Changemaker: Cris White
Driven by a deep sense of empathy, Cris White has led CHFA into a new era since becoming Executive Director and CEO in 2010. With compassion and integrity, he has helped build up CHFA’s reputation as a champion of collaboration with steadfast commitment to its mission and its people.
Cris identified his capacity for empathy from a young age. “Growing up, I was always very upset by the feeling of seeing someone left out or left behind or treated poorly because of their differences,” Cris recalled. “I didn’t have a word for it back then, but now I realize that I have very high empathy and I’ve been that way my whole life. This trait is fundamental to my nature.”
Cris was raised by a single mom. Together with his sister, the family moved frequently and always lived in rented homes or apartments. “We didn’t have a lot, but I don’t feel like I went without. As I got older, I realized that my mom had to make certain sacrifices for my sister and me,” Cris said. His personal experience with housing instability helped to drive his passion for affordable housing and economic development. “That connection contributes to what is so valuable and rewarding about CHFA and this job.”
While attending college at Regis University in Denver, Cris applied for an internship in CHFA’s Commercial Division (now referred to as the Business Finance Division). He was accepted and worked for CHFA during his senior year on an export financing initiative. At the time, CHFA provided pre-shipment export financing for Colorado companies that wished to transport their products overseas. “It was very interesting and aligned with the degree I was pursuing at the time in international finance, though I graduated with a degree in business administration,” Cris explained.
During his internship, Cris came to know everyone at the organization and had his first exposure to the affordable housing industry. “It was just my luck,” Cris continued, “that a job opened up after graduation for an Assistant Commercial Loan Officer position and I was hired in the summer of 1988.” Apart from a single year away in 1996, Cris has been with CHFA ever since.
In his early years at CHFA, Cris rose through the Business Finance team and transitioned to the Asset Management team. After a brief stint away at GE Capital, Cris was hired back to CHFA to lead the Asset Management Division where he served for five years before shifting to various operational and management roles. Cris was appointed as CHFA’s Chief Operations Officer in 2001. After the retirement of CHFA’s third Executive Director and CEO, Roy Alexander, in December 2009, Cris was appointed to the position in 2010 where he has served for over fourteen years.
When reflecting on over three decades of service to the organization, Cris noted the substantial progress that CHFA has made since he first began his internship. “The change and growth have been phenomenal. It’s been extraordinary,” he said. CHFA has grown in size and scope to meet the state’s demands for affordable housing and economic development. Also increasing are the challenges and complexities facing low- and moderate-income Coloradans. “Twenty and thirty years ago, no one referred to the housing landscape in Colorado as a crisis,” Cris said, “but that’s exactly what we’re in right now.”
While the need for affordable housing has been exacerbated, Cris maintains his belief in CHFA’s impact. “Sometimes it looks like an insurmountable problem,” he said, “but to continue to stay optimistic is critical. We are still making a difference. We are housing thousands of people each year, providing the opportunity for homes that are safe, reliable, and affordable.”
Cris described today’s housing challenges as an opportunity for collaboration. “Working hard to meet the demand for affordable housing has forced us to think much differently and enter into much more creative partnerships,” Cris said. “It has driven innovation in a way that hadn’t been predicted.” He noted collaboration as a strategic priority and a key driver for CHFA’s success, though it had not always been perceived as a core value. “We had to work hard to overcome a reputation for not being very collaborative,” Cris explained. “It was challenging to be viewed in those terms because I believe deeply that we can’t accomplish this work alone.”
In his tenure as Executive Director and CEO, Cris has focused on breaking down siloes, empowering employees, and strengthening partnerships. This has resulted in a transformed and healthy corporate culture at CHFA that uplifts its community and its mission. This shift in culture is one of Cris’ proudest accomplishments as a leader. He believes culture is foundational as it helps attract and retain talent to further the mission. “The more people we can get involved in this business the better,” he said. “There’s genuine satisfaction in going home every day knowing that you have contributed to the well-being of a person or family that has a safe place to live that they can afford. The work is extraordinarily rewarding.”
Though he has built an important legacy in CHFA’s history through 34 years of service and leadership, he maintains a self-effacing attitude. “It’s not about me,” he said, “it’s about all the individuals who comprise the teams that make up CHFA. We created an environment where we all work together to do the best we possibly can to address affordable housing and economic development needs in the state.”
Cris’ successes at CHFA throughout his career have been a direct result of his ability to relate to people and lead with compassion. As CHFA moves forward into its next 50 years of strengthening Colorado, Cris and his sense of empathy have left an indelible mark.