Eli Hopson is CEO of DC Green Bank, where he leads the strategic and operational implementation of DC Green Bank’s programs and fosters relationships with key partners and stakeholders. His thoughtful and decisive approach has so far successfully led DC Green Bank through the challenge of launching operations during the COVID-19 global pandemic. Under his steady leadership, DC Green Bank has developed its first financial offerings, established strategic relationships, and explored opportunities to realize the District’s ambitious Clean Energy goals and DC Green Bank’s mission of becoming the integrated hub of information and investment to accelerate DC’s transition to a sustainable and thriving future.
A clean energy expert, Eli previously served as VP of Legal and Chief Compliance Officer at Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, successor to a merger with Cube Hydro Partners where he was VP of Legal, Regulatory, and Policy. Eli’s prior experiences also include Latham & Watkins, Union of Concerned Scientists, US House of Representatives Committee on Science, and US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Eli received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and M.S. and B.A. in Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Donald Walker is the Chief Operating Officer for DC Green Bank, where he manages and implements the operational and organization effectiveness plans. His many responsibilities include strategic planning, human resources, equity and inclusion, communications, IT, and administrative programs. Donald’s extensive background in leadership, career, and organizational development is critical to DC Green Bank’s success.
Donald’s commitment to being a go-to resource goes beyond DC Green Bank. He is an adjunct professor at Towson University’s College of Business and Economics. Prior to DC Green Bank, Donald served in various leadership roles at Virginia Tech, Towson University, Kelly Services, and Lucas Group. He is an active member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and sits on the Perry School Community Services Board of Directors and the Surrattsville High School Alumni Board.
Donald received his M.B.A. with a focus on Leadership and Organizational Learning from Towson University, M.A. in Counseling in Higher Education from the University of Delaware, and B.S. from Towson University.
Jean Nelson-Houpert is the Chief Financial Officer for DC Green Bank, where she is responsible for the organization’s finances and accounting. Jean will serve as DC Green Bank’s financial steward in implementing strong financial discipline in its financial reporting, budgeting, accounting, and risk management processes and ensure its safety and soundness as well as long-term sustainability and growth.
Jean joined DC Green Bank with extensive expertise in banking, internal control, risk management, and financial reporting knowledge. She also has significant experience in public accounting for mid-to-large size community banks. Among her leadership roles in financial institutions, Jean has served as controller at Millennium Bank, Director of Accounting, and Chief Financial Officer for Alliance Bankshares Corporation and SEC reporting manager at Capital Bank, N.A.
Jean received her a M.J. (Master of Jurisprudence) from Tulane University and B.A. in Accounting from Temple University. She is also a certified Human Resources Professional (PHR).
As Chief Investment Officer of DC Green Bank, Karin leads the Investment Team to originate, structure and asset manage its portfolio, and contributes to the bank’s strategy to achieve its climate, sustainability, and inclusive equity objectives.
Prior to joining DC Green Bank, Karin was an investment director for NatureVest at The Nature Conservancy, managing sovereign debt conversions and commercial blended finance solutions for sustainable blue economy, climate, conservation and biodiversity finance. Karin brings over 30 years of experience as a Banker for a Healthy Planet, having financed and developed over $2 billion of sustainable infrastructure investments in affordable housing, commercial real estate, renewable energy, waste management, regenerative agriculture, conservation, natural capital solutions and inclusive entrepreneurships on five continents. Key milestones from Karin’s work include serving as the first female CEO of a renewable energy finance company in the Abu Dhabi Global Markets in the United Arab Emirates, raising the first global investment fund to finance workforce housing and related infrastructure in South Africa, and leading research on sustainable natural resources management and policy in the Brazilian Amazon, delivering a report that guided World Bank funding strategies in the region.
Karin completed her BA in Latin American Studies, a Masters in Public Policy, and an International MBA, all at the University of Chicago.
As General Counsel of DC Green Bank, Isida oversees all legal, legislative, and regulatory affairs. Her experience has been both on the public company side, where most recently she was General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of a publicly traded technology company focused in EV Charging networks and software development, and previously as General Counsel of a privately held hydropower and pumped storage company. Earlier in her career, she held senior positions both on the financial and legal sides focusing on structured finance, M&A, project finance and development, intellectual property, and corporate governance; including as VP and Senior Counsel of Commercial Transactions at Pine Gate Renewables and dual roles of VP of Project Finance and Counsel at FuelCell Energy, Inc.
Isida holds a J.D., a M.A., and a B.A. She is a licensed attorney in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York.
Dinora McRae is DC Green Bank’s Executive Assistant. She provides executive support as a liaison, aiding in the successful cultivation of partnerships, communications, and outreach for DC Green Bank. Dinora has a decade of experience working in hospitality management, HR, and employee training.
