Beth Lipson presents the 2022 Native CDFI Catalyst Award to Akiptan's Dawn LeBeau in New York City.
Celebrating Beth Lipson’s 27 Years of Dedicated Service at OFN
Lipson will depart OFN at the end of the year to begin a new chapter supporting the CDFI industry.
Read time: 3 minutes
Earlier this year, Beth Lipson announced her departure from OFN after 27 years of dedicated service to the organization and the CDFI mission to align capital with justice. Last week, the OFN team celebrated Beth with a bittersweet send off.
Team members shared touching tributes, highlighting Beth’s graciousness, humility, collegial friendships, advocacy for the professional development of her teammates – and her stewardship resulting in 27 years of clean audits!
See more photos in OFN’s Facebook album.
Beth also shared a few words of her own. She talked about how OFN helped her not only develop her voice, but also use it to share and advocate for the incredible work our members and the industry are doing in communities around the country. She recalled some of her favorite moments, such as her 2007 visit to the Lakota Fund and the Pine Ridge Reservation and her leadership on the NEXT Awards program to celebrate CDFI innovation and impact.
Finally, Beth offered advice on collaboration. As OFN is growing rapidly, she encouraged staff to reach out to colleagues on other teams, get to know them, and learn from their expertise.
“That is the power OFN, when we all are working together…It’s hard to work across teams, but it is when we are most powerful,” Beth shared.
Although neither words nor actions can adequately express our gratitude, we thank Beth for her countless contributions, steadfast leadership, and kindness throughout her tenure, and we look forward to working with her in new capacities!
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