LOURDES gERMáN
‍EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR‍

Lourdes Germán, J.D., began her career after graduating from Boston College and the Boston University School of Law as a public finance attorney at the law firm Palmer & Dodge LLP (now Locke Lord LLP) and then led investment banking efforts in the Northeast and New York Tri-State region as Vice President of Municipal Finance at Fidelity Investments. She then served as Vice President and General Counsel at Breckinridge Capital Advisors, founded a small financial services start-up, and then served as a Director at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy where she helped launch and lead a global program of work on municipal fiscal health, which included activities in partnership with the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development, and engagement with members of congress via the first Congressional Briefing focused on the fiscal health of cities. At Lincoln, Lourdes served on the team of expert advisors for the municipal finance policy unit who developed the frameworks in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Lourdes has also served as a senior advisor to several foundations and non-profit organizations, including the Kresge Foundation, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and others.

Outside of her role leading the Public Finance Initiative, Lourdes serves on the faculty of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design where she teaches Public Finance. Prior to that, Lourdes has worked with several higher education institutions including,  Boston College, where she served as co-director of the Managing for Social Impact Program and Assistant Professor of Practice, Boston University, the Northeastern University School of Law, and she helped establish the Lincoln Institute Certificate Program in Public Finance at the University of Chicago Harris School for Policy.

In addition, Lourdes has an extensive record of board and community service. She was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts to chair the Massachusetts State Finance and Governance Board (a role she held for 7 years) and co-founded Boston Women in Public Finance.  She also mserved on the boards of the Rappaport Center for Law & Policy at Boston College Law School, and served on the board of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, and on the board of trustees of Claremont Lincoln University. At present, Lourdes serves on the Capital and Economic Development Committee for the Government Finance Officers Association of America and serves on the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities Certification Standard Committee.