Gary Decker serves as the Director of Strategic Engagement at DC Green Bank. Gary has spent fifteen years working on public policy at the national and international levels to improve lives in the United States and around the world. He has worked on a range of issues including renewable energy, sustainable development and climate change, the protection and expansion of voting rights, health care, and building a more equitable and inclusive economy.
Gary holds a M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Goucher College.
Jaime Jackson is the Director of Investments for Green Buildings at DC Green Bank, where she works on origination, structuring, and executing financial products. Jaime’s extensive background in leading, building, shaping, and directing high-performance, cross-functional teams will serve DC Green Bank and ensure long-term sustainability and growth.
Jaime joined DC Green Bank in January 2022 following 11 years at the Export-Import Bank of the US (EXIM), the export credit agency of the U.S., where she led a $1.2 billion portfolio of power and high-technology corporate and project finance transactions spanning across Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Her experience at EXIM includes a demonstrated record of financing projects in nuclear engineering services, managing power purchase agreements (conventional and renewable), and negotiating post-closing agreements. She successfully led project finance windfarms in Central and South America totaling 305MW, negotiated sizeable prepayments with private equity firms and sponsors, while leading a team of in-house and outside counsel, outside financial advisors, insurance advisors, and engineers.
Jaime holds her M.B.A. from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, and a B.A. in Business Administration, Finance from Clark Atlanta University.
Shyrah Kum serves as the Equal Access Advocate at DC Green Bank, where she is responsible for aligning processes, developing training, and designing outreach to ensure that DC Green Bank is a leader in implementing best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Shyrah’s background includes roles in program coordination, diversity recruitment, and human capital. Previously, Shyrah served as a Development Manager in Human Resources and Deployment at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, an Assistant Director for Undergraduate Admissions and Recruitment at Virginia Tech, and Program Coordinator at George Mason University and George Washington University.
Shyrah holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration from Old Dominion University and a B.A. in History from Virginia Tech.
Ronald Hobson is a highly skilled veteran financial services provider and leader in the Washington DC market who has earned the solid reputation of providing access to capital and financial advisory assistance to some of the most successful and highly regarded government contractors, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. Ronald has worked at a number of regional banks in the DC markets, most recently with Customers Bank where he worked as a Senior Vice President. Mr. Hobson also served as the Associate Deputy Administrator for Government Contracting and Minority Enterprise Development at the Small Business Administration where he oversaw the nation’s $27 billion 8(a) program.
Ronald graduated with cum laude honors from Howard University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance and is a Betta Gamma Sigma inductee (an academic honor society for top business students). He is also a distinguished veteran, having served in the US Army, Office of Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence at the Pentagon. He is the proud father of three whose children have also excelled in material science engineering/physics, medical school, and mathematics.
Derrick Holloway is a Senior Investment Associate for Green Buildings at DC Green Bank, where he works on origination, structuring, and executing financial products. Derrick has a corporate finance and commercial real estate background that spans from marketing, leasing, asset management, underwriting, and development. He joins DC Green Bank after spending 5 years in private and non-profit commercial lending, where he underwrote over $100 million in construction loans related to charter school development. His experience in corporate finance includes forecasting commercial projects, $15 million and up bridge loans, and $25 million and up construction loans. He has also helped manage a $100 million “School of Hope” charter school development fund with the purpose of opening 10 charter schools in 3 years.
Derrick attended Temple University’s Fox School of Business and double majored in Finance and Real Estate. He is also a licensed real estate agent in California and is in the process of obtaining his General Contractors license in the state of Maryland.
Shiva Patel has nearly a decade of experience with community-based organizations, start-ups and impact investment firms, particularly in the areas of energy and climate justice, transformative finance, and worker-owned cooperatives. This includes developing and implementing local/state/national projects and programs, policy analysis and advocacy, as well as conducting financial due diligence and investment deal structuring. He recently served as a Senior Fellow with The Solutions Project, an advisor to the Justice40 Accelerator, and played an integral role in the development of the Healthy, Equitable, Resilient Communities (HERC) accelerator and investment fund, a joint effort on behalf of Justice Capital and Full Spectrum Capital Partners. Prior to this, he co-launched the energy justice program at the Center for Biological Diversity.
He holds an M.B.A from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, and a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Policy and a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, also from UC Berkeley.
Gabriela Kluzinski is DC Green Bank’s Investment Associate, where she is responsible for supporting the team in business origination, deal execution, and portfolio management. She brings experience in evaluating investments for sustainability & diversity and portfolio management. She most recently served as an Investment Analyst on Cambridge Associate’s Sustainable and Impact Investing team. Gabriela received her B.B.A from the University of Notre Dame in Finance.