LISC Milwaukee announces the hire of seasoned banker, Jack West, to drive their new investment strategy for central city development. In the newly created position of Financial Services Director, Jack West will lead LISC’s efforts to significantly increase its quality and volume of real estate investment activity in Milwaukee ’s central city neighborhoods.
“Milwaukee can’t flourish if some of our neighborhoods are left behind. Jack West’s deep experience in commercial lending will help LISC Milwaukee leverage funding opportunities and accelerate fund delivery to our most vulnerable neighborhoods,” says Leo Ries, executive director.
The Financial Services director will support a full-cycle of activities related to real estate lending and development including acquisition, pre-development, underwriting, documentation and administration. This includes assessing project feasibility, developing financing strategies and accessing public subsidies as well as conventional financing. The director of Financial Services will identify and develop sound real estate deals that support community revitalization and also design new loan products and lending programs, as appropriate.
“There’s so much good work being in our central city, but also many overlooked opportunities for investment. I look forward to helping LISC work with developers and lenders to expedite these neighborhood improvement efforts,” says Jack West.
Jack West has more than 30 years in senior level banking with broad experience in credit approval, underwriting, troubled assets guidance and business development in large and middle market commercial banking environments. Most recently, West was the first vice president and regional manager for Commercial Real Estate and Business Banking at Anchor Bank. In this position he built and managed his own portfolio while managing a team commercial real estate and business banking lenders covering the southeast Wisconsin region. Before that, West worked for JPMorgan Chase (Bank One) for 25 years handling lending and credit for large and middlemarket clients.
West has a B.S. in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. On the nonprofit side, West served as the Board president of Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity, and Board president of Tri-Corp, inc. Both organizations provide affordable and supportive housing options in Southeast Wisconsin.
Married 39 years, Jack and his wife Jeanne met in college at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and moved to Brookfield , WI , 30 years ago. The West’s have five children—2 girls in California and 3 boys in Milwaukee —and four grandchildren. His wife Jeanne works at Cardinal Stritch University as the Secretary for the Dean of Graduate Studies in the School of Psychology.
