Ann Melone brings a diverse perspective to the boardroom combining advanced financial structuring, risk identification and mitigation, real estate underwriting and operations and product innovation to deliver thoughtful questions and insights that help drive informed decisions. Having worked in and advised public and private businesses focused on banking and real estate, she draws upon a wide range of experiences across multiple economic cycles.
Currently, Ann is a Senior Vice President and Business Development Officer at U. S. Bancorp Impact Finance, the community development and environmental finance subsidiary of U.S. Bank, the country’s 5th largest commercial bank. As a senior financial expert and advisor with over 25 years of experience, she has guided top tier real estate development companies to understand complex financial structures, resulting in the development of thousands of multi-family rental units. These impactful projects involve combining layered financing, including tax credits, public funding and private loans, while balancing financial, market, tax, regulatory, relationship and reputational risks. She has closed on over 200 transactions with diverse companies in 13 states with clients including Seattle Housing Authority, DevCo, Inc., Volunteers of America, Central City Concern and Mercy Housing, Inc. She also initiated and implemented innovations in her current role including leading internal approvals to programmatically invest in 45L tax credits, leveraging state tax credits to boost profits, and won a “spark” award for her plan to repurpose obsolete bank property into new community assets.
She currently serves on the boards of Community Roots Housing, Pacific Northwest Women’s Affordable Housing Network (“PNWAHN”) and the Seattle Housing Levy Oversight Committee to which she was appointed by the Mayor and serves as Chair. At PNWAHN, she serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. In addition, she has served on the boards and committees (Executive, Finance, Loan, Troubled Assets, Real Estate Development, Membership, Executive Search) of multiple non-profits over the last two decades.
Ann holds a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Washington in St. Louis and an MBA with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. Ann has participated in UW Foster Women on Boards, OnBoarding Women, the SHRM Women in Leadership Institute and is a frequent industry speaker at state housing conferences.