Minneapolis, MN (March 19, 2025) – Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF), is pleased to announce the election of Sara Razavi and George Surgeon to its Board of Trustees.
Sara Razavi has served as CEO of Working Solutions CDFI since 2017, leading the organization through a period of significant growth in capital deployment, geographic expansion, and impact. With over 20 years of experience in the social sector, Sara has deep expertise in operations, strategy, finance, small business development, and partnership management. Before joining Working Solutions, she was Executive Director of Honoring Emancipated Youth, a United Way of the Bay Area subsidiary focused on advocacy for former foster youth. She has also held leadership roles in organizations serving immigrant and under resourced communities.
Beyond her work at Working Solutions, Sara contributes to the broader CDFI industry as a board member for the Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) and Scale Link and serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Impact Finance at the UNH Carsey School of Public Policy. She holds a BA in Sociology and Theatre from UC Davis and an MBA from the University of San Francisco, where she specialized in social impact and finance.
George P. Surgeon is the President and CEO of GSJ Advisors, Ltd. (GSJ), a consulting firm specializing in advising mission-driven social enterprises on small business lending, capital raising, and restructuring while supporting impact investors in evaluating investments that drive meaningful community outcomes.
With a distinguished career in community development banking, George has held executive roles at several institutions, including serving as President and CEO of Southern Bancorp, Inc. and The ShoreBank Corporation. He is a trustee of the National Community Investment Fund, a member of the investment committee for Opportunity Finance Network, and serves on the strategic advisory board of TRP Lending. His prior roles include positions with IFF, the Belarusian Bank for Small Business, and SOA Kredit in Azerbaijan, as well as advisory roles with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s CDFI Fund and the Federal Reserve Board’s Consumer Advisory Council. George holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
“We are honored to welcome Sara Razavi and George Surgeon to CRF’s Board of Trustees,” said Matthew Roth, President and CEO, CRF. “Sara’s expertise in small business lending and capital deployment, combined with George’s deep experience in community development banking and investment strategy, will help us deliver on our mission. Their leadership will enhance our ability to expand access to capital and drive meaningful economic impact in the communities we serve.” For more information about CRF and its mission, visit crfusa.com.
