Ralph Lippman

Executive Director
California Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA)
Phone: (213) 353-1676
Website: www.cceda.com

Ralph Lippman became involved in the development and revitalization of communities as a student in the 1960's when "urban renewal" razed his apartment building. During that decade he worked for the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles and lectured in public affairs at Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California.

In the 1970's he joined American Indian Consultants, Inc., a tribal development corporation, whose dual concerns were the creation of jobs and income on the reservation. Ralph shepherded projects as diverse as the evaluation of vocational training to the feasibility of alligator wrestling, and assisted with the financial packaging of a ski resort and the creation of a film commission.

Ralph returned to L.A. in time for the '84 Olympics as the Director of Program Development for the School of Continuing Education at USC, which designed boutique certificate programs for large organizations. Shifts in federal policy drove him back to the community; first to the Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation which builds farm worker, multi family, self help and low end for-sale housing, and later as the LA director for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a New York based, Ford Foundation inspired fiscal intermediary, and as the director of the Los Angeles Collaborative for Community Economic Development.

Ralph is presently the director of the California Community Economic Development Association. CCEDA's two hundred twenty one members produce results through a range of community building strategies that include real estate development (housing, commercial, industrial and retail), business assistance and lending, job training and creation, and social services. CCEDA provides its members a clearinghouse for information and action that advance the field and elevate the discussion through training and continuing education, technical assistance, advocacy and public policy.

Ralph earned his Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He completed the Program for State and Local Executives at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Achieving Excellence program at Kennedy.

He received the Outstanding Leadership and Innovation Award in Community Economic Development from the California Economic Development Lending Initiative.

Dr. Lippman currently sits on the board of the California Association for Local Economic Development and the United Way of Los Angeles Cabinet. He also chairs West Angeles Ventures, Inc. He formerly served as a director of the National Congress for Community Economic Development, the Fannie Mae Foundation Knowledge Information Advisory Board, the Packard Foundation ABCD advisory board, Housing California, the National Economic Development & Law Center task force on financing childcare facilities, and on the California State Job Training Coordinating Council's committee on work force investment act transition.

He resides in Los Angeles with his family.