Harris Bank Lends Neighborhoods $ and Expertise

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Harris Bank, a long-time LISC/Chicago funder, recently renewed its grant commitment to LISC and provided a $4.5 million low-interest loan, which is being shared with LISC/Milwaukee.

In addition to its financial support, Harris has been generous in making its executives available to counsel LISC/Chicago as it pursues its mission of making neighborhoods better and stronger. That support has been most evident in the presence of Michael W. Lewis, the Harris executive vice president and central district executive who has served on LISC/Chicago’s board of advisors since 2004. He’s also on the board’s executive committee. His approach – a consistent combination of enthusiastic participation and thoughtful analysis – is a model of what board engagement should be.

Harris Bank Executive Vice President and LISC board member Michael W. Lewis.

Lewis, a Michigan native, joined Harris in 1978 as a commercial banking trainee and has worked in various aspects of the bank’s business ever since. Today, his duties include growing the bank’s commercial and retail business, community development, and consumer loans and services sectors throughout Chicago.

"When it comes to community development, we’re not Johnny-come-latelies; Harris Bank has had a wonderful partnership with LISC/Chicago that goes back many years."

Lewis commented after a recent board meeting. "Our customers and employees live in the areas we serve.  Our success is linked to their success, so it’s important to us to support the communities within that footprint. Our grant support to LISC/Chicago fulfills our philanthropic mission, while the $4.5 million loan responds to a specific need: that in today’s climate, funding for community development has become harder to secure."

Harris wants to be part of meeting that need. Our loan to LISC will be used over the next five years to support low- to moderate-income housing and community facilities.

"My personal leadership with LISC/Chicago rounds out other work I do to promote diversity within the business community.  To provide those opportunities for a diverse population you have to have not only advocacy and support for the people in our community but infrastructure. These funds will create that. For me, supporting the work of LISC/Chicago completes the circle."

This article first appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Working Capital, LISC/Chicago's quarterly newsletter. To see the full issue, please click here.