Ellen Lazar has been executive director of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, since October of 2000. Prior to this, Ms. Lazar served as director of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, a position to which former secretary of the U.S. Treasury Robert Rubin appointed her. She also served as executive director of the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders, vice president and general counsel of the Enterprise Foundation, assistant general counsel to the National Corporation for Housing Partnerships, and served in the office of general counsel at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ms. Lazar has a Bachelor's degree from Queens College of the City University of New York and a JD from the Indiana University School of Law at Bloomington.