Daniel Betancourt has been President and CEO of Community First Fund since May 1999. He has more than twenty five years’ experience in small business and community economic development, built on a solid banking base including the management of a portfolio of deposits and loans over $100 million as an Assistant Vice-President of commercial lending. Under Dan’s leadership, Community First Fund has grown into a successful Community Development Financial Institution attracting multi-million dollar investments, including New Markets Tax Credits. Community First currently has over $80 million in total capital under management.

Dan has been a vocal advocate for funding for small businesses, having testified before both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House Small Business Committees; before then chairman Ben Bernanke and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve; and at an FDIC/CDFI Fund Conference in Kansas City. He has also presented at a Social Investment Forum in Washington D.C. and numerous times at both the OFN and AEO Conferences. He previously provided leadership to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity as its Chair and to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh as a member of its Advisory Board. He was awarded Small Business Champion of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Millersville University (PA).