Welcome to the 2026 CDBA Peer Forum website! Thank you for attending the largest annual gathering of CDFI, MDI, and other mission-focused bank representatives.
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Advocacy Day and Pre-Conference Cocktail Reception: Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Peer Forum Conference: Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 and Thursday, June 4, 2026 Meeting Location: National Housing Center (NHC) Auditorium at: 1201 15th St NW, 1st floor, Washington, DC 20005 Attire: Business casual for all Peer Forum activities
Hotel Information: The National Housing Center is located in downtown, Washington D.C., within walking distance of a variety of hotels offering rooms at a wide range of price points. We invite you to explore some of the options in our “Hotel Options List.” Please note that CDBA has not arranged a room block at any individual hotels for this event.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Advocacy Day, please email Jack Dunn at [email protected]
Schedule:
June 2: Advocacy Day and Pre-Conference Cocktail Reception
June 3: Sessions from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm ET
Cocktail reception at 6:00 pm ET followed by dinner at 7:30 pm ET at Del Mar
Sherry Waner is the founding CEO of HelloBello and currently serves as Chief Revenue Officer, leading strategic growth and partnerships for the innovative lending technology platform and wholly owned subsidiary of First Southwest Bancorporation, Inc. HelloBello was created to help financial institutions simplify complex lending, expand access to capital, and strengthen mission-driven impact through scalable technology solutions.
With more than 30 years of banking experience, Sherry has led innovation across virtually every area of community banking, including operations, branch management, deposit growth strategies, business development, and the full spectrum of commercial lending. Her career has been defined by building scalable systems, driving operational efficiencies, and developing innovative approaches to complex credit and capital access challenges. In addition to her banking leadership, Sherry has served as President and Board Chair of local economic development organizations and as Chair of a state minority business office focused on supporting underserved communities and entrepreneurs.
Throughout her career, Sherry has been a recognized leader in economic development, community finance, and entrepreneurial ecosystem building, with a focus on leveraging technology and data to drive measurable outcomes in underserved and rural markets. Her work has spanned the development of technology-enabled solutions for federal assistance programs, lending process innovation, and impact measurement strategies that support long-term community growth.
Sherry also serves as Chief Development Officer for First Southwest Bank and is a founding member and serves on the board of their MANA First Southwest Community Fund. Under her leadership, First Southwest Bank has become nationally recognized for its innovative and mission-aligned financing models designed to expand economic opportunity in rural and underserved communities.
Ask Sherry how HelloBello and complementary fintech solutions are helping CDFIs and mission-driven financial institutions increase lending capacity, improve operational efficiency, and establish or scale mission-aligned nonprofit affiliate strategies to deepen community impact.
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