Staff & Board

STAFF & BOARD
CDF STAFF
Executive Director
MARY GRIFFIN
Griffin serves as Executive Director of Cooperative Development Foundation, where she manages a portfolio of $10 million in funds and directs grantmaking and programmatic strategies focused on promoting cooperative development. She was director of public policy for NCBA CLUSA from 2004 to 2010, and secured increases in funding for cooperative development, and policy changes related to cooperative finance and tax issues. From 2011 to 2021, she was with the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), serving as senior advisor in its Office of Community Affairs since 2012, focusing on developing policies and programs to improve the financial lives of the economically vulnerable, including in the area of digital financial services. During her time at CFPB, she was twice detailed to the World Bank’s Consultant Group to Assist the Poor, where she worked on digital financial inclusion. Earlier in her career she spent nearly a decade at Consumer Reports as senior counsel on consumer finance issues.
A graduate of St. Lawrence University, Griffin holds a JD from Temple University and an LLM, Economic Regulation from George Washington University.
Program Manager
ELECTRA SKRZYDLEWSKI
Electra Skrzydlewski serves as the Program Manager for the Cooperative Development Foundation. She oversees a portfolio of programs empowering low-income and historically underserved communities through cooperative and shared equity ownership models. She is responsible for program development, implementation, outreach to stakeholders and subject matter experts, qualitative research, evaluation and reporting, compliance, financial oversight, and communications.
Electra’s career has involved connecting communities with opportunities that align with their ambitions. Most recently, Electra was the Regional Deputy Director for Nevada’s senior U.S. Senator working with federal agencies, state, tribal, and local governments, community stakeholders, and constituent groups to advance bipartisan solutions to the challenges our nation faces. In other roles, she led electoral and political organizing campaigns, resource development, administration, operations, program and project management, client relations, and business development, primarily in education and financial services.
Active in her community as a volunteer, Electra’s expertise supports shared leadership teams through change initiatives to build values-driven, sustainable organizations. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University, she holds a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in energy business and finance. She is pursuing a Master’s in Management, Cooperatives and Credit Unions from the Sobey School of Business at Saint Mary’s University.
Associate Director
KIRSTIE BOYETTE
Kirstie Boyette (she/her) serves as the Associate Director for the Cooperative Development Foundation where she directs operations related to grantmaking, fundraising, finances, and programs. She manages the application, review, and distribution process of nearly $1 million in annual grantmaking from CDF’s family of Funds that aim to grow member-owned and controlled businesses, develop authentic local leaders, and strengthen communities. Kirstie began working with the National Home Care Cooperative Initiative in 2019 where she collaborates with dedicated individuals in strengthening home care cooperative development and enhancing wellness with continuing education for member-owners. She also oversees the Cooperative Leaders and Scholars program designed to provide professional development for new and emerging cooperators to deepen knowledge across cooperative sectors.
Kirstie began her cooperative career at NCBA CLUSA where she focused on member events and strategic initiatives support. A graduate of the University of Florida, she holds a BA in Agricultural Economics and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand. She is pursuing a certificate in cooperative management from the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University, serves as a board director of CooperationWorks!, and is a member of the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) planning committee.
CDF BOARD
RICHARD LAROCHELLE
Board Chair
NRUCFC, Retired
DEVIN FUHRMAN
Board Member
Nationwide
LINDA TANK
Board Member
CHS Inc., Retired
LARRY BLANCHARD
Board Member
CUNA Mutual Group
JOHN HOLDSCLAW IV
Board Member
Rochdale Capital
DEBORAH TROCHA
Board Member
Indiana Cooperative Development Center
CORNELIUS BLANDING
Board Member
Federation of Southern Cooperatives
CHRISTINA JENNINGS
Board Member
Shared Capital Cooperative
JUDY ZIEWACZ
Board Member
NCBA CLUSA, Retired