The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) has announced that Lisa Pendergast, president and CEO, will retire on or about Aug. 3, 2026, following a decade of her leadership.
“Under Lisa’s exceptional leadership, CREFC has strengthened its role as the commercial real estate finance industry’s central forum for dialogue, advocacy, and market intelligence,” said Leland F. Bunch III, managing director at Bank of America and the chair of CREFC’s executive committee and board of governors. “The Board has launched a thoughtful and thorough search process to ensure a seamless new CEO transition to continue CREFC’s success.”
Pendergast guided CREFC through a period of significant growth and industry evolution. During her tenure, the organization increased membership by more than 30 percent and firmly established itself as the leading industry voice representing the full spectrum of commercial and multifamily real estate finance participants.
Under Pendergast’s lea
