the Graziadio School of Business and Management of Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. In December 2007, she was honored by the Graziadio School as a Distinguished Alumnus. Ms. Hogan-Rowles completed her Bachelor of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University, also in Los Angeles. She also studied at the University of Paris, La Sorbonne, and earned an Associate in Arts Degree at Brooks College. Additionally, she has earned several certifications including Economic Development Finance Professional, Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and a Certificate in Real Estate Finance from the Minority Real Estate Development Program at the University of Southern California.

For more on the Community Financial Resource Center, visit them online: www.cfrc.net

Audio Files

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Questions for Ms. Hogan-Rowles:

1. What kinds of services and economic tools does the CFRC provide?
2. How do you help the average client who walks through your doors? What do they leave with?
3. Tell us about some of the CFRC’s accomplishments.
4. What private sector groups does the CFRC work with and what do these partnerships involve?
5. Why aren’t there other such public/ private partnerships? What are the challenges?
6. How have you leveraged technology to help the CFRC in achieving its goals?
7. How do you think the upcoming presidential election could impact opportunities for small businesses?
8. You have dedicated your professional life to the service of the underserved. Why are you so motivated to help others?
9. You have said that part of your inspiration comes from wanting to revive your old neighborhood in South Central and other suffering communities. What are you trying to accomplish in that area and similar neighborhoods?
10. How has the housing slowdown in Southern California—and the overall economic downturn—affected the advice you give to those who come into the CFRC? Do you have individuals coming in for help who were affected by subprime loans?
11. What are some of the greatest challenges that you and the CFRC have overcome? What did you learn?
12. You come from a long line of entrepreneurs. Tell us how your family has influenced your career choices.
13. We’ve mentioned just a few of the boards on which you participate—Graziadio Board of Visitors, Department of Water and Power, the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Advisors, and on and on. How did you get involved with such a large range of groups?
14. What does being a member of the California Commission for Economic Development consist of? Or a commissioner for the Department of Water and Power?
15. How do you find enough hours in the day between your full-time job as president and CEO of CFRC, your board work, and your teaching responsibilities? What is your time management secret?
16. What advice would you give to those entering the non-profit sector?
17. What is the most important lesson you’ve learned throughout your career?
18. It has been 11 years since you earned your MBA. How has it influenced your career?
19. What did you wish you knew then as a new graduate?

The “GBR Jingle” was composed by Kyle Rotolo, who was born and raised in northern New Jersey. There he played in a number of rock bands and aspired to become a songwriter before moving to Malibu. At Pepperdine he is a music composition major studying with N. Lincoln Hanks.