Comcast executive, empowerment advocate joins Virginia Community Capital Board
Jackie Puente will govern and advise organization on mission, direction, and focus
RICHMOND, Virginia — (March 31 , 2021) – Virginia Community Capital (VCC) announced today the election of Jackie Puente, Executive Director for External Affairs at Comcast Corp., to the board of directors. Puente will join 12 other directors, guiding the organization’s mission, direction, financial sustainability, and efforts to deepen impact.
In her role at Comcast, Puente is responsible for engaging diverse stakeholders on issues related to brand and reputation, government affairs, community impact, diversity equity, and inclusion (DEI), and communications strategy across the technology and media sector. She advises Comcast’s executive leadership and navigates complex matters relating to pandemic response and disaster relief, as well as advocacy campaigns that engage civil rights, disability rights, labor, and immigrant rights groups.
“I am thrilled to share my experience and voice and serve on the VCC board of directors,” Puente said. “Together, we will work to increase capacity, grow the organization, and enhance VCC’s mission to create new opportunities and access to capital for entrepreneurs and critical community projects.”
Throughout her career, Puente has served as a translator between public, private, and nonprofit entities, and she has focused on strategies to empower vulnerable communities to leverage media, technology, as well as digital and financial literacy to create a more inclusive and equitable economy. She is a graduate of American University’s School of International Service, and she participated in the National Association for Minorities in Communications (NAMIC) executive leadership development program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Puente is an active board member and advisor to national organizations and campaigns that seek to empower business leaders and advocate for economic opportunity for all Americans, including the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and SER National, a provider of job training programs. Puente is involved in many philanthropic causes to advance community development and leadership in Hispanic communities.
“We are excited to have Jackie Puente join our organization. Her passion for advancing financial opportunity and access to tools will be a great asset in our planning processes,” said Dixon Hanna, VCC’s Chairman of the Board. “She will contribute key leadership to our development of digital strategies for enhanced economic vibrancy. She also brings a network of organizations that will help VCC increase access to its lending and advisory services for communities of color.”
The VCC board of directors is responsible for evaluating the organization’s performance and management, reviewing strategic plans and annual reports, guiding the CEO and leadership, and providing general governance and oversight for a range of needs and issues.
Puente joins a board of 12 veteran business, finance, and social enterprise professionals who serve VCC: Kimberly P. Armstrong, a retired banking professional; Cathy Dolan, retired COO of Opportunity Finance Network; Robert H. Gilliam, Jr., retired bank President and CEO; Dixon B. Hanna, retired Associate Provost of Virginia Tech; James W. Harkness, Jr., a retired bank President and CEO; Jane N. Henderson, President and CEO of VCC; Florence G. Kingston, Director for the Department of Development of the City of Newport News; Sherry Magill, Ph.D., retired President and Executive Director of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund; Charlie H. Mills III, CEO of Salera Employee Benefits Solutions; Mary Dwyer Pembroke, Director and Senior Counsel of Government Relations at Discover; and William C. Shelton, retired Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.