Adrian Franco, Ph.D.

Officer & Director of Community Development Finance (CoDeFi)

Adrian Franco supervises a portfolio of community development finance initiatives that aim to increase the impact of community investments in low- and moderate-income communities. These initiatives include programs to attract capital to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, regional reports to facilitate flow of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) capital to distressed areas and tools to support communities in Opportunity Zones. He also chairs the New York Fed’s Community Advisory Group, an advisory board of nonprofit organizations, and is a member of the Bank’s fintech steering committee.

In his previous role as the New York Fed’s Director of Education, Franco oversaw the Bank’s programs for students and educators and implemented an internship program to foster the institution’s diversity goals. Before joining the New York Fed, Franco served as executive director of Qualitas of Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization advancing financial inclusion. He also held policy related roles at the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and Secretariat of Public Education, and was responsible for community engagement at President Elect Vicente Fox’s transition team.

He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, and holds a Masters in International Affairs and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. His doctorate dissertation is on financial inclusion of Latino immigrants